PEARL HARBOR/USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL

Private Joseph Lockard was a 19 year old from the town of Williamsport, Pennsylvania who had been placed in charge of the Opana Radar Station working the oscilloscope.  A contact on an oscilloscope shows up as a spike rising from the baseline on the 5-inch screen, similar to that of a heartbeat monitor.  "It was the largest group I had ever seen on the oscilloscope." Joe would later recount. Whoever they were, the unknown swarm of planes were just 137 miles out and closing at two miles a minute and coming directly at Joe.  It was just past 7am on the morning of December 7, 1941. 

Private Joseph Lockard

This story and numerous others can be heard at the Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum.   Entrance to a 23-minute documentary film and to the USS Arizona Memorial is FREE to the first 1,300 visitors daily on a first-come, first-serve basis with gates opening at 7:00am HST. 

USS Arizona Memorial

To enhance your trip however, I suggest purchasing tickets for TOUR OPTION 2: USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL NARRATED TOUR.  Your ticket will include a timed USS Arizona Memorial ticket and an audio headset for a narrated tour.  The audio tour is narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of actor and Pacific War veteran Tony Curtis.  The audio also includes guest narration by active Pearl Harbor Survivors and by National Park Historian Daniel Martinez.   Think of it as having a Park Ranger with you during your entire tour.   Allow at least 2 hours here. 

The timed tickets will go on sale two months prior to your scheduled arrival so be sure you go online to www.recreation.gov and make your purchase.  Tickets will normally sell out the same day, especially when a cruise ship arrives into town, so don’t procrastinate or you may miss out on a ticket altogether.  The online timed ticket/audio tour will run you $9.00USD. ($7.50 plus a non-refundable booking fee of $1.50)

Honolulu Harbor has two cruise terminals. The primary terminal is located at Pier 2 Cruise Terminal at 521 Ala Moana Boulevard, at the west end of Channel Street. The alternate cruise ship terminal is at Pier 11. The entrance is on the North extension of Aloha Tower Drive. The Explorer of the Seas docked at 8:00am at Pier 2 CruiseTerminal.

Pier 2 Cruise Terminal location

You can certainly pay up to $100 to take the ships shore excursion or you can be adventuresome and take the local bus system.  It’s quite easy and very inexpensive.  As you walk off the ship head straight out to the main road which is Ala Moana Blvd.  Cross the street at the crosswalk and turn right.  Walk to the first corner.  You will pass a bus stop along the way but bus #42 doesn’t stop here so continue walking to the corner.  You should now be at the corner of Ala Moana Blvd and South Street.  Cross the street at the crosswalk and turn left.  The bus stop for bus #42 is just before you get to the next corner, which is South Street and Auahi Street. 

Bus #42 runs about every 20 minutes and you will want the bus that reads “EWA BEACH VIA PEARL HARBOR MEMORIAL” on the front.  When boarding present your Medicare card to the driver and the cost of your ticket will be $1 one-way or $2 for an unlimited day pass.  If you don’t have your Medicare card your cost will be $5 for the day.   

Note:  The senior fare is only available to US Citizens and can only be obtained by presenting your Medicare card.  

The bus ride will take 45 minutes and will drop you just inside the main gate.  Only bus #42 takes you inside.  If you take any other bus you will need to make a transfer en-route and the bus will drop you off on Kamehameha Street and you will then need to walk down to the main entrance. 

Before you enter you MUST check in ALL bags.  You will be allowed to take in your cell phone but not much else.  I had a small 8-inch zipper clutch purse and was not allowed to take that in with me.  Bag check is located just to the right of the main entrance and cost was $4 per item so I put everything into my day bag and checked in one bag only.   

Once inside I had to obtain a paper ticket.  Ticket booths are directly in front of you with “Memorial” on the left and “Bowfin, Museum and Missouri” tickets on the right.  I simply presented my phone with my electronic ticket and received my printed tickets.  If you purchased the audio tour you will want to pick up your headset, located just to the left of the ticket booth. 

Ticket Booth

Because of the heat I opted to go straight to the theater to watch the 23 minute documentary.  As soon as it is finished you are escorted to the dock and loaded aboard the Navy vessel that will take you out to the memorial.  Please be respectful when you are on the USS Arizona Memorial.  This is a very solemn place and a very moving experience.  

Theater entrance for 23-min documentary film

Boarding the Navy vessel for trip out to USS Arizona

Entrance to USS Arizona

After returning from the USS Arizona Memorial I then proceeded to do the remainder of the audio tour.  This took about an hour and a half.  I did find a place to purchase water and drinks.  Water was $2 per bottle.  They also have a hot dog stand at a cost of $6 each.  You will also find plenty of gift shops for shopping. 

When you are ready to leave you will need to walk up the hill to Kamehameha Street.  You won’t be able to pick up the bus where you were dropped off.  Walk straight up the hill and turn to the left to bus stop #691.  The bus runs about every 30 minutes.  You can also download THE BUS app on your smart phone for up to the minute schedules. 

After arriving back at the ship I walked to Aloha Towers to meet a friend for dinner at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant.  The walk took only 10 minutes and I managed to arrive during happy hour. Margaritas were $3 each and I ended up ordering Lobster and Shrimp tacos, 3 for $12.  Great way to end a beautiful day. 

View of the ship from Gordon Biersch patio