Complete and Ultimate Pearl Harbor Deluxe Experience From Hilo

The Arizona Memorial is the most visited attraction in the State of Hawaii. This memorial is built over the wreck of the battleship USS Arizona. It is a memorial to everyone who died in the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This attack pulled the United States into WWII. The memorial is also a memorial to the 1,177 sailors and marines who died aboard the USS Arizona when a Japanese bomb detonated her ammunition magazine. Almost half of the 2,403 US military personnel died in the attack. The Arizona Memorial spans the wreck of the battleship but does not touch it. The Arizona Memorial is only accessible by US Navy-operated shuttle boat.

The US Navy submarine force played a pivotal role in the defeat of Japan in WWII. The USS Bowfin is a Balao class submarine that took part in nine war patrols and destroyed 43 enemy vessels. This highly decorated submarine was launched on December 7, 1942, the one-year anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Because of this, she was given the nickname of Pearl Harbor Avenger. Today the USS Bowfin is a museum ship located at Pearl Harbor. Visitors can walk into the submarine and see what a WWII-era submarine looked like. Visitors can also visit the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, housing thousands of submarine-related artifacts. This museum will teach you about the roles that submarines played in WWII and continue to play today.

Located on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor is the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. This aviation museum is unique because it is located on an aerial battlefield. The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum inhabits three buildings of the former Naval Air Station Pearl Harbor. The two hangars and the administrative building with the control tower were all present during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. Damage from the attack can still be found on Hargar 79. Today the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum houses a growing collection of aircraft dating from WWII to today. Among them are some truly rare aircraft. The museum also features a flight combat simulator and a rotating exhibit housed in a separate area called the Raytheon Pavilion.

The USS Missouri is the most famous battleship in the world. The USS Missouri is the last battleship ever built and was the last battleship decommissioned when she was taken out of service in 1992. She is most well known as the location of the Japanese surrender marking the end of WWII. This venerable ship has seen action in WWII, the Korean War, and the first Gulf War. Today, she is a popular museum ship docked at Ford Island and one of the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. Visitors can walk about her decks and view the very spot where the Japanese delegation signed the instruments of surrender. Visitors must take a special shuttle bus to Ford Island, which is still an active military base, to get to the battleship.

To the left of the entrance to the USS Missouri, you will find the USS Oklahoma Memorial. The memorial is dedicated to the memory of the 429 sailors and marines who died aboard the USS Oklahoma when she capsized as a result of multiple Japanese torpedo hits during the attack on December 7, 1941. This represents the second-largest number of casualties sustained by a single ship during the attack. The largest being the 1,177 who died aboard the USS Arizona. Unlike the battleship Arizona, the USS Oklahoma was raised and towed away. The course of the war and the extent of her damage meant that it was not economical to modernize her and return her to service. This makes the USS Oklahoma one of only three ships sunk during the attack not to be returned to service.

Statue of King Kamehameha ( Short Stop ) In front of Aliiolani Hale, the home of the Supreme Court of the State of Hawaii is the golden statue of King Kamehameha the Great. Kamehameha the Great was the man who united the Islands of Hawaii under his rule, becoming Hawaii's first King and the founder of the Kingdom of Hawaii. State Capitol Building ( Pass By ) The Hawaii State Capitol Building was purpose-built to be the seat of power for the State of Hawaii. The State Capitol is a Bauhaus-inspired design with a lot of symbolism built into it. For example, the pillars represent the trunks of Royal Palms which are a Hawaiian symbol of governance. Each pillar represents a Hawaiian Island. Iolani Palace ( Pass By ) Commissioned by King David Kalakaua, Iolani palace is the only Royal Palace on American soil. Built in 1879, the palace served as the seat of power for the Kingdom of Hawaii until the overthrow of its last Queen in 1893.

Washington Place ( Pass By ) Was once the home of Hawaii's last monarch Queen Liliuokalani. The home was built in 1847 in the Greek Revival style, similar to many homes in the antebellum South. Washington Place was built by the Dominis family. John Dominis was the husband of Queen Liliuokalani. Upon his death, ownership of the residence passed to her. After the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, Liliuolkalani lived the rest of her days in this house. After her death, it became the residence of Hawaii's Governors. Kawaiahao Church ( Pass By ) Kawaiahao Church is the oldest church in Honolulu. This church, also known as the Westminster of Hawaii, once served as the main church for the Hawaiian Royal Family. The church was designed by Hiram Bingham, who led the first Christian mission to Hawaii in 1821. To help with converting native Hawaiians to Christianity, his mission committed the Hawaiian language to writing and creating the Hawaiian language Bible.

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is a federal cemetery built in the caldera of an extinct volcano. Known by the locals as Punchbowl Cemetery, the site is the final resting place of American soldiers and veterans of wars ranging from WWI to today. The centerpiece of this cemetery is the memorial to those veterans of wars involving America who are missing in action or were buried at sea. The central figure of this memorial is the statue of Lady Columbia. Below the sculpture is an excerpt from Abraham Lincoln's letter to Mrs. Bixby. Many of those who were killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor are buried in this cemetery, including many whose remains are unidentified.