Hello, I will be out in Hawaii this December and wanted to visit the USS Arizona Memorial. I will be traveling to one of the other islands on an early evening flight on a Sunday. I will be staying near Waikiki and not renting a car. It is about an hour bus ride away. Does it sound feasible to visit the Memorial prior to a flight to another island if I show up in the morning? I know they have bag lockers but can I check actual baggage at the visitors center? How long is the ferry ride to the memorial, and how long are you actually at the memorial. Thanks.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8125 posts
We were there in February, and we got reservations prior to going. Tickets can be purchased when you arrive, but they just take "X" numbers of visitors any given day. It's about a 1 mile ferry ride to the ship from the staging location. You can do the whole trip in 2 hours or so.
I don't remember if they have luggage storage. You might want to check with the FAQ section of the Memorial to see if they have lockers or storage. It's an easy ride by public transit to the Memorial and to the Airport.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
Is that 2 hours in addition to the movie they show you in the visitor center? How long do you think you were actually at the memorial?
Posted by
Westford, MA, USA
564 posts
You need to allow 2 hours just for the visit to the USS Arizona Memorial.
They shuttle several boats to the Memorial at one time. They disembark in order. Later after your visit at the Memorial you depart in same boat you came over by in an orderly fashion.
There are no other boats waiting to dock when you return. It's not like the Blue Grotto with boats drifting about waiting their turn. It's all done very respectfully. You'll pass the next group of boats as you cross over the harbor.
The movie is an option. If you skip it, the outdoor exhibits are worth your time.
The lockers are for day bag sizes but will not fit a suitcase.
Check the airport website for luggage lockers. I don't recall as we weren't using them.
Buy a ticket the day before you go for the opening hour. Allow 3 hours for your visit.
Hopefully you can go out to the airport, dump your luggage, and then go back to visit the Memorial.
If not make it a priority for a different morning.
Posted by
Medford, OR, USA
5835 posts
The Bus doesn't have luggage racks.
Here's The Bus schedule:
http://www.thebus.org/route/HTMLversion/Rt42_08232015.htm
Posted by
OP
8 posts
How long are people typically at the memorial? How long is the boat ride?
Posted by
Medford, OR, USA
5835 posts
http://www.nps.gov/VALR/planyourvisit/index.htm
Reserve tickets up to two (2) months in advance. You can also reserve
next-day online tickets starting at 7 a.m. the day prior to your visit
for a 24 hour period.The tour is 75-minutes long consisting of a 25-minute documentary film
and a boat trip out to the Memorial.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
I probably wouldn't have time to visit the USS Missouri but am interested in that as well. I noticed that it looks like you can view the memorial from the deck of the Missouri. Would people think that going to visit the Missouri instead would be a reasonable idea? Wish I had more time.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32198 posts
To answer your last question, Yes, you can see the USS Arizona Memorial from the USS Missouri (Missouri now perpetually watches over her "sister").
If you take a Bus from Waikiki to the USS Bowfin & Museum (which is also close to the dock for the USS Arizona), there's another Bus from there that goes across a bridge to the location where the Missouri is moored (as I recall, they specified no photos while on the bridge). The Pacific Aviation Museum is also located there, and it's well worth seeing.
You could also check Robert's Hawaii for tour and bus options.