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Pham Star - Ready Room Blog

TOP OF THE
TOWER TOUR

360-VIEWS
OF AMERICA’S
WWII AVIATION
BATTLEFIELD

THE BEST VIEW OF Pearl Harbor

The Top of the Tower Tour is a once-in-a-lifetime experience featuring the Pearl Harbor battlefield from the iconic Ford Island Control Tower. A silent witness to the December 7, 1941 attack, the tower is now open to the public for the first time in decades, memorializing our Greatest Generation and the “date which will live in infamy.”

Photograph taken from a Japanese plane during the torpedo attack on ships moored on both sides of Ford Island. View looks about east, with the supply depot, submarine base and fuel tank farm in the right center distance. A torpedo has just hit USS West Virginia on the far side of Ford Island (center). Other battleships moored nearby are (from left): Nevada, Arizona, Tennessee (inboard of West Virginia), Oklahoma (torpedoed and listing) alongside Maryland, and California. On the near side of Ford Island, to the left, are light cruisers Detroit and Raleigh, target and training ship Utah and seaplane tender Tangier. Raleigh and Utah have been torpedoed, and Utah is listing sharply to port. Japanese planes are visible in the right center (over Ford Island) and over the Navy Yard at right. Japanese writing in the lower right states that the photograph was reproduced by authorization of the Navy Ministry. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.
Pham Star - Ready Room Blog

Experience America's WWII Aviation Battlefield

PEARL HARBOR
AVIATION MUSEUM

THE ‘CAN'TMISS STOP’ WHEN VISITING PEARL HARBOR

Stand on the actual battlefield and inside authentic WWII hangars that withstood the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Ascend the historic Ford Island Control Tower, that stands 168-feet above the battlefield, and get a birds-eye view of all the attack-points across Oahu.

THE DAY OF INFAMY

December 7, 1941

On that fateful Sunday morning, Japanese aircraft launched a surprise air raid attack on Pearl Harbor, causing extensive damage to the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The attack resulted in the sinking of eight U.S. Navy vessels including three battleships, damage to an additional six battleships plus many other ships, the loss of nearly 100 aircraft, and the deaths of over 2,400 American military personnel and civilians.

PEARL HARBOR AVIATION MUSEUM

the real battlefield experience

Stand on the actual battlefield and inside authentic WWII hangars that withstood the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Ascend the historic Ford Island Control Tower, that stands 168-feet above the battlefield, and get a birds-eye view of all the attack-points across Oahu.

Museum

OverVIEW

self-guided Audio tours available in

6 languages

ENGLISH, JAPANESE, SPANISH, KOREAN, CANTONESE AND MANDARIN

above the Pearl Harbor battlefield

2

HISTORIC
WWII-ERA HANGARS FILLED WITH AIRCRAFT, EXHIBITS, AND ARTIFACTS

STATE-OF-THE-ART FIGHTER ACE

DOCENT GUIDED TOURS AVAILABLE

50

+ AIRCRAFT ON DISPLAY FOR VISITORS TO EXPLORE

FOR MODEL
AIRPLANES,
BOOKS, TOYS,
APPAREL, AND
MORE

+

dine in air-conditioned comfort in our WWII-themed café

75

+
years of pacific aviation history

map of pearl harbor

Historic Sites

Map of Ford Island and surrounding areas
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum

PEARL HARBOR AVIATION MUSEUM
Experience America's World War II Aviation
battlefield. Visit two bullet-riddled
hangars and discover how aviation rose
from the ashes of war to inspire hope,
redefine freedom and galvanize a nation
to overcome and take in the views
of Pearl Harbor from 168 feet above
the battlefield in our Top of the Tower Tour.
Open daily 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Battleship Missouri Memorial

BATTLESHIP MISSOURI MEMORIAL
Open Daily
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum

PACIFIC FLEET SUBMARINE MUSEUM
Open Daily
7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Parking

PARKING
Pearl Harbor National Memorial
charges a $7/day parking fee
to all those arriving in personal
or rented vehicles. The parking fee
can be paid through a virtual pay
system through visitors’ mobile
device or through an onsite kiosk
located within the Pearl
Harbor Visitor Center complex.

Shuttle to the Museum

SHUTTLE TO THE MUSEUM
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum and
Battleship Missouri Memorial are both
located on Ford Island, an active
military base, and are only
accessible to the general public via
the shuttle buses which depart
from the Visitor Center every 15 minutes.
The last shuttle back to the
Visitor Center leaves at 5:00 p.m.
from Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.

Pearl Harbor Visitor Center

PEARL HARBOR VISITOR CENTER
All guests without military base
access should park at the Pearl
Harbor Visitor Center and enter
the main gates.
From there, follow the signs to
the Free Shuttle that will take you
to Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.

USS Arizona Memorial

USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL
Tours run daily from
8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Passport tickets do not include the
tour of the USS Arizona Memorial.

X Phamily Kids Dress Up

SUPPORT

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

As a private, nonprofit organization, we depend on your support to carry out our work. Your support helps us to preserve America’s WWII aviation battlefield, sponsor public education programs and events, and secure the rich history of those who have defended our freedom.

Photo of child dressed up with a helmet standing in front of a plane

Learn

WWII, History & Aviation

Join us on America’s WWII Aviation Battlefield, where history and the technology of flight come to life! From field trips and museum education offerings to scholarships and our virtual classes, we have options for all age groups. 

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Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum

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Hear it from the experts during a #GuidedHangarTour

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The Top of the Tower Tour at Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is now open!

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Our hearts are heavy as we witness the impact of the #wildfires to our neighbor island, #Maui.

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