The USS Arizona and Its Memorial

A battleship of the Pacific Fleet

Commissioned in 1916, the USS Arizona was a Pennsylvania-class battleship and one of the most powerful ships in the U.S. Navy. By 1941 she was a familiar sight in Pearl Harbor, moored along Battleship Row off Ford Island. On the morning of December 7, more than 1,500 men were aboard.

Nine minutes that defined a day

During the first wave of the attack, an armor-piercing bomb struck near the Arizona’s forward gun turrets and detonated the ship’s ammunition magazine. The blast was enormous. The Arizona sank in about nine minutes, and 1,177 of her crew were killed, nearly half of all the Americans who died that day.

More than 900 of those sailors and Marines could not be recovered. They remain entombed within the hull, which is why the ship is treated as a final resting place and a place of quiet respect.

The memorial above the ship

The USS Arizona Memorial opened in 1962. Designed by architect Alfred Preis, the gleaming white structure spans the sunken hull without ever touching it. Its dipped center and raised ends are often described as a flag flying at half-mast, then rising again, a symbol of loss followed by renewal.

Inside, a marble wall lists the names of every crew member lost aboard the Arizona. Through openings in the floor, visitors can look down at the ship just below the surface. Decades on, droplets of oil still rise from the wreck, often called the “tears of the Arizona.”

Visiting the Arizona Memorial today

The memorial is the centerpiece of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and one of the most visited sites in Hawaii. Access is by a short U.S. Navy boat ride from the visitor center, and the program is free, though timed tickets are limited and go quickly.

The easiest way to see it without the early-morning ticket scramble is a guided tour that reserves your spot in advance. If you would rather plan the day yourself, our visiting guide covers tickets, timing, and the bag rules before you go.

Common questions