One of the main missions of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial is to ensure that no one forgets the stories of the sacrifices made by those who died during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. One way to ensure that the memories stay alive is through education and awareness. If you are at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center and would like to learn more about WWII and to help spread awareness about Pearl Harbor, consider stopping at the Pearl Harbor Museum Store. The store is located near the entrance to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center. In this store, you will find all manner of merchandise relating to Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial. There is a wealth of books, many of them written by Pearl Harbor Surprise attack survivors. There are also beautiful coffee table books and very informative books on Hawaiian history, in addition to the books about Pearl Harbor and WWII in general. You will also find T-Shirts, jackets, and hats, all of which are Pearl harbor or Arizona Memorial themed. Some of them, especially hats, make great collector’s items. The store also sells a variety of children’s toys and books. They are great for getting children interested in history. The museum store also stocks many exclusive items, such as the Peace Symbol, a jewelry line commemorating the presentation of an origami crane folded by atomic bomb survivor Sadako Sasaki to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial as a symbol of peace. There is the Shark Goddess collection that celebrates the Hawaiian shark goddess, who is said to have called the waters of Pearl Harbor home. There is the Tree of Life collection that is based on the design of the same name seen on the walls of the shrine room on the Arizona Memorial. There are also American flags for sale that were flown on the Arizona Memorial. All of the items sold in the museum store will make great gifts for loved ones or keepsakes for yourself to take home with you to remember your trip to Pearl Harbor. Proceeds from the Pearl Harbor Museum Store go towards funding the maintenance and upkeep of the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. If you would like to learn more about the Pearl Harbor Museum Store, please follow this Link.

The two Pearl Harbor Museums are located inside the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center. They really should not be skipped because they will provide you with important information about the Pearl Harbor attack. The first museum at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center is called the “Road to War.” This museum details the history and reasons behind the attack on Pearl Harbor. Inside you will learn about the history of Pearl Harbor, starting with its use by the native Hawaiians for aquaculture. You will learn about the socio-economic situation in Japan during the 1930s. There are displays and exhibits that detail Japan’s attempt to conquer China and the steps that the United States took to stop them through diplomatic pressure. Then you will learn about the reasons that Japan felt that they had to attack the United States and the planning and training that was done to give the attack the best chance for success. You will also learn about the level of preparedness of the US military in Hawaii all the way up to December 7, 1941. The second museum is simply called “Attack.” As you go through this museum, you will see artifacts and models of the ships and equipment that were involved in the attack. You can see a large-scale model of the USS Arizona as she would have appeared on the day of the attack. Another beautifully constructed model is of the Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi, one of the ships that participated in the attack. There is also a well-made short film produced by the National Park Service that you can watch for free. In addition to the details of the attack on Pearl Harbor, you will also learn about the aftermath of the attack. This includes the heroic salvage effort. You can see artifacts salvaged from the USS Arizona; these artifacts truly bring tragic loss of life home in a way no film or book can. There are also exhibits showing what life was like in Hawaii during the war. Then see a small exhibit of a small origami crane folded by a Japanese girl who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima only to succumb to leukemia as a result of the radiation. There is also a section dedicated to the Arizona Memorial and the few remaining survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack. The Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center’s two Museums are truly something you should not miss. To learn more, Click Here.

On the eastern side of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center, you will find the Pearl Harbor Movie Theater. The time shown on your Arizona Memorial ticket is the start time of your Arizona Memorial program, which begins with a documentary. You should make your way across the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center to the theater to ensure that you are not late. This documentary on the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and is a very stirring film that is known to make people have an emotional response to seeing it. There are two screens, each starting at a different time. Each theater can seat 150 people at a time. Because thousands of people go through Pearl Harbor each day, the National Park Service wants to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible. You should be ready to enter the theater at least 15 minutes before the time on your ticket. If you are not there once the doors to the theaters close, you will have missed your show, and your tickets will have expired. To prevent this, you should be ready and waiting to go into the theater. Please remember that food is not allowed in the theater. Any food must be either consumed or disposed of before entering. Strollers are not allowed in the theaters. They will have to be left outside the theater and reclaimed when you return from the Arizona Memorial. Once you are in the air-conditioned theater, have a seat and enjoy the show. Just before you go to the Arizona Memorial, you will be shown a 23-minute documentary that will tell you the story of the attack on Pearl Harbor told using film footage that was taken during the attack on Pearl Harbor. This documentary was produced by the National Park Service and brings the events of December 7, 1941, to life. For more information on the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center movie theater, please follow this Link.