The visitor center is the first stop for visitors planning to tour the memorial. Located within the facility are: two theaters, a museum, a bookstore, restrooms, limited snack bar, public telephones, and exhibits outlining the Pearl Harbor attack.

When guests enter the visitor center, they are asked to line up for a numbered ticket, which provides free admission to the memorial tour. While waiting for the program to begin, many visitors tour the visitor center and its shoreline exhibits including the museum and Remembrance Circle. When the number that appears on their ticket is called, visitors are asked to assemble at the theater entrance in preparation for the tour to begin. The guided tour* of the USS Arizona Memorial includes a 23-minute documentary film depicting the attack on Pearl Harbor, a short boat trip and a self-guided exploration of the memorial.

For visitors interested in a narrated tour an audio headset is available for rent at the visitor center front lobby. Join Pearl Harbor Survivors as they remember December 7, 1941, in this one hour audio tour that is narrated by Academy Award winning actor and US Navy WWII veteran Ernest Borgnine. The audio tour takes visitors to 24 destinations and is available in seven languages: English, French, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, German and Spanish. For more information, click Things to Do above.

Strict security measures prohibit purses, handbags, fanny packs, backpacks, camera bags, diaper bags, luggage and/or other items that offer concealment. Visitors may bring a camera and cam-recorder. A storage facility, operated by a private vendor, is available for visitors coming to the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, the Battleship Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum. The facility can be found at the entrance to the USS Bowfin Sumarine Park. There is a nominal storage fee. The storage facility is in operation daily 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Visitors may use the same bag storage and parking stall for all three tours.

Security measures are strictly enforced at all visitor destinations on Pearl Harbor. Federal law enforcement officers and security bike patrols monitor the parking lots. However it is not recommended to secure items of value in your car. Be safe: do not travel with valuables and use the storage locker.

Members of the media should expect to have their equipment checked by NPS Law Enforcement upon arrival and before entering the park. Efforts should be made to minimize gear. All personnel must have media credentials or make the appropriate arrangements with the USS Arizona Memorial public affairs officer before arriving on-site.

*Notes:
•Visitors can expect up to a 3-hour delay for their program to begin during the summer months but less during the fall, winter, and spring. It is important to arrive early to be assured of a program ticket. There are 30 scheduled programs daily with seating for 150 in each program averaging 4,500 tickets per day and 1.5 million visitors annually.
•There is no restroom facility on the memorial.
•Cell phones must be turned off once the program begins in the theater, on the navy shuttle boat, and at the memorial.