HONOLULU BOAT TOUR FIELD GUIDE
Listening to Pearl Harbor: The USS Arizona Captain’s Multimedia Narrated Tour
An official National Park Service multimedia self-guided experience that walks visitors through Pearl Harbor’s museums, shoreline and memorial sites—this guide explains how to navigate timing, tickets and what the tour includes.
Listening to Pearl Harbor: The USS Arizona Captain’s Multimedia Narrated Tour.
Set against the glassy stillness of Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona Captain’s Multimedia Narrated Tour is an official National Park Service program that layers recorded narration, survivor testimony and archival imagery across the Visitor Center, the USS Arizona Memorial and the shoreline “Path of Attack.” Designed as a flexible, self-guided experience, it lets visitors move at their own pace through more than two dozen interpretive stops while listening to first‑person accounts and historian commentary.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Narration by survivors, historians and a familiar voice
Hosted voices include Jamie Lee Curtis alongside Pearl Harbor survivors and National Park Service historians, guiding visitors through testimony and context at over 28 designated stops to frame the events of December 7, 1941.
Audio aboard the USS Arizona and archival visuals
The multimedia program provides narration aboard the USS Arizona Memorial for those who have boat tickets and includes videos plus USS Arizona Memorial library photos to augment onsite interpretation.
Museums to shoreline: the Path of Attack tour
The narrated route threads through the Visitor Center’s two world‑class museums and continues along the shoreline 'Path of Attack,' retracing the sequence of events with location‑based storytelling.
What the day feels like
What the tour feels like
The Captain’s multimedia tour is a self‑paced, fully customizable listening experience that can take as little as 60 minutes or expand into a several‑hour deep dive. Visitors follow narrated stops through the Visitor Center museums, can listen to recorded segments aboard the USS Arizona Memorial if they have boat tickets, and continue along the shoreline 'Path of Attack' while archival photos and videos play alongside the commentary.
THE HISTORY
Narration by survivors, historians and a familiar voice
Hosted voices include Jamie Lee Curtis alongside Pearl Harbor survivors and National Park Service historians, guiding visitors through testimony and context at over 28 designated stops to frame the events of December 7, 1941.
THE MEMORIAL
Audio aboard the USS Arizona and archival visuals
The multimedia program provides narration aboard the USS Arizona Memorial for those who have boat tickets and includes videos plus USS Arizona Memorial library photos to augment onsite interpretation.
THE ROUTE
Museums to shoreline: the Path of Attack tour
The narrated route threads through the Visitor Center’s two world‑class museums and continues along the shoreline 'Path of Attack,' retracing the sequence of events with location‑based storytelling.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who gets the most from this program—and logistical caveats to consider.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
Plan time intelligently: the narrated program runs from roughly 60 minutes up to several hours; boat tickets to board the USS Arizona Memorial are not included and must be obtained through Recreation.gov (tickets are $1 and released in two windows—8 weeks in advance and a second release one day prior at 3 p.m. Hawaii Time).
Bring your separately purchased boat ticket if you intend to board the USS Arizona Memorial; the multimedia tour itself includes videos and library photos as part of the experience.
Parking is available at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center (1 Arizona Memorial Place) for $7 daily; for reservations contact Pacific Historic Parks Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. HST by phone or email.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
Are boat tickets to the USS Arizona Memorial included with the multimedia tour?
No. The multimedia program does not include boat tickets; boat tickets must be obtained separately via Recreation.gov and are generally $1 each.
How long does the narrated tour take?
The self‑guided multimedia tour can take as little as 60 minutes or expand up to four hours, depending on how many stops you explore and how much time you spend with the exhibits.
Who provides the narration for the tour?
Narration is provided by Jamie Lee Curtis alongside Pearl Harbor survivors and National Park Service historians.
Does the program include archival photos and video?
Yes. Videos and USS Arizona Memorial library photos are included as part of the multimedia narrated experience.
What languages is the tour available in?
The program is available in English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, French, German or Spanish.
How do I make reservations or ask about group discounts?
Contact Pacific Historic Parks Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time by telephone or email; adult and student group discounts are available by contacting [email protected].