USS Bowfin Submarine Museum: Is It Worth It?

All figures come from the museum’s plan your visit page, checked October 13, and it notes prices can change. One ticket covers the submarine, three museum galleries, the outdoor exhibits and a free audio guide in seven languages. One catch on the hours: the plan page and every page footer say last admission is 4:30 p.m., but the homepage info box says 4:15, so aim to be through the door by 4.

The submarine. USS Bowfin (SS-287) is a Balao-class fleet submarine, christened on December 7, 1942, exactly a year after the attack, and she made nine war patrols in the Pacific between 1943 and 1945 (museum). She was nicknamed the Pearl Harbor Avenger. Aboard, you walk the forward and aft torpedo rooms, the galley, the wardroom and the control room, restored to her 1945 layout. An 80-man crew lived in that space. The museum calls her one of fewer than 20 surviving WWII fleet submarines and the only one moored at Pearl Harbor.

The museum. Three galleries hold more than 4,000 artifacts, from torpedo firing scenarios and sonar in the World War II gallery to a Cold War section built around the dive stand of USS Swordfish (SSN-579) (museum and site). The building reopened in 2021 after a $20 million renovation. This September the museum added a $4 million upgrade to the Cold War gallery, with control panels from the class of submarine in service today (Aloha State Daily, Sept. 24).

The Waterfront Memorial and the grounds. The memorial honors the 52 submarines lost in World War II, with the story of each boat and her crew’s names. Outdoor exhibits on the grounds are included in admission, and Jake’s food truck is open 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

This is where the Bowfin differs from the other Pearl Harbor sites. Pacific Historic Parks, the National Park Service’s nonprofit partner, says the submarine involves “steep ladders, tight spaces, and low overhead clearances” and is not wheelchair accessible (partner page). You descend through hatches and squeeze through narrow passageways. The partner strongly recommends closed-toe shoes; it is advice, not a rule.

Kids: children under 4 are not permitted aboard for safety reasons, but they can enter the museum building and see the outdoor exhibits. The partner says older children and teenagers tend to find it fascinating. A family of four with two children aged 4 to 12 pays $81.96 at walk-up prices. Mobility: visitors who cannot board can take a virtual tour of the boat in the World War II gallery, and the museum building is fully accessible.

The museum says to allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the submarine, galleries and grounds. The partner’s half-day itinerary squeezes it into 60 to 75 minutes (half-day plan); with the audio guide and the new Cold War exhibits, give it the museum’s full 1.5 to 2 hours.

A half day that works: book your free USS Arizona Memorial time first (see our Pearl Harbor tickets guide), walk through the Visitor Center galleries, take your boat, then come to the Bowfin. The Bowfin opens at 7 a.m., an hour before the first boat at 8, so with a late-morning reservation you can board the sub first, as long as you are at the theater 10 minutes before your time. The visiting Pearl Harbor guide covers arrival times, kids and what to bring. For a full day, add the Ford Island sites by free shuttle.

Prefer not to drive? The tours below bundle all four sites with Waikiki pickup, 9 or more hours per their listings.

Prices and times are from the operators’ own pages, checked October 13: Bowfin, Battleship Missouri, Aviation Museum and Recreation.gov for the Arizona program. Children are ages 4 to 12.

The Missouri is the bigger ship and the surrender site, and the USS Missouri guide covers it. The Aviation Museum suits plane fans and has no climbing. The Bowfin wins on price, on walking, and on the hands-on part: you go below into a World War II crew’s living and working spaces. It loses on access: the partner calls the Aviation Museum the most wheelchair- and stroller-friendly stop on Ford Island. Buying the three paid sites as a bundle saves about a dollar, so see our Pearl Harbor Passport guide before you buy it.

Parking: park in the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center lot, $7 per day, paid by phone with the QR code on the lot signs (National Park Service). Pacific Historic Parks says the lot usually fills by 9 a.m. on busy days (partner). Use 1 Arizona Memorial Place in your GPS, because searching “Pearl Harbor” can send you to the military base. The drive is about 45 minutes from Waikiki via H-1 exit 15A (directions). Our guide to getting to Pearl Harbor from Waikiki compares driving, TheBus and tours.

Finding the entrance: enter through the memorial entrance; the museum is to the right, through the large black hull ring (museum).

Bags: the Bowfin says bags are not permitted inside any Pearl Harbor site, including backpacks, purses and camera bags. The National Park Service allows nothing bigger than a small wallet or clutch, plus clear bags (park rules). The museum runs the bag storage near the Visitor Center entrance, and one fee covers every site (NPS FAQ). The museum lists $6 for a regular bag and $10 for oversize, cash or card (museum); other Pearl Harbor pages say $7.

Yes for most visitors with one paid stop in them. At $25.99 it costs about $19 less than the Missouri, takes no shuttle and gives you the one thing a free Pearl Harbor day lacks: a vessel you walk through. Kamaʻāina save $7 per adult.

Skip it if you have a wheelchair user, a toddler or a strong dislike of tight spaces in your group, or if a half day only fits the free sites. In those cases the Aviation Museum is the easier paid stop. If you have time for one more site, our USS Missouri guide is next.