The USS Arizona Memorial floats above the sunken hull of the battleship sunk on 7 December 1941, the ship that became the most powerful symbol of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The memorial — a white marble structure designed in 1962 — bridges across the midship section of the wreck without touching it. Through the floor grating, visitors can see the dark hull below and the oil that still seeps to the surface.
The memorial is reached by a free Navy boat from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. Tickets are free but in extremely high demand — book online through the National Park Service weeks in advance. The boat ride, 15 minutes each way, and the visit itself take about 75 minutes. The surrounding Pearl Harbor National Memorial complex includes the Battleship Missouri (where Japan formally surrendered in 1945), the USS Bowfin submarine, and the Pacific Aviation Museum — each requiring additional tickets.