My first thought was "Wow what an enormous ship!!" We visited the battleship on a day tour while on our honeymoon in Hawaii. It was amazing! We walked through the ship and felt like a part of history! Highly recommended for all :)
When you first walk in you are automatically shuffle into tour group. Make sure you are in the right language group, because the tours are given in different languages. You don't have to be in a tour, it just comes with your ticket. It's not very old because it was still operating in the 1990's. There are stuff on that ship that I still own! Pretty modern for a museum, but great place to visit if you are into ships and what life was like living on a ship. Lots of stairs to climb (backward on) and there are handicap elevators, but due to limited space you really need to be mobile to see the entire ship.
First given a brief tour of the battleship and then the rest on your own and own place. Because of the tour bus, you are not given enough time to explore and food options are very limited. Blame that on the tour company not allowing enough time. Enjoyed. You can see where WWII started and ended. Worth it.
Visiting the Missouri Memorial was part of a tour to Pearl Harbor. The ship guide was superb, she knew every detail imaginable, and seemed to really love her job! The Surrender Deck and the facts surrounding the act itself were the highlights. Wish we had more time.
Drive over yourself or take the bus and buy the package for Arizona, Missouri and the sudmarine. It works out better and cheaper than buying the packages at the hotels
While in Honolulu, try to make time to tour the Battleship Missouri. It is very interesting and of great historical significance, since it was on board the Mighty MO that the peace treaty was signed with Japan that ended WWII. The price of admission includes a tour led by very knowledgeable tour guides. You can almost imagine that you were there in person when the treaty was signed. Allow at least 2 hours, but more if you can, to absorb all of the interesting facets of this beautiful ship. Parking is available at the USS Arizona Memorial, and a shuttle will take you from the USS Arizona to the USS Missouri. Since the USS Arizona symbolizes the beginning of WWII, and the USS Missouri symbolizes the end of WWII, it is fitting that they are located close to each other.
If you have already visited the USS Arizona Memorial then seeing the USS Missouri is a real insight into what the ship would have looked like before 7 December 1941 as they are/were both Nevada Class battleships. And there is the history of the Japanese surrender in 1945 which was signed on board. Well worth the tour.
We had a great tour guide to bring the story to life. Be sure to wear appropriate shoes for lots of walking. It's a long walk to the ship and a lot of walking around the ship. Much love has gone into restoring this piece of history.
My second trip to the ' Mighty Mo ', brought my 66 year old brother with me this time. We were awestruck at the massive size of the ship, a reflection of American sea power, during WWII. There were more tour guides available this time, and I was amazed at the knowledge they possessed regarding the Missouri. We visited the Arizona one day, then devoted a separate day to visit the USS Bowfin, the Pacific Aviation Museum, and the ' Missouri '. The transport bus also goes by the USS Iowa Memorial, while transporting you to the ship. If you are an active duty, or retired, military, there is a discount given, on the admission price.
This memorial was different from the Arizona. An entire ship is there for a tour and it is impressive to see the size and the power of this ship. The memorial to the those who died in service is sobering. It is well worth visiting and give an appreciation for the young men who serve in the armed forces.