Two World War II hangars full of aircraft on Ford Island, an active military base, reached only by a free shuttle bus from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. Visits start with a free 12-minute documentary that plays every 15 minutes, then Hangar 37 and its story of the December 7, 1941 attack, Hangar 79 with its bullet-marked windows, and helicopters outside. A self-guided visit takes 40 to 60 minutes.
Know before you go. Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum doesn't list sensory hours, a quiet room or sensory kits. Here's what it does say about the shuttle, the bags, the hangars and the rides.
Hours
Open daily 9 am to 5 pm. Closed Thanksgiving (Thu Nov 26 2026), Christmas (Fri Dec 25 2026) and New Year's Day (Fri Jan 1 2027). Shuttles leave the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center about every 15 minutes from 8 am to 4 pm, and the last shuttle back leaves the museum at 5 pm. Hangar Cafe 11 am to 4 pm (grill closes at 3 pm); Museum Store 10 am to 5 pm.
Historic Ford Island, 319 Lexington Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96818 (without base access, park and take the shuttle at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center)
“This 80,000-square-foot maintenance and engine repair facility also withstood the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, as evidenced by the blue glass windows riddled with bullet holes left by the battle.” pearlharboraviationmuseum.org (Hangar 79)
The way back is the part to plan around. Nobody without military ID can walk around Ford Island, so when your kid is done, the plan is the next shuttle, which runs about every 15 minutes. The last one leaves the museum at 5 pm.
This museum stands where the attack happened, and it shows it: the opening documentary, a large piece of the USS Arizona in the A Piercing Blow exhibit, and Hangar 79's blue glass windows with bullet holes. Looking at photos of the hangars together first can help you decide what to see and what to skip.
Ford Island is an active military base. Without base access, park at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center ($7 a day, paid by mobile app or at the kiosk there) and take the free shuttle from the stop behind the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum; ride-shares can only drop off at the Visitor Center. Guests without valid military ID can't walk around Ford Island, and guests may be asked to show ID when boarding or riding the shuttle.
No bags are allowed on the shuttle. Bag storage at the shuttle stop costs $6.00 a bag or $7.50 for large bags and luggage.
General Admission is $29.99 for adults and $17.99 for ages 4 to 12; kamaʻāina and military tickets are $20.99 and $10.99, sold only on site with valid ID (military rates are for active duty and their immediate families, and each adult getting the kamaʻāina rate needs their own Hawaiʻi-issued ID). Children 3 and under and members are free.
What's included: more than 50 aircraft and the exhibits in Hangar 37, Hangar 79 and the Operations Building, the outdoor helicopters, the Rooftop Terrace, audio tours (English, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Cantonese and Mandarin) and Open Cockpit, where you can explore select aircraft; aircraft availability may change without notice. The museum suggests 40 to 60 minutes self-guided: Hangar 37 about 20 to 30 minutes, Hangar 79 about 30 to 40, and the outdoor exhibits 10 to 20. Arrive at least an hour before closing.
Fighter Ace 360 flight simulator (extra cost): $10.99 a person for one seat in the two-seat simulator, or $21.99 for a solo flight, sold only at the front desk or the kiosk by the simulators in Hangar 37, first come, first served, 150 tickets a day. It rolls, spins, loops and goes upside down. Riders must be 48 inches tall to fly solo, or 42 inches to ride with an adult (the museum's FAQ says 41); the maximum height is six feet, the weight limit is 500 pounds, and a single rider can't be over 250 pounds.
Control tower (extra cost): the Tower View Experience is $10, first come, first served, 10 am to 4 pm, and the guided Top of the Tower Tour is $20; check in for either at the front desk in Hangar 37. Guests ride the original elevator, then climb two flights of stairs to the upper deck, and the exterior stairs aren't open to guests. Both are accessible for wheelchairs 24 inches wide or less, and the museum has wheelchairs on site.
Guided Hangar Tour: $10.99 on top of admission, about an hour through Hangars 37 and 79 and the Restoration Shop, daily at 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm.
Food: the air-conditioned Hangar Cafe is open 11 am to 4 pm with the grill closing at 3 pm and grab-and-go until 4; you can order on your phone up to 24 hours ahead, and you don't need admission to eat there.
What to wear and photos: no dress code, but swimsuits aren't acceptable, and the museum encourages closed-toe shoes because there is a lot of walking. Photos are fine in the museum, but not on the bridge to Ford Island (the shuttle driver will say when) or at some spots in the tower.
Santa at the Hangar (PHAMily Fun Day) is 10 am to 4 pm Sat Nov 28 2026, with holiday crafts, a Letters to Santa station and photos with Santa. Kamaʻāina and military tickets are $5 for ages 4 and up with pre-registration or $10 at the door; members and keiki 3 and under are free. The discounted tickets are good only that day, and all sales are final. The museum doesn't describe it as sensory-friendly.
