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Pacific Aviation Museum

A $15.00 value, included in the Go Oahu Card!

 
3.5 stars
Pacific Aviation Museum

History took place right here. The hangars housing this attraction were bombed during the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. Take a moving and educational tour of vintage aircraft and displays. Plus, defend the skies in one of the combat flight simulators.

The Pacific Aviation Museum tells the story of the nation's aviation history from WWII hangars that still bear the scars of the nation's first aviation battle.

Located on historic Ford Island, you’ll explore Hangar 37, a 42,000-square-foot former seaplane hangar. After watching a brief documentary about the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, you'll walk down a corridor that takes you back to island life prior to 1941. An authentic Japanese Zero aircraft is displayed as it would have looked on the deck of the Japanese carrier Hiryu at dawn on December 7, 1941. You'll also see a light civilian plane that was shot while airborne during the attack, as well as a P-40 fighter that is just like the ones that took off from Wheeler and Haleiwa Field that fateful day.

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  • Not seasonal
  • Good for families
  • Parking available
  • Restaurant or snack bar
  • Restrooms
  • Disabled access
  • Reservations not required

Hours

Daily, 9:00 am-5:00 pm.

Closed

New Year's Day,Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. All holiday hours are subject to change without notice.

Redemption Instructions

Show your Go Oahu Card to the security guard to board the Ford Island Shuttle in front of the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum at the north end of the USS Arizona parking lot. After arriving at the Museum, present your card to the Ticket Counter. Included admission with the Go Oahu Card.

Address

319 Lexington Blvd
Hangar 37
Honolulu, HI 96860

Driving Directions

From the Waikiki resort area take the H1 Freeway west and pass the airport. Take the exit labeled 'Arizona Memorial/Stadium'. Stay in the left lane and exit where the sign says 'Arizona Memorial and Pearl Harbor Historic Sites.'

Public Transportation

TheBus: Take 'The Bus' Express B from Kuhio Avenue in the Waikiki resort area and transfer to Express A at Punchbowl and Beretania Streets. Get off at the Arizona Memorial/Pearl Harbor Historic Sites stop.

Among the aircraft you'll see inside the Pacific Aviation Museum's vast hangar are an actual B-25B Mitchell, a SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber like those used during the Battle of Midway, and a F4F Wildcat like those used by the "Cactus Air Force" in Guadalcanal. Visitors learn about the nation’s historic mobilization for war through viewing the actual Stearman N2S-3 in which former President George H. W. Bush soloed at age 18. Other aircraft you’ll see at the Pacific Aviation Museum include:

  • A Japanese Mitsubishi A6M2 “Zero” fighter plane
  • A U.S. Curtiss P-40 fighter plane
  • A U.S. North American B-25B Mitchell bomber
  • A U.S. Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber
  • A U.S. Grumman F4F Wildcat fighter plane
  • A U.S. Stearman N2S-3 trainer
  • A U.S. Grumman F-14D Tomcat
  • A U.S. McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle
  • A U.S. North American Aviation F-86 Sabre
  • A Russian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
  • A U.S. McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II
  • A U.S. Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter
  • A Bell UH-1 Iroquois “Huey” Helicopter

Interactive combat flight simulators are available for an extra fee, allowing visitors to experience just how difficult being a WWII pilot really was. The relatively new museum features top-rate exhibits and state-of-the-art displays and interactive elements. About.com's guide to Hawaii and the South Pacific, calls the Pacific Aviation Museum "a must stop for any visitor who truly wants to understand the role of aviation in the defense of freedom. … Had the museum chosen to just exhibit aircraft, it would be far less impressive. It is the stories of the men who actually flew in these aircraft depicted in life-like settings or dioramas with the planes that makes for a memorable visitor experience."

Access to the Pacific Aviation Museum is via shuttle buses that leave every 10-12 minutes from the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center. As with all of the military museums on Ford Island, no bags, purses, or backpacks are allowed, so plan to leave them in the trunk of your car or pay a $3 fee to use the storage lockers at the visitor center before boarding the shuttle.

Allow up to two hours for your visit, and leave yourself time to visit the aviation-themed gift shop or eat at Lanaikea Café, an island-themed restaurant that recreates a pilot's club on a remote Pacific Island.

Product Rating
 
3.5 stars
 (2 Ratings)
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2 Reviews
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3.5 stars
(based on 2 reviews)
0% of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
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Interestin
By Jim from Tacoma on 4/19/2011
Bottom Line:
Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Comments about Smart Destinations Pacific Aviation Museum:

This is a small but interesting museum. Not as big as Museum of flight in Seattle but still if you are an Aero buff this is worth it. It is in Pearl Harbor and fairly new.

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[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]

 
Not a bad museum, but a little kitschy
By thor Verified Reviewer from Boston, MA on 3/1/2011
Pros:
Close to USS Missouri, Close to USS Arizona
Bottom Line:
No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Comments about Smart Destinations Pacific Aviation Museum:

We went to the aviation museum following the USS Missouri tour, it was worth it to drop by as we were close but not worth a special trip. Definitely had a lot of interesting aircraft to look at, but some of it was a little cheesy. They had a couple dioramas that had the feeling of a school project on a much larger scale. The restaurant/diner was good but a little slow.

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At a Glance

Address

319 Lexington Blvd
Hangar 37
Honolulu, HI 96860

Phone: 808-441-1000

Website: Pacific Aviation Museum

Adult Gate PriceChild Gate Price
$15.00$8.00
 

Boston, MA 02114800-887-9103

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