USS Bowfin admission is $25.99 for adults and includes the submarine, museum galleries, exhibits, and audio tour.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The decision around Pearl Harbor Submarine Tickets is simpler than the Pearl Harbor ticket maze makes it look: the submarine ticket is for the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum and USS Bowfin, not the USS Arizona Memorial. Buy it if you want to board a real World War II submarine, walk through the restored compartments, and see the submarine museum beside the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.
Adult admission is currently $25.99, children ages 4 to 12 are $14.99, and children under 4 cannot go aboard the USS Bowfin for safety reasons. Most visitors need 1.5 to 2 hours for the submarine, museum galleries, Waterfront Memorial, and outdoor exhibits, so the ticket works well as a half-day add-on to the USS Arizona Memorial program or as one stop in a full Pearl Harbor day.
For a dated ticket, compare the available submarine admission choices here:
Do You Need A Separate USS Bowfin Ticket?
The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum requires a separate paid ticket to board USS Bowfin and enter the museum areas. The free Pearl Harbor Visitor Center and USS Arizona Memorial reservation do not include submarine admission.
That distinction matters because Pearl Harbor uses several ticket systems. The National Park Service operates the visitor center and USS Arizona Memorial program, while the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum is one of the paid Pearl Harbor Historic Sites next door. A visitor can walk the public memorial grounds without buying this ticket, but the Bowfin submarine, museum galleries, and submarine exhibits are behind the museum admission.
Buy the standalone submarine ticket if your main interest is naval history, submarines, or a shorter visit that stays near the visitor center. Choose a broader Pearl Harbor pass only if you also plan to visit the Battleship Missouri Memorial, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, and the audio or virtual-reality experiences.
Pearl Harbor Submarine Admission: What Your Ticket Covers
Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum admission covers USS Bowfin, three museum galleries, outdoor exhibits, the Waterfront Memorial, and a self-guided audio tour. The ticket does not include the USS Arizona Memorial boat reservation.
The museum’s official ticket page lists adult general admission at $25.99, child admission at $14.99, and daily hours from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with last submarine entry posted at 4:15 PM on the official Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum ticket page.
| Ticket Type | What It Includes | Current Price |
|---|---|---|
| Adult General Admission | USS Bowfin, museum galleries, outdoor exhibits, Waterfront Memorial, audio tour | $25.99 |
| Child General Admission | Same admission for ages 4 to 12 | $14.99 |
| Children Under 4 | Outdoor exhibits only; no submarine boarding for safety reasons | No submarine ticket |
| Adult Military And Kamaʻāina | Same admission, bought on site with valid ID | $18.99 |
| Child Military And Kamaʻāina | Same admission for ages 4 to 12 with valid qualifying ID | $9.99 |
| Uniformed Military | General museum admission when admitted under the uniformed-military policy | Free |
| Passport To Pearl Harbor | Bundle that includes Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum admission plus other paid sites | $99.99 adult; $49.99 child |
Price check: Ticket prices can change, and discounts may require in-person ID verification. Use the official ticket screen before you lock in a day.
Ticket Steps At The Visitor Center
USS Bowfin tickets can be bought online in advance or at the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum ticket desk when space is available. Buying ahead is the cleaner move for a tight Pearl Harbor schedule, since it fixes your date and keeps you from losing time at the counter.
- Choose the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum ticket, not the USS Arizona Memorial reservation.
- Select the visit date and the correct adult or child ticket count.
- Arrive through the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center entrance, then go right toward the large black hull ring marking the museum entrance.
- Download or use the museum audio tour option if you want narration while moving through the submarine and galleries.
- Start the submarine before the museum galleries if your visit is late in the day, since last submarine entry comes before closing.
The submarine is cramped by design. Visitors move through narrow hatches, steep steps, and low overhead spaces, so anyone with mobility limits should plan on the museum’s virtual submarine experience instead of boarding USS Bowfin.
The Fine Print That Changes The Visit
The USS Bowfin ticket is a better fit for children 4 and older, adults comfortable with tight ship interiors, and travelers who want a real vessel rather than only museum panels. Children under 4 can visit outdoor exhibits but cannot enter the submarine.
Plan 1.5 to 2 hours for the full site. A fast visit can finish the submarine and a few exhibits in about an hour, but that skips the strongest parts of the museum: the torpedo displays, submarine-force history, and Waterfront Memorial honoring the 52 U.S. submarines lost during World War II.
Pearl Harbor also has strict bag rules, so arrive with only what you can carry through the visitor center without delay. Phones, wallets, and cameras are easier than backpacks, and storage lines can steal time from a short ticket window.
Where To Stay Near Pearl Harbor
Honolulu is the practical base for visiting the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, especially if you want Pearl Harbor in the morning and Waikiki or downtown Honolulu later in the day. Staying near Waikiki gives the most hotel choice, while airport-area hotels cut the ride to Pearl Harbor.
Use the map below to compare Honolulu hotels before choosing a morning ticket time:
| Schedule Move | Why It Matters | Time To Allow |
|---|---|---|
| Arrive At Pearl Harbor Early | Parking, entry, and ticket checks are calmer before late morning | 30 to 45 minutes before first activity |
| Board USS Bowfin Before Galleries | The submarine has a last-entry cutoff before the campus closes | 35 to 50 minutes |
| Visit Museum Galleries Afterward | Indoor exhibits add context after seeing the cramped compartments | 35 to 50 minutes |
| Walk The Waterfront Memorial | The memorial names lost submarines and crews from World War II | 15 to 25 minutes |
| Add USS Arizona Memorial | The Arizona boat program is separate and needs its own reservation | 75 to 90 minutes |
| Add Battleship Missouri | The battleship sits on Ford Island and needs shuttle time | 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Add Aviation Museum | The aviation museum also uses the Ford Island shuttle route | 1.5 to 2 hours |
Pearl Harbor Tours That Include The Submarine
Guided Pearl Harbor tours can make sense if you want transportation from Waikiki, a planned sequence, or multiple Pearl Harbor sites in one day. Check the tour details carefully, because some tours include USS Bowfin admission and others only stop at the visitor center.
Compare Honolulu-based Pearl Harbor tours that list the submarine or Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum in the inclusions:
A guided tour is less useful if you already have a rental car, only want the submarine, or prefer to control the timing around an Arizona Memorial reservation. In that case, the standalone Bowfin ticket is the cleaner buy.
Which Pearl Harbor Submarine Ticket Should You Buy?
The standalone Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum ticket is the right buy for most visitors who specifically want the submarine. The Passport bundle is better only when you will visit several paid Pearl Harbor Historic Sites within one or two days.
- Buy adult general admission if you want USS Bowfin and the submarine museum without paying for the other Pearl Harbor sites.
- Buy child admission for ages 4 to 12, but skip submarine boarding for younger children because the museum does not allow them aboard.
- Use the military or Kamaʻāina discount only if you can show the required ID at the ticket desk.
- Choose the Passport if your day includes the Battleship Missouri Memorial and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum as well as the submarine.
- Skip the submarine ticket if your only goal is the USS Arizona Memorial, since that reservation is separate and not covered by Bowfin admission.
For a first Pearl Harbor visit, the strongest plan is an early USS Arizona Memorial reservation followed by the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum. That pairing keeps you near the visitor center, avoids Ford Island shuttle time, and still gives you two very different views of Pearl Harbor’s naval history.
References & Sources
- Pearl Harbor Historic Sites.“Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum Ticket Selection.”Lists current USS Bowfin admission prices, child age rules, daily hours, and last submarine entry.