Battleship Missouri Marked a Major Milestone

On December 28, 2019, the Battleship Missouri marked a major milestone as she welcomed her nine-millionth visitor, a number that shows just how popular Pearl Harbor Historic Sites are. The history of USS Missouri (BB-63) begins not with the attack on Pearl Harbor, but later in the course of the War in the Pacific, when she was commissioned into service in June of 1944. Despite not playing a role in the attack on the Oahu naval base, Missouri has found a home at Pearl Harbor as a museum ship open to the public.

The nine-millionth visitor was one of a trio from Long Island, NY. The Greene family were welcomed aboard the Battleship Missouri with a boisterous “Aloha” and were presented with a certificate commemorating this incredible milestone. They then posed aboard the ship, just beneath her mighty guns, for a photograph to celebrate the occasion.

Each year, the Pearl Harbor National Memorial—which includes the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Oklahoma Memorial, and the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center—sees an average of 1.5 million visitors, but not all of those visitors take part in a tour of the Battleship Missouri, which is why it took 20 years before Missouri marked a major milestone like the nine-millionth visitor to come aboard.

Opened for tours in 1999, Missouri is berthed at the spot on Ford Island's Battleship Row where USS Oklahoma (BB-37) sat when she was torpedoed and sank during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Since the Mighty Mo suffered only minimal damage throughout her long career, she offers a fantastic opportunity for guests to get a first-hand look at life aboard a huge warship. Visitors can go below decks to experience the tight quarters of the sailors who kept her running.

The tour also takes guests to the Surrender Deck, which served as the site where representatives of the Empire of Japan signed the documents ending World War II on September 2, 1945. Just as the USS Arizona Memorial is a symbol of the beginning of America's involvement in World War II, the Battleship Missouri marks the spot where the war ended.

There are several official Pearl Harbor tours that visit the Battleship Missouri, including:

• Remember Pearl Harbor - Arizona Memorial & Missouri Battleship
• Arizona Memorial & Battleship Missouri Tour - Luxury Edition
• Complete Pearl Harbor Experience

Congratulations to the Battleship Missouri Memorial Association on this impressive milestone.