I’ve written quite a number of blogs detailing Oahu’s most magnificent natural wonders from its powder soft beaches, dazzling sunsets, and turquoise blue waters to its stunning waterfalls and breathtaking dormant volcanoes. However, the island is also a haven for history buffs. Each year millions of travelers descend upon the Hawaiian Island of Oahu to take in the area’s most popular war memorials.
For example, most people don’t travel all the way to the “Aloha State” without visiting the Arizona Memorial. Oahu’s top tourist site is the final resting place for the 1177 men who lost their lives during a surprise attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The bombing changed the course of history changed, as America was plunged into World War II. A visit to the Arizona Memorial is a solemn and sobering experience, especially when you see the oil droplets that still bubble to the surface of the water from the sunken vessel. If you have time consider visiting other nearby World War II sights: the Battleship Missouri Memorial, the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, and the Pacific Aviation Museum.
History buffs also flock to Honolulu’s Bishop Museum. It is arguably one of the finest museums in the Pacific. It is home to hundreds of one-of-a-kind Hawaiian artifacts, including braided human-hair jewelry worn exclusively by Hawaiian nobility; royal feathered capes, many made from birds that are now extinct; stone poi pounders, and the island’s last grass huts.
Another of downtown Honolulu’s must-see attractions is Iolani Palace. Built in 1882, it is the only royal palace on American soil. Take the new 45-minute audio tour that guides you through 18 different sites via a special “wand.” The tour uses period music, Hawaiian chanting, old newspaper reports, and the national anthem of the Kingdom of Hawaii to add authenticity to the traditional tours.
Related Articles:
Visiting Pearl Harbor’s Newest Attraction
Pearl Harbor: An Unforgettable Trip
Hawaii’s “Not So Famous” Military Memorials
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl