December 6th 2021 proved to be a cloudy day with a chance of rain. After eating some lunch, I checked my phone and noticed there was a break in between rain showers. I wanted to return to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center and finish exploring their two museums. Last time I was there, I wasn’t able to see everything because we were meeting the rest of our group at 4 o’clock for our private tour of the USS Arizona Memorial and Ford Island.
My dad also wanted to visit the USS Bowfin Submarine. In this post, I am going to focus on the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park.
The USS Bowfin (SS-287) is a Balao-class fleet submarine and was built in Portsmouth Naval Yard in Kittery Maine and launched on December 7, 1942. Exactly one year after the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Because she was launched on the one year anniversary of the attack, she is often referred to as the Pearl Harbor Avenger. The sub is nearly 312 feet long and has a submerged weight displacement of 2,415 tons. It contains 10 torpedo tubes and can reach 20. 25 knots on the surface and 8.75 knots while submerged. Between 1943-45, it went on nine war patrols in the Pacific.
After WWII, from 1960-71, the Bowfin was used as a Naval Training boat in Seattle Washington until it was transformed into a museum in 1979. It officially opened for tourism in April of 1981 and was declared a national landmark 5 years later.
When I think back to my time on board, one word comes to mind. Cramped. Narrow passageways with low doorframes. Definitely not built for tall people. Or short people with small legs. I’m 4’6 and I found it hard to climb over entryways especially wearing a really long rain poncho we bought at their really neat museum giftshop. However, I did enjoy my time exploring. Sadly, I didn’t take any photos of the ship because my phone was in my pocket and it was hard to access it underneath said poncho while carrying my bag from the Pacific Historic Park’s gift shop.
But I did take plenty while exploring the newly remodeled museum. The museum had undergone renovations back in the summer of 2020 with the goal of creating a place where visitors of all ages can come and not only learn about the history of submarine warfare spanning from WWII to Present Day but also honor the memories of those who served on board submarines. This newly built facility was expanded to 13,000 square feet and features many hands on exhibits and multimedia displays.
The museum contains three main galleries: WWII, Cold War, and Modern. Each gallery is designed to tell a narrative of submarine warfare history. My favorite gallery of course was WWII.
Here are some from the other galleries.
I highly recommend visiting this museum. Visitors of all ages will enjoy it. You can find more information on the history of the USS Bowfin: The Pearl Harbor Avenger including when they are open during the week and ticket prices here. I recommend visiting on a sunny morning and afternoon because you are allowed to explore the top part of the sub.
Resources Used in Writing this Post:
Gabrielle Emmons 
