Bowfin to reopen with new guidelines as health and safety take top priority
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (November 4, 2020) –The Pacific Fleet Submarine Memorial Association is scheduled to reopen its USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park to the public on Friday, November 6, 2020 with advanced health guidelines in place for the safety of visitors.
“We’ve taken advantage of the closures this year to make a number of improvements to our campus and we look forward to welcoming the public,” said Chuck Merkel, Executive Director of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Memorial Association.
The improvements include new interpretive signs for all of the outside exhibits, an outdoor play area for children, and the addition of a hull ring at the campus entrance that compares the size of World War II submarines to today’s much larger nuclear subs.
USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park
The World War II submarine, USS Bowfin, will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The Gift Shop will be open, but food service and some concessions will remain closed. These will reopen as visitation dictates. The museum remains closed for renovations and will reopen in early 2021.
Bowfin joins the Pearl Harbor National Memorial (PHNM) in reopening to the public. The PHNM reopened September 28 and features two war museums and access to the USS Arizona Memorial. Guests can book a ticket on the Navy shuttle boats to the Memorial through recreation.gov; the shuttles run daily from 8am to 1pm
The Pacific Historic Parks bookstore is also open daily from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES
The health and wellbeing of our visitors is a top priority. Bowfin has taken the necessary health precautions to ensure a safe and positive visitor experience, and asks that you continue practicing the following when visiting:
- If you are experiencing any cold or flu-like symptoms, please stay home and visit us when you are well.
- Practice social distancing. Maintain at least 6 feet of distance between you and others.
- Face coverings must be worn in order to enter.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Purchase tickets online in advance of your visit.
USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park
Since opening to the public in 1981, more than 9.5-million visitors have toured the USS Bowfin. Adjacent to the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center, the USS BowfinSubmarine Museum & Park, operated as a private, non-profit organization, is dedicated to the sacrifice of more than 3,500 submarine personnel lost in World War II. This gallant band of brothers, compromising less than 2 percent of the U.S. Navy, sank more than 5.5 million tons of enemy ships, while sustaining the loss of 52 submarines that remain on Eternal Patrol.
The USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission to the submarine is $15 per adult and $7 per child 4-12. Military, kama‘āina (local resident) is $8 per adult and $4 per child 4-12. School group pricing is available. For more information, call (808) 423-1341 or visit bowfin.org.
