Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor

Description:

• Just opened on the 65th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the first phase of this historical museum (in a 42,442-sq.-ft. hangar) tells the story of military aviation in the Pacific during World War II via a collection of original, historical aircraft (Japanese Zero fighter, Navy Wildcat fighter, Army Air corps B-25 Michell bomber, and so on), documentary films, displays (the story of the little-known battle of Niihau, where the Hawaiian residents captured a Japanese pilot on his crash landing on their island), and (my favorite) the interactive simulated aircraft control where you can "experience" what it was like to fly either an American or Japanese plane. They recently have added an "Aviator's Guided Tour," where trained tour guides take you on a journey into aviation history, with stories about the planes and the battles they saw, plus you get a sneak peak into behind the scenes at the Museum with access to parts of the Museum's collection not generally seen by the public (like aircraft being restored, a close up of the F-14 Tomcat, the F-15 Eagle, Bell helicopters and other vintage aircraft).

• © Frommer's 2013