Since it opened in 1980, the National Park Service has operated the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center associated with the memorial. Historical information about the attack, boat access to the memorial, and general visitor services are available at the center.
There are three main parts to the national memorial: entry, assembly room, and shrine.
The national memorial was designed by Honolulu architect Alfred Preis.
The 184 ft. long structure has two peaks at each end connected by a sag in the center of the structure. It represents the height of American pride before the war, the sudden depression of a nation after the attack and the rise of American power to new heights after the war.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the creation of the National Memorial in 1958. It was dedicated on May 30, 1962 (Memorial Day).
