Mighty Mo Reaches 500,000 Visitors

Fifteen years after it became a permanent fixture at Pearl Harbor, the Battleship Missouri achieved a goal set when it first berthed: welcoming 500,000 paid visitors in a single year.

“Crossing the half-million mark in visitors for a single year is a significant feat that is a tribute to the tireless dedication and hard work of our employees and volunteers over our first 15 years,” said Battleship Missouri Memo-rial president and COO Michael A. Carr.

“The Battleship Missouri Memorial’s popularity reflects its evolution into a magnificent showcase for anyone who appreciates our nation’s history.”

The Mighty Mo’s 500,000th visitor was Felix Garcia of Phoenix, AZ, who was joined by his wife Erika. To commemorate the moment, Carr presented Garcia with a USS Missouri coin and official USS Missouri hat.

After the historic battleship was relocated in 1998 to Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, the board of directors for the USS Missouri Memorial Association determined a set of goals that would ensure its longevity.

Welcoming 500,000 paid visitors within a calendar year was the final goal the Association sought to achieve.

It was on the ship’s “Surrender Deck” Sept. 2, 1945, that Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the Allied Forced accepted Imperial Japan’s surrender to end World War II and restore world peace.

Located near the USS Arizona Memorial, the Battleship Missouri Memorial is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Military, kamaaina and school group prices are available.

For more information, call 1-877-644-4896 or visit ussmissouri.org.