Central Oʻahu

The most important landmark in Central Oʻahu sits to the south in historic Pearl Harbor, the largest natural harbor in Hawaiʻi. This active naval base is home to five historic sites that you can visit. The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center is a free attraction at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, a unit of the US National Park Service (NPS). The Pearl Harbor National Memorial includes the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Oklahoma Memorial, and USS Utah Memorial. The visitor center is also the gateway to the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites:  Battleship Missouri Memorial, Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. These special monuments commemorate the historic events that changed the course of history during World War II.
 
The fertile central valley between the Waiʻanae Mountains and Koʻolau range offers a peek back to Oʻahu’s history. Agriculture on the island was booming in the late 19th century, attracting immigrants from around the world to work on plantations. On your way from Honolulu to the North Shore, you’ll pass the Leilehua Plateau in Wahiawā and see sprawling fields of pineapples. Get a closer look by stopping at the Dole Plantation, where you can learn about the spiky-but-sweet fruit’s legacy on Oʻahu and cool down with a delicious frozen Dole whip treat. Kids will love running through the huge three-acre shrub maze. At the Hawaiʻi Plantation Village, explore a living history museum of restored and replica sugar-cane plantation homes to get a sense of how people lived and worked more than 100 years ago.
 
In Central Oʻahu, you can also take a tour of famous Aloha Stadium, home of the University of Hawaiʻi Warriors as well as many other events throughout the year.