USS Arizona Memorial Gardens at Salt River

A contemplative outdoor memorial honoring the crew of the battleship USS Arizona, sunk at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Built by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and opened in February 2020, it sits in the Talking Stick Entertainment District between Salt River Fields and Great Wolf Lodge.

The gardens trace the exact length and width of the USS Arizona using more than 1,500 commemorative columns that outline the ship's full-scale perimeter. Each column represents a person aboard that day, with gaps marking those who survived. After dusk, 1,177 of the columns illuminate — one for each life lost — so the entire silhouette of the ship glows in the dark, which is what makes a night visit so striking.

Highlights:

• Full-scale lit outline of the USS Arizona, best experienced after dark
• A relic recovered from the sunken ship, displayed in an onsite glass-enclosed room (viewable through the windows even when staffed hours are closed)
• Survivor quotes engraved on benches and plaques detailing the timeline of the attack
• Name blocks listing everyone who was aboard

Practical info: Free admission and free parking. The grounds are best visited around sunset so you can read the names and history in daylight, then stay to see the columns light up. Listings note dawn-to-dusk hours, though the illuminated outline is the main draw — call ahead (888-979-5010) to confirm current evening access and relic-room staffing. No restrooms on site; the area is paved and stroller-friendly, with a shallow lake to keep an eye on.