The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum recently completed renovations in which several exhibits were updated along with refreshed exterior signage, enhancing the visitor experience both inside and out. These updates bring even more life to the stories of the men and women who shaped the history of undersea warfare. Guests will discover new interactive features, detailed displays, and updated historical perspectives that connect World War II operations, the Cold War era, and today’s modern submarine force in engaging and meaningful ways.

Whether you’ve visited before or are planning your first trip, now is the perfect time to explore the USS Bowfin and the museum’s expanded offerings. The updated exhibits provide fresh insights, while the new signage helps guide visitors smoothly through the grounds, creating an experience that is both informative and inspiring. Come see history from a new perspective and honor the legacy of the U.S. Submarine Force right here at Pearl Harbor.

A new addition to our World War II gallery is an exhibit of the USS Bullhead SS-332, which was the last submarine lost during the war. On her first two war patrols, she was commanded by one of Bowfin’s wartime commanding officers, CDR Walter Griffith.  LCDR E.R. Holt would assume command for her third and final patrol.

Artifacts from the families of both Griffith and Holt tell the story of the fateful exchange.

Both commanding officers had a copy of Bullhead’s Disney logo.  Griffith’s logo is on the back of his jacket, tattered from wartime and decades of postwar wear. Holt’s logo was sent to his parents and never sewn on, spending the past 80 years carefully preserved in an envelope. We feel this is especially symbolic of the lives of survivors that would be forever affected by the experience of war, as well as the lives that were abruptly cut short, leaving loved ones with questions that could never be answered.

Letters and photos sent from submariners lost on the USS Trigger and USS Wahoo have also been added to the families’ exhibit. Both of these new exhibits have been made possible by donations received since 2020, with each new gift helps us better tell the stories of the Silent Service.