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Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Orientation Center Restoration Fund
Today, we stand at a critical juncture in the life of this sacred site.
Help Tell the Untold Story of Diamond Head’s WWII Frontline.
Diamond Head, or Lēʻahi, is one of Hawai‘i’s most recognized landmarks, a symbol of beauty, resilience, and natural wonder. Yet buried within its crater walls is a story too few know — one of vigilance, sacrifice, and strategic defense during America’s darkest hour.
Battery Harlow, a fortified coastal defense structure carved into the interior of Diamond Head Crater during World War II, played a vital role in safeguarding Oʻahu from the threat of a Japanese land invasion. Equipped with artillery, searchlights, tunnels, and bunkers, it was part of a broader defense network that helped protect Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, and the people of Hawai‘i.
Though the guns have long gone silent, Battery Harlow remains — a concrete witness to the tension, unity, and urgency of the war years.
Now, Pacific Historic Parks, in partnership with the State of Hawai‘i, is seeking to raise $2,000,000 to restore Battery Harlow, build a small but powerful Visitor Interpretation Center, and deploy augmented reality technology to bring the site — and its stories — vividly to life.
The Diamond Head Crater Trail welcomes nearly 1,000,000 visitors every year. But most never know that they’re walking past one of the most significant World War II defense sites in the Pacific.
With your support, we will change that.
Support our ongoing work.
Preserve and stabilize the original WWII-era concrete bunkers, artillery pads, and underground features of Battery Harlow for safe public access.
Construct a small on-site facility with educational exhibits about Diamond Head’s military history, including archival photos, oral histories, and maps.
Develop a smartphone-based AR experience allowing visitors to see Battery Harlow as it looked in 1943—complete with mounted guns, personnel movement, and audiovisual storytelling.
Feature interviews, wartime footage, and digitally reconstructed military activity—bringing the silent structures to life with immersive narratives.
Battery Harlow is more than concrete and steel. It is:
Every donation brings us closer to creating a lasting experience that honors the past while using the technology of the future to interpret it. With your support, the Diamond Head WWII Visitor Experience will become a nationally significant educational site — one that connects, informs, and inspires.
All donors will receive an email confirmation that includes a special link to submit their Pearl Harbor Heroes Profile. Please watch your inbox for your donation confirmation and the HEROES LINK! Your confirmation email also serves as your official receipt and may be used for tax-deduction purposes.
Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Orientation Center Restoration Fund
Today, we stand at a critical juncture in the life of this sacred site.
