HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
+ 1 further entry on record
Hangars 37 and 79 on Ford Island absorbed Japanese bomb and strafing fire on December 7, 1941; Hangar 79 still bears visible bullet holes, and Ghost Hunters filmed a nationally broadcast investigation inside in 2011.
319 Lexington Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96818
Research updated September 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Admission fee for the museum. Check pacificaviationmuseum.org for current ticket pricing. Ford Island requires access via military shuttle from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center — museum admission includes transportation.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved interior hangar floors; flat terrain throughout both hangars.
Equipment
Photos OK
No photography on the Admiral Clarey Bridge to Ford Island or at restricted scenic points on the tower observation deck; a docent identifies the restricted areas.
Est. 1941 · Primary Target of First Japanese Attack Wave, December 7 1941 · Hangar 79 Retains Original Bullet Holes from the Attack · Naval Air Station Ford Island — Attack-Era Flight Line Buildings · Pacific Aviation Museum Opened 2006 in Original Hangars
Ford Island sits at the center of Pearl Harbor and was among the highest-priority targets in the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack. The island's runway and hangars — then operated as Naval Air Station Ford Island — absorbed bomb and strafing fire from the first attack wave that began at 7:48 a.m. Aircraft parked on the flight line were destroyed or damaged in the opening minutes; sailors and aviators on the island were killed. Hangar 37, which now serves as the museum's primary exhibit space, and Hangar 79 were both struck. Hangar 79's exterior walls retain the original bullet holes from the strafing runs — 80-plus years later, still visible to visitors.
Ford Island remained an active military installation after the war and through most of the 20th century. When the Navy transferred portions of the island to civilian use in the early 2000s, the original hangars were recognized as historically significant attack-era structures. The Pacific Aviation Museum opened in Hangars 37 and 79 in December 2006, on the 65th anniversary of the attack. The museum's collection includes period aircraft, battle artifacts, and installations documenting Ford Island's role across WWII and subsequent Pacific aviation history.
The hangars are large concrete structures — Hangar 79 is approximately 300 feet long — and retain much of their original industrial character. The museum has deliberately preserved the rough, utilitarian feel of the attack-era buildings rather than renovating them into a modern gallery aesthetic. The physical fabric of the structures, including the bullet holes, is part of what visitors experience.
Sources
In 2011, the Syfy network's Ghost Hunters team — then one of the highest-rated paranormal reality programs in the U.S. — investigated the Pacific Aviation Museum's hangars as part of Season 7 of the show. The resulting episode, 'Pearl Harbor Phantoms,' brought national attention to reports of voices, moving objects, and apparitions in the attack-era buildings. Deseret News covered the investigation's production and broadcast, and the Syfy episode recap documents the specific claims the team investigated.
The hangar reports predate the Ghost Hunters visit by years. Ford Island is a restricted military installation, and its residents — military families assigned housing on the island — had documented a persistent phenomenon: an apparition or presence known colloquially as 'Charley,' described in multiple accounts as a sailor in period dress observed in and around the hangars and flight line areas. The USS Bowfin Museum, which operates a research page on Ford Island hauntings drawing on oral histories from island residents, has gathered a significant collection of these accounts.
The most consistent category of report in the hangars is auditory: voices in the empty structure, the sound of footsteps on the concrete floor late at night, and what some describe as engine sounds with no active aircraft present. The scale of the hangars — dark, cavernous, filled with period machinery — provides the kind of acoustic environment where the line between structural sound and something else is not always clear.
The museum has not officially commented on the reported phenomena. The historical facts about the attack are not in question; the reported activity in the structures is documented through television coverage and community oral history rather than institutional sources.
Media Appearances
Explore Hangars 37 and 79, both attacked on December 7, 1941. Hangar 79 retains original bullet holes from the attack in its exterior walls. The museum's collection includes period aircraft, attack artifacts, and detailed documentation of Ford Island's role on December 7. The original hangar structure — concrete, corrugated metal, vast — retains the industrial character of the attack-era flight line.
One-hour behind-the-scenes guided tour of Hangars 37 and Hangar 79 restoration shop; add-on to General Admission or Passport ticket.
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