Where is the kissing sailor statue in San Diego, and what's the story?
It's the 25-foot 'Unconditional Surrender' (officially 'Embracing Peace') in Tuna Harbor Park, next to the USS Midway. Based on the 1945 V-J Day photo, it's free to visit 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
- Height
- 25 ft
- Weight
- ~6,000 lbs
- Where
- Tuna Harbor Park
- Cost
- Free
Next to the Midway
6 a.m.–10:30 p.m.
The short version
- The statue stands in Tuna Harbor Park at 3 Tuna Lane, beside the USS Midway Museum on the Embarcadero.
- It's 25 feet tall and weighs about 6,000 pounds; the city calls it 'Embracing Peace.'
- Sculptor J. Seward Johnson based it on Alfred Eisenstaedt's 1945 Times Square photo.
- A loaned version arrived in 2007 and left in 2012; a permanent bronze version was installed in 2013.
- The park is open 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and there's no charge.
The giant sailor dipping a woman in a kiss on the downtown waterfront is one of San Diego's most photographed landmarks. Its formal title is Unconditional Surrender, by sculptor J. Seward Johnson, though the Port signage calls it Embracing Peace. It recreates the famous V-J Day photograph taken in Times Square on Aug. 14, 1945, when Japan's surrender was announced.
The statue's back-and-forth
- 1945
The photo
Alfred Eisenstaedt's V-J Day image in Times Square
- 2005
First version
Debuts temporarily in Sarasota, Florida
- 2007
Comes to San Diego
On loan in Tuna Harbor Park
- 2012
Removed
Loan ends; the statue leaves
- 2013
Back for good
Permanent bronze version installed
- 1945
The photo
Alfred Eisenstaedt's V-J Day image in Times Square
- 2005
First version
Debuts temporarily in Sarasota, Florida
- 2007
Comes to San Diego
On loan in Tuna Harbor Park
- 2012
Removed
Loan ends; the statue leaves
- 2013
Back for good
Permanent bronze version installed
Wikipedia (Unconditional Surrender), Quirky Travel Guy and other accounts.
Visiting
Getting the shot
- 01
Find Tuna Lane
From North Harbor Drive, turn onto West G Street toward the water and Tuna Lane. It's between the USS Midway and Seaport Village.
- 02
Stand back for scale
A person by the nurse's heel shows just how big it is. Morning light from the east is softer and less crowded.
- 03
See it from the water
Harbor cruises pass behind it for a view few people get; see harbor cruises.
- 04
Walk the rest of the park
Nearby, the National Salute to Bob Hope and the Military plays recordings of his USO shows.
Make a morning of it: the USS Midway Museum is next door, and the Maritime Museum is a short walk north. Parking along the Embarcadero is metered; the trolley's Santa Fe Depot stop is about 10 minutes away on foot.
The statue
Nearby
Pins from OpenStreetMap and our other tips.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 8, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
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SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
Quirky Travel Guy
25 ft, 6,000 lbs; 'Embracing Peace'; park hours 6 a.m.–10:30 p.m.; 3 Tuna Lane
- BackgroundUnconditional Surrender (sculpture)
Wikipedia (via Wikiwand)
Moves from Florida; Tuna Harbor Park; 2013 San Diego reinstallation
- BackgroundTuna Harbor Park
The Cultural Landscape Foundation
Formerly the G Street Mole; memorials honoring tuna industry and Navy
- BackgroundEmbracing Peace Statue
RoadsideAmerica.com
Directions: N. Harbor Dr. to W. G St. to Tuna Lane