Museums in Honolulu

Hawaii State Art Museum is a popular museum housed in the Capitol District building of Honolulu and holds the status of Hawaii Capital Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places. With some unique exhibits showcasing contemporary artwork and artifacts, Hawaii State Art Museum allows the visitors to explore various Hawaiian art forms with free admission to the museum. There are three permanent galleries housed in the museum for Hawaiian Art and 132 artistic sculptures created by 105 renowned artists. Sculpture Garden featuring a swimming pool and some bleachers adds to the mesmerizing beauty of the museum and makes it worth visit.

Opening Hours : 10:00 AM to 04:00 PM (Friday & Sunday closed)

Entry Fee : Free Admission

Exhibits : Emphasized: Eye on scale, In Hawaii, Hawaiian art, The Hisam Sculpture Garden, Young Artists of Hawai‘I, etc.

Parking : Available on state parking lots

Location : 250 South Hotel St Second Floor, Honolulu, HI 96813, United States

Founded in 1922, Honolulu Museum of Art is a premier art museum in Honolulu with one of the largest collection of Asian art. Accredited from American Alliance of Museum and with the status of National Historic Site, Honolulu Museum of Art offers a great paintings, contemporary art, textiles and graphics collection, expecially of Japanese, American, African and Italian origin. Apart from some aesthetic paintings and sculpture collection, Honolulu Museum of Art features a Spalding House, Doris Duke Theatre, Art Library and Art School for a go to tour by visitors. Bronze Akota, Bronze Ganesha, Chinese Tomb Sculpture of Farmer, Dog, Star God of Longevity, Amida, hevajra statue etc. are some prime sculptures of the museum.

Founded in : 1922

Opening Hours : 10:00 AM to 06:00 PM (Thursday to Sunday)
10:00 AM to 09:00 PM (Friday & Saturday)
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday closed

Entry Fee : USD 20

Exhibits : Depictions of foreigners in Japanese prints, Hokusai’s Mount Fuji, Native Hawaiian art, Kamran Samimi: In Stillness, Optical Art, African American Art

Attractions : Art School, Theatre, Café, Museum Shop etc.

Parking : USD 5 for five hours

Location : 900 S Beretania St, Honolulu, HI 96814, United States

Sprawled over 5 acres on the Pali Highway of Honolulu, Queen Emma Summer Palace was built in 1848 and served Queen Emma of Hawaii as their summer retreat. Known as a historic landmark, Queen Emma Summer Palace is an aesthetic museum displaying the ancestral possessions of Queen Emma and the Hawaiian royal family. Diverged in seven rooms, entrance hall, parlor, cloak room, front bedroom, back bedroom, hall, and Edinburgh room, visitors can spot feather capes, porcelain artifacts, silver vessels, royal cloak, piano, tiger claw necklace, etc. in the Queen Emma Summer Palace.

Opened in : 1848

Opening Hours : 09:30 AM to 04:00 PM (Tuesday to Saturday)

Entry Fee : USD 10 (Adults)
USD 8 (Seniors)
USD 1 (Children)

Amenities : Gift Shop, Restrooms etc.

Parking : Available

Location : 2913 Pali Hwy, Honolulu, HI 96817, United States

Nestled in Hawaii’s Waterfront park near Honolulu, Hawaii Children’s Discovery Centre is an educational museum dedicated to children’s exhibits and colourful collections. Hawaii Children’s Discovery Centre is a 1989 museum that still enthralls 2, 00,000 visitors of all ages annually with a mission of inspiring children to dream big. Divided into 6 permanent exhibits, the museum offers learning and interactive surroundings to children where they can see, feel and learn from the events, activities and demonstrations. Tot Spot for toddlers, fantastic you, your town, Hawaiian rainbows and rainforest adventures for plantation and other topics leaves no stone unturned to make children learn and enjoy together. Toddler time, discovery camps and STEM centered labs are some events held at the museum which are worth attending.

Founded in : 1989

Opening Hours : 09:00 AM – 01:00 PM (Tuesday to Friday)
10:00 AM – 03:00 PM (Saturday & Sunday)

Entry Fee : USD 12

Exhibits : Rainforest Adventure, Your town, fantastic you, Hawaiian Rainbows, Your Rainbow World

Parking : On site parking

Location : 111 Ohe St, Honolulu, HI 96813, United States

John Young Museum of Art is an exemplary museum for exploring Asian, African, and Mesoamerican artworks. It is located in Krauss Hall of the University of Hawaii and features the art work of John Chin Young who was a famous Chinese sculpture. Well known for its tribal art collection, the John Young Museum of Art houses ceramics, murals, and paper scriptures are housed in the museum along with ancient Neolithic pottery jars. The museum is spread over 2,000 square feet and equips various workshops, libraries, galleries, and a scenic courtyard.

Founded in : 1999

Opening Hours : 12:00 PM to 04:00 PM (Sunday to Friday)

Entry Fee : Free Admission

Parking charges : USD 6 (Weekdays)
Free Parking (Weekends)

Wheelchair : Accessible

Location : Krauss Hall, 2500 Dole St, Honolulu, HI 96822, United States

Honolulu Fire Department Museum and Education Center is an educational museum operated by the Honolulu’s Fire Department to depict the memories, history, story, and historic fire trucks used by the fire department. The museum features a memorial for smallpox victims of 1853, war artifacts, and fire department heroes. The two storey museum also depicts the history of Honolulu’s Fire Department through a lane of memories and pictures followed by a truck of 1941. Fire extinguishing weapons, old kakaako firehouse, fire department mascot, and bronze momento are kept preserved on the second floor of the museum making it an informative arena.

Opening Hours : 09:00 AM to 02:00 PM (Saturday)

Entry Fee : Free Admission

Parking : Available

Location : 620 South St, Honolulu, HI 96813, United States

Hawaii Heritage Center is a small yet pretty museum on the outskirts of Honolulu sprawled on Smith Street. Established in 1980, Hawaii Heritage Center aims at educating the visitors about the rich heritage and cultural history of Oahu Island. Workshops and exhibits of the museum feature distinctive artifacts, excavated sculptures, and a historical collection of scriptures. Hawaii Heritage Center hosts Chinatown visits to showcase the cultural beauty of the place with red buildings, sidewalks, cafes, courtyards, theatres, and the beautiful Hawaii heritage center multicultural gallery.

Founded in : 1980

Opening Hours : 09:00 AM to 02:00 PM

Entry Fee : USD 1 per person

Parking : Available

Wheelchair : Accessible

Location : 1040 Smith St, Honolulu, HI 96817, United States

The only aviation museum in Hawaii, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is home to ample aviation exhibits like Hangars, World War – II battlefield. Japanese Zero fighter aircraft, bomber, etc. Located on the Ford Island of Hawaii, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum honors the American aviation growth and world war aircraft with its exhibits. Hangar 37 and 79, the 200 seat theatre in the aviation museum is the prime attraction and takes on a ride about Korean era helicopters, aircraft, and even museum’s history. Boeing AH-1 Cobra, Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat, Aeronca Model 65TC, Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, Mitsubishi A6M2 Model 21, Stinson L-13, Convair F102A Delta Dagger, Curtiss P-40E Warhawk, North American B-25B Mitchell, etc. are some aircraft exhibited in the museum which gives a perfect tour of aviation history and aircraft in the US.

Founded in : 1996

Opening Hours : 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM

Entry Fee : USD 25 (Adult)
USD 12 (Children)

Collections : Boeing AH-1 Cobra, Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat, Aeronca Model 65TC, Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, Mitsubishi A6M2 Model 21, Stinson L-13 etc.

Parking : Available

Wheelchair : Accessible

Location : 319 Lexington Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96818, United States

Located in the Honolulu Police Department on South Beretania Street, Honolulu Law Enforcement Museum is a mini informative museum showcasing the law enforcement history of Hawaii. Depicting the era of King Kamehameha I to advancements in the police department of Hawaii, Honolulu Law Enforcement Museum is unique in its exhibits. The museum is beautified with collections of breathalyzers, police bikes, photos, polygraph machines, and forensic kits, portraying a different story with every display. Take home a souvenir from the snack shop of the museum and experience the law enforcement history in the museum.

Opening Hours : 09:00 AM – 03:00 PM (Monday to Friday)

Entry Fee : Free Admission

Time Required : 60 minutes

Parking : Limited parking available

Location : 801 S Beretania St, Honolulu, HI 96813, United States

US army museum of Hawaii, honoring the US army history and heritage, stands in the Battery Randolph on the Kalia Road in Honolulu. The museum was established in 1976 and features a varied collection of World War weapons, armor pieces, and guns. There are several galleries and exhibits in the museum having a collection of photographs and artifacts of coastal defense, Hawaiian warfare, and the Hawaiian army. Every exhibit of the museum is dedicated to the historical collections of a particular war or arena. Gallery of Heroes in the museum depicts the story of every army officer and martyrs paying homage to them. With free entry, the museum tour is a must in Honolulu’s museum exploration.

Established in : 1976

Opening Hours : 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Entry Fee : Free Admission

Exhibits : Hawaiian Warfare, The Vietnam War, Gallery of Heroes, Defending an Island, Hawaii on Defence, etc.

Parking charges : USD 3.50 for first hour
USD 2.00 for every additional hour

Location : 2131 Kalia Rd, Honolulu, HI 96815, United States

One of the most historic museums in the city, Bishop Museum, also known as Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History is located on the Oahu island of Honolulu. Bishop Museum was founded in 1889 and equips the largest Polynesian art and specimens in the world. Being the largest museum in Hawaii, there are 24 million artefacts and sculptures preserved in the museum. Bishop Museum houses a massive library loaded with an exclusive collection of books, scriptures, newspapers and periodicals along with some ancient artwork, photographs, manuscripts, sound recordings, etc. Various periodic programs, galleries, signature exhibitions, and planetarium make the museum worth an exploration.

Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design is a perfect destination to explore the beauty of Islamic art and sculptures in an interactive and contemporary way. The museum is present in Doris Duke and reflects Islamic cultural art with 4,000 artworks and various exhibits. Architectural treasures of Syria, Egypt, Spain, India, Morocco, Turkey, etc. are present in the temporary and permanent exhibits enhancing the beauty of the museum. Painted woods, colorful textiles, vibrant ceilings and ceramic art of the museum are prime highlights of the place. A garden on the outside of the museum, designed in Mughal style features a fishpond, waterfall, terraced gardens which adds to the uniqueness of the museum.