Bishop Museum

The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii, was founded in 1889 and is the largest museum in the state focused on Hawaiian and Pacific natural and cultural history. It was established by Charles Reed Bishop in memory of his wife Bernice Pauahi Bishop.

The museum’s permanent displays include the historic Hawaiian Hall, large Pacific cultural collections and natural history exhibits; the institution also hosts temporary exhibitions and public planetarium shows. Collections number in the millions and support both public display and specialist research.

The museum began as a private institution and grew through donations, acquisitions and fieldwork; over time it added scientific research programs, a library and public education facilities. Its mission has remained focused on preserving and studying the heritage and biodiversity of Hawaii and the broader Pacific.

The museum sits in Honolulu on the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii, within the urban area of the city and accessible by road from central Honolulu and Waikiki.

• Collections size: Houses collections of cultural artifacts and natural history specimens numbering in the millions, used by researchers worldwide.
• Research and public programs: The museum operates a public planetarium and runs research and library services that support genealogy, language and environmental research on Hawaii and the Pacific.

What to See #

• Hawaiian Hall: The museum's central exhibition space built in the institution's early years and known for carved koa wood fittings and display cases holding major Hawaiian cultural objects.
• Pacific Hall: Displays and collections that interpret the cultures of Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia alongside exhibits on Hawaii's natural history; rotating temporary exhibitions are also staged here.
• Science Center and Planetarium: Interactive science exhibits and a planetarium offering scheduled public shows and educational programs for school groups.