Bishop Museum

The Bishop Museum provides an interesting and educational introduction to native Hawaiian and other Polynesian societies. See www.bishopmuseum.org for more information. We were able to get there by taking the #2 bus from Waikiki and riding for about 45 minutes before being set down about a block and a half away -- the bus driver provided directions. In addition to a museum containing the royal emblems, large feather dusters signifying their status, it also had masks, jewelry, clothing, hooks, jewelry, pottery and the like -- all examples first quality in workmanship. They also have a very well narrated planetarium and offer showings of authentic hula chants, dances and music. There's a gift shop on site and its air conditioned inside. It took about 2.5 hours to see most sites at our leisure. more

We visited the Bishop Museum recently and saw the exhibit Reptiles: Real and Robotic, which my son (who is into reptiles) enjoyed immensely. I thought it was well-done and comprehensive, even including hands-on activities for the younger crowd. My daughter loved the planeterium, and I particularly liked the Hawaiian Hall and the Kahili Room. I understand the musuem is expanding and adding future exhibits such as the Science Adventure Center, which is very exciting. The Bishop Museum is doing a fine job of representing Native Hawaiian interests while continually growing in other areas. more

The last time I visited (yes with the kids...) they had a robotic dinosaur feature as well as many static displays and conceptual drawings. One scene showed some carnivore dino's eating another one. My kids didn't really care for that scene. My advice for parents would be to have one parent screen the displays before having the kids walk through. That way one parent can shield sensitive children from scenes which may bother them when its bedtime ;) The Bishop museum is normally very busy, free parking can be had in the surrounding neighborhood. more

Located conveniently near town (and near Kam Shopping Center), the Bishop Musuem is a great place to learn about Hawaiiana and then some (depending on what exhibits they have, and they have had great ones in the past – Robotics, Halloween, Food, etc). The main building houses some amazing Hawaiian artifacts, and if you choose a guided tour, the docents are very knowledgeable and can point out interesting facts or anecdotes about a particular artifact for you. The Bishop Museum also has a dome-shaped planetarium, which provides a very atmospheric and comfortable place to learn about astrology and astronomy in general. Sometimes, they will have special Planetarium viewings; I recall going there once on Thanksgiving, and they were giving free tickets to see specials on the link between astrology and Halloween superstitions. The entry price is reasonable, and it is a great place to learn and absorb information. more