HONOLULU (KHON2) — Museums are a way of stepping into the past and in Hawaii, there is rich history and culture to learn from many museums on the islands.

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When visiting a new place such as Hawaii a museum is a great place to learn about where you are staying and possibly take something newly learned back home.

Museums in Hawaii:

  • Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
  • ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i
  • Honolulu Museum of Art
  • ʻIolani Palace
  • Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design
  • Hawaii Keiki Museum
  • Hawaii state art museum
  • Kauaʻi Museum
  • USS Arizona Memorial
  • Battleship Missouri Memorial
  • Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor
  • Hawaii Army Museum
  • USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park

According to the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, the building was founded in 1889 to honor Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last descendant of the royal Kamehameha family.

This is the largest museum in the state where cultural collections, research projects, and one of the largest natural history specimen collections in the world can be found.

The museum’s mission:

“Bishop Museum inspires our community and visitors through the exploration, celebration, and perpetuation of the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.”

‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i, located in Hilo on the big island of Hawaii, brings together members of Hawaiian and astronomy communities to share information about the history of Mauna Kea with the local community and visitors.

This building is a 40,000-square-foot exhibition and planetarium complex that incorporates early Polynesian navigation history and knowledge.

Click here to learn more about their mission, vision, and core values.

The Honolulu Museum of Art has much to enjoy such as events, exhibitions, art classes, and education workshops. Click here to read about the museum’s history.

ʻIolani Palace is the official residence of the Hawaiian monarchy, built in 1882.

As one of the most important and special places to the Hawaiian culture Friends of Iolani Palace was founded by Mrs. Liliuokalani Kawananakoa Morris, grandniece of Queen Kapiolani, to preserve the building.

The mission statement of the ʻIolani Palace:

“To preserve, restore, interpret, share, and celebrate the unique cultural, historical, and spiritual qualities of Iolani Palace and its grounds for the benefit of native Hawaiians, the people of Hawaii, and the world.”

Click here for more information on the history, that is so important to the Hawaiian community, of the ʻIolani Palace.

The Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design is dedicated to the cultures of Islamic art and design.

This building was created in 1937 by Doris Duke as she collected about 4500 pieces of art over sixty years, according to this museum. This collection incorporates wood, glass, ceramics, and textiles from 1600 to 1940 CE.

Something fun for the kids would be the Hawaii Keiki Museum located on the big island of Hawaii.

Here is where kids will learn about the island through hands-on activities of science, technology, engineering, art, and math, according to the museum. Click here to see their next event.

The Hawaii State Art Museum is another place to see and learn the cultures of art.

The museum just started a new exhibit called Young Artists of Hawaii and will be up from May 20 to July 8, click here to learn more.

The Kauaʻi Museum opened in 1960 with a royal family of Kaua’i and Ni’ihau gallery and a Heritage Gallery.

This museum also has Heavenly Haku Lei Making, painting, and weaving classes.

Hawaii is also a place where significant military moments in history happened and because of preservation acts, people are now able to look at history itself.

Check out more news from around Hawaii

Military museums and memorials on Oahu:

With many museums in Hawaii, visitors are able to learn about the Hawaii culture and history on each island.