The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum—better known to most as simply the Bishop Museum—is Hawaii’s largest museum. Home to an expansive and diverse collection of plant and animal specimens, as well as an impressive array of historic photographs, documents, objects, and artworks, the Bishop Museum provides visitors with access to a wealth of natural, cultural, and historical artifacts thoughtfully arranged across a series of interactive exhibits and immersive galleries. Located just north of Honolulu’s trendy Arts District, the Bishop Museum is a quick seven-minute drive from the Queen Emma Summer Palace and just ten minutes southeast of Pearl Harbor.
Bishop Museum History
Born in 1831, Bernice Pauahi was a member of the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Much to the chagrin of her parents, she married the American businessman Charles Reed Bishop in 1850. Eventually, the royal family made their peace with the relationship, and in time the two would become arguably the wealthiest and most powerful couple in all of Hawaii. When Bernice Pauahi Bishop died in 1884, it is said she was Hawaii’s largest private landowner; she owned approximately 10% of Hawaii.
Bernice Pauahi Bishop’s will dictated that a significant portion of her fortune be put to philanthropic purposes; as executor of her will, Charles Reed Bishop established the Bishop Museum in her honor in 1889. Originally, the museum was primarily dedicated to displaying Bernice Pauahi Bishop’s sizable collection of family treasures, Hawaiian artifacts, and artwork. In the many decades since its founding, though, the Bishop Museum has grown to include natural history specimens, historic documents, cultural artifacts, and a tremendous deal more drawn from all across Hawaii, Oceania, and beyond.
What’s at the Bishop Museum
Bishop Museum is full of fascinating exhibits and educational galleries just waiting to be explored. Among its signature features are the Hawaiian Hall, a three-story space that tells the story of pre-contact Hawaii, Hawaiian spirituality, and daily life in modern Hawaii; the Pacific Hall, where you can observe woven mats, model canoes, modern art, and other cultural treasures from across Oceania; and the Picture Gallery, which contains an unparalleled collection of Hawaiian art and artifacts from the nineteenth century.
Other must-see exhibits located at Bishop Museum include the Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kāhili Room, where numerous portraits and artifacts of the Hawaiian monarchy are displayed; Nā Ulu Kaiwi‘ula Native Hawaiian Garden, a beautiful place to go for a stroll while learning about a host of plants of great importance to Oahu; and the Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center, a nearly 17,000-square-foot facility with riveting interactive exhibits devoted to volcanos, biodiversity, and oceanography.
The Bishop Museum Café is operated by the same restaurant group that runs the Highway Inn, an Oahu institution that’s been in business since 1947. The café serves up a delicious assortment of beloved Hawaiian dishes, as well as sandwiches, desserts, snacks, and poke bowls. As you’re planning your next meal here, be advised that the café typically closes some 90 minutes earlier than the museum itself.
Shop Pacifica is the Bishop Museum’s recently renovated gift store. There you’ll find an outstanding selection of Hawaiian- and Pacific-themed books, apparel, home décor items, decorative goods, knickknacks, and more. Shop Pacifica is a terrific place to pick up a gift for that special someone—or simply to take home a souvenir for yourself!
Tips for Visiting the Bishop Museum
*Keep your eyes open as you arrive at and enter the Bishop Museum, for one of the attraction’s newest highlights can be found right outside its front doors: the Campus Murals are a series of creative and colorful pieces featuring work by some of Hawaii’s finest contemporary artists and sculptors.
*In addition to its popular permanent installations, the Bishop Museum also hosts a variety of special exhibits throughout the year. The nature of these exhibits will vary depending on the timing of your visit, as they are always rotating in and out of the museum, but recent favorites here have featured interactive science exhibits and native Hawaiian artworks.
*Another delightful thing to do at Bishop Museum is catch a show at the J. Watumull Planetarium. This theater runs a regular program of shows on topics pertaining to outer space, the skies above Hawaii, the Pacific Ocean, and more.
*If you’re looking for a fun idea to spice up your Bishop Museum Café meal, consider making it a picnic. You can check out a picnic blanket from the museum’s Hoʻokipa Desk free of charge, which could a long way toward making your lunch all that more memorable.
*Bishop Museum is so large that it can be a challenge to know where to start when exploring the attraction; it can even prove difficult to know exactly what to prioritize seeing if you’re visiting while on a tight schedule. Fortunately, the museum has created a series of suggested itineraries for busy visitors, families, and families with small children. Check out the Bishop Museum official website for more information.