With its large, diverse collection, well-curated temporary exhibitions, and elegant courtyards, the Honolulu Museum of Art has developed a reputation as Hawaii’s premier art museum. Its stylish galleries contain an expansive collection of art comprised of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, textiles, and more from all over the world. The Honolulu Museum of Art is located in downtown Honolulu, about five minutes from Iolani Palace and roughly ten minutes from Waikiki and Diamond Head.
Honolulu Museum of Art History
The story of the Honolulu Museum of Art began over a century ago when the wealthy missionary Anna Rice Cooke founded an organization called the Honolulu Academy of Arts in 1922. She and her husband, the businessman Charles Montague Cooke, were avid art collectors and proud owners of a fine home on Beretania Street in the heart of Honolulu. For years this was where they exhibited their personal collection, until the time came one day that they felt the moment right to establish a more conventional museum. As a result, they set up an endowment and donated the land on which their home had stood for some 40 years—which was then promptly torn down to make room for a world-class building designed by the architect Bertram Goodhue.
This building opened its doors to the public in the spring of 1927 as the Honolulu Museum of Art. In the intervening century, the museum has been expanded numerous times. New wings were added in 1931, 1961, and 2001, while an on-site theatre was built in 1977. Throughout it all the collection has grown significantly, from a starting-point of approximately 1,000 works to over 50,000 pieces and counting.
What’s at the Honolulu Museum of Art
The permanent collection of the Honolulu Museum of Art encompasses some 55,000 objects, artworks, and pieces spanning a remarkable 5,000 years of human history. The museum’s collection is quite strong in Asian, European, and American painting, as well as textiles, decorative arts, and paper works from across the world. Standout pieces found here include artworks by Paul Gauguin, Georgia O’Keeffe, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Mary Cassatt, and Madge Tennent, just to name a few.
The Honolulu Museum of Art regularly stages acclaimed temporary exhibitions on a wide range of subjects. By their very nature these exhibitions are ever-changing, but recent shows of note have been dedicated to artists such as Lauren Hana Chai, Takayanagi Yutaka, Salman Toor and topics like eighteenth century Japanese portraiture and Hawaiian landscape painting. Furthermore, the Doris Duke Theatre is located here. Able to accommodate nearly 300 visitors at a time, the Doris Duke Theatre is considered Hawaii’s largest independent arthouse theatre. It features a robust lineup of programming that includes films, lectures, concerts, traveling exhibits, and more.
The Honolulu Museum of Art is home to two distinctive dining options. The HoMA Café is the attraction’s signature establishment. Specializing in casual contemporary cuisine, the HoMA Café is a proud designated ocean-friendly restaurant dedicated to fresh ingredients and sustainability. It is particularly well-known for its Sunday brunch menu. Guests in the mood for coffee, tea, wine, beer or food off a to-go menu will want to head to the Palm Courtyard, where they’ll find the HoMA Coffee Bar.
The Honolulu Museum of Art Shop occupies some 1,600 square feet of stylish retail space and sells a curated selection of books, posters, prints, stationery, t-shirts, and more. The museum shop typically stocks an assortment of products pertaining to its special exhibits, too. If luggage space is at a premium as you’re departing Oahu, the museum has an online storefront as well.
Tips for Visiting the Honolulu Museum of Art
*All children under the age of 18 years old are eligible for free admission here—another reason the Honolulu Museum of Art is a great family attraction.
*There is parking available directly behind the museum, but be advised that payment there is strictly cash only.
*Those visitors to the Honolulu Museum of Art who have their hearts set on enjoying a delicious brunch or tasty lunch at the HoMA Café are strongly encouraged to make reservations. This can be done online from the museum’s official website or by calling the restaurant directly. If you can’t snag a reservation—or simply want to keep things more casual—consider grabbing a to-go meal from the museum’s Coffee Bar and enjoying it in one of the attraction’s beautiful courtyards or across the street in Honolulu’s lovely Thomas Square.
*If you’re looking to get even more out of your visit to the Honolulu Museum of Art, take the opportunity to go on one of their guided tours, which are completely free once you’re in the attraction. Tour subjects range from new exhibition spotlights to highlights of the museum’s collection to outings that focus on the building’s unique architecture. For more information and a complete schedule of when these guided tours run, visit the official Honolulu Museum of Art website.