At the heart of a sprawling campus, The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, founded in 1889 by philanthropist Charles Reed Bishop, is home to the largest collection of Polynesian artefacts in the world. The museum also owns one of the world’s largest entomological collections. As Hawaii's largest museum, and the premier natural, cultural, and historic institution in the Pacific, this stunning institution is also houses Polynesia’s oldest planetarium. Its huge Science Adventure Center features dozens of interactive displays, the centrepiece of which is an 8m-high (26ft) manmade volcano.
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Things to see in Honolulu
Tourist offices
Honolulu Tourist Office
Address: 2270 Kalakaua Avenue, Suite 801, Honolulu, HI, 96815, United States
Tel: +1 877 525 6248
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri 0800-1630.
www.gohawaii.comHawaii’s official tourist bureau office in Kalakaua Avenue has extensive information about Honolulu and hands out free maps.
The Honolulu Flexi Attractions Pass (www.iventurecard.com) gets holders discounts to three or five of Honolulu’s most popular attractions and tours. This includes Sea Life Park, Wet ’n’ Wild Hawaii, Bishop Museum and much more.
Alternatively, the Go Oahu Card (www.smartdestinations.com) grants holders entry to 34 attractions around Oahu for one, two, three, five, or seven days over a two-week period.
Bishop Museum
Opening Times: Daily 0900-1700.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Address:
1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, 96817, United States
Telephone: +1 808 847 3511.
Website:
www.bishopmuseum.org
Honolulu Museum of Art
With more than 50,000 works of art, Hawaii's premier arts institution has an eclectically stunning compilation of pieces by artists like Van Gogh and Warhol as well as a huge permanent set of Asian art, including the renowned James A. Michener collection of Japanese ukiyo-e (woodblock) prints. Founded in 1927 by Anna Rice Cooke, the daughter of New England missionaries, this fascinating art museum near Waikiki Beach also holds special exhibits and art classes. It has a wonderful café and gift shop, and its Doris Duke Theater is home to Hawaii's annual GLBTRainbow Film Festival.
Opening Times: Tues-Sun 1000-1630
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
900 South Beretania Street, Honolulu, 96814, United States
Telephone: +1 808 532 8700.
Website:
www.honolulumuseum.org
Sea Life Park
A world-class marine theme park, Sea Life’s attractions include an aquarium filled with more than 2,000 reef animals, a seabird sanctuary, and a sea turtle lagoon. There is also room for a Humboldt Penguin breeding habitat and a brand new Hawaiian shark tank, which is home to a dozen of the island’s native species. The fast-paced Dolphin Cove performance and the acrobatic fun of the Kolohe Kai Sea Lion show are big draws here, but the most popular events are the regular up close and personal sessions with dolphins, sea lions, sharks, and stingrays.
Opening Times: Daily 0930 to 1600.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Address:
41-202 Kalanianaole Highway, Waimanalo, 96795, United States
Telephone: +1 808 259 2500.
Website:
www.sealifeparkhawaii.com
Polynesian Cultural Center
If you’re keen to do a whirlwind tour of Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Maori New Zealand and the Marquesas without boarding a plane or obtaining a passport, The Polynesian Cultural Center is how to do it. A living museum spread out over a 17.5 hectares (43 acre) slice of Oahu’s northern shore, this centre opened in the 1960s and is split into seven different villages, each representing one of the Polynesian islands. In each village you can enjoy hands-on activities and demonstrations such as dancing the hula in Hawaii, coconut husking in Samoa and fishing in Tahiti. The centre also offers one of the best luaus (Hawaiian feasts) on Oahu.
Opening Times: Mon-Sat 1145-2115.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
55-370 Kamehameha Highway, Laie, 96762, United States
Telephone: +1 800 367 7060.
Website:
www.polynesia.com
Waikiki Aquarium
One of the USA’s oldest aquariums, this marine attraction (built next to a living reef on the Waikiki shoreline) spotlights nearly 500 species of aquatic animals and plants found in Hawaii and the tropical Pacific. It was the first aquarium to launch a chambered nautilus breeding programme and it regularly hosts a wide range of exhibitions focussing on local marine communities and their ability to adapt and survive. Visitors can also get friendly with monk seals and try rock pool exploration.
Opening Times: Daily 0900-1700.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Address:
2777 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, 96815, United States
Telephone: +1 808 923 9741.
Website:
www.waikikiaquarium.org
Chinatown
Settled by 19th century Chinese workers, who came to toil in Hawaii’s sugar plantations, this historic district located in downtown Honolulu offers a feast for all the senses. One of the oldest Chinatowns in the United States, the sprawling labyrinth of alleys and streets are dotted with herbal shops, acupuncture clinics, dim sum restaurants, noodle factories, boutiques selling embroidered silk cheongsams (Chinese dresses) and open-air markets selling fresh fish and produce. Visitors will find a wide diversity of delicious Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese and Korean food on offer. Those seeking cheap, good-looking leis (garlands) should head along Maunakea Street where they’re piled high.
Opening Times: Daily 24 hours.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Address:
Bethel Street, Nuuanu Avenue, Pauahi Street, King Street, Smith Street, and Maunakea Street, Honolulu, 96817, United States
Website:
http://www.chinatownnow.com/
Iolani Palace
Built in 1882, Iolani Palace was the official residence of the last two reigning Hawaiian monarchs, King Kalakaua and Queen Lili’uokalani. Many precious artefacts are on display, including centuries-old wooden calabashes, feather capes and helmets, and the royal thrones and crown jewels. Visitors are offered a choice of two 90-minute tours: a docent guided tour, with plenty of anecdotes about the Hawaiian monarchy, or a self-guided audio tour. Both take in the first and second floors before finishing with a self-guided exploration of the basement gallery. The Iolani Palace also hosts regular Hawaiian Royal Band concerts and offers a range of classes with topics such as Hawaiian quilt making.
Opening Times: Mon-Sat 0900-1600.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Address:
364 South King Street, Honolulu, 96813, United States
Telephone: +1 808 522 0822.
Website:
www.iolanipalace.org
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