Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Hawaii Honolulu Bishop Museum

Bishop Museum

This museum of Hawaiian and Polynesian culture is the legacy of the last descendant of the Kamehameha Dynasty.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Added By
Charles Fowler
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The Bishop is the Hawaiʻi State Museum of Natural and Cultural History   Ray_LAC
The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum   WiseTim
Icon in the collection   Joel
Rare Tamate Dance Costumes   Cliff
Icon in the collection   jmcd303
Polynesian Hall Stairs   daryl_mitchell
Tree of the Royal Lineages of Hawaii   Ben Stiefel
The zoology vertebrate collection   christopherhu
A study of Hawaiian weaving in hats   Daniel Ramirez
Masks in the collection   Ben Stiefel
Kahili (traditional “scepters”) and royal portraits, from the Bishops’ original bequest   Cliff
Hawaiian Chief’s Feather Cloak & Helmet (Chief Kaiana in the background)   Gary Sizemore
Sperm whale   Joel Bradshaw
  RachelCassidy / Atlas Obscura User
120yr old Museum Guide   BryceRun / Atlas Obscura User
  RachelCassidy / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Dating back to 1889, the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum is the largest museum in the state of Hawai'i, housing not only the world’s most extensive collection of Hawaiian and Polynesian art and artifacts, but also one of the world’s major collections of zoological, entomological, and natural history specimens. 

The ornate buildings of the Bishop Museum were originally part of the campus of a boy's school – one half of the Kamehameha Schools, a private institution to provide education to native Hawaiians. Two schools – one for boys and one for girls – were established by philanthropist and businessman Charles Reed Bishop, husband of Bernice Pahahi Bishop. Bernice, for whom the museum is named and dedicated, was the last legal heir of the Kamehameha Dynasty, the royal family of Hawai'i. She died in 1884, but her husband Charles carried out her will, creating the Kamehameha Schools for orphans and native Hawaiian children in need.

As a princess of the Kamehameha monarchy, Bernice also held a large collection of royal art, ceremonial dress, and historical artifacts. These were passed down to Charles on her death, and along with the schools he established a museum in Bernice’s honor. In 1889 he built two "Richardsonian Romanesque" buildings on the boy's campus (the Hawaiian Hall and Polynesian Hall) as a home for the Hawaiian and Polynesian collections.

For over 50 years the Museum and the school shared the grounds, but when the boys were moved to another campus in 1940, it allowed the Museum to expand into Bishop Hall, and eventually for the grounds to accommodate the building of new structures — including a science center, a planetarium, a hall for traveling exhibits, as well as a native plant garden.

The Bishop Museum has an extensive and ambitious mission, including conservation, education, natural history, scientific research, and library services. But the Bishops’ original calling — to honor and protect the legacy and longevity of native Hawaiian and Pacific cultures—is still at their core.

Related Tags

Museums And Collections Museums Cultures And Civilizations

Know Before You Go

The Museum is open every day but Thanksgiving & Christmas, 9am to 5pm.General admission is $22.95 for adults, $19.95 for seniors, $14.95 for kids age 4-12, and under 4 are free. They offer reduced rates for Kama‘āina (residents with Hawaiʻi state ID) and military personnel, so check the website for details.

Community Contributors

Added By

Charles Fowler

Edited By

hrnick, aitosimpsonsteele, RachelCassidy, BryceRun...

  • hrnick
  • aitosimpsonsteele
  • RachelCassidy
  • BryceRun
  • SabCoo

Published

March 24, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_Museum
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamehameha_Schools
  • https://www.facebook.com/BishopMuseum/timeline
Bishop Museum
1525 Bernice St
Honolulu, Hawaii, 96817
United States
21.332903, -157.870608
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Nisshodo Candy Store

Honolulu, Hawaii

miles away

Club Hubba Hubba Sign

Honolulu, Hawaii

miles away

Iolani Palace

Honolulu, Hawaii

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Honolulu

Honolulu

Hawaii

Places 17
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Nisshodo Candy Store

Honolulu, Hawaii

miles away

Club Hubba Hubba Sign

Honolulu, Hawaii

miles away

Iolani Palace

Honolulu, Hawaii

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Honolulu

Honolulu

Hawaii

Places 17
Stories 1

Related Places

  • A slice-of-life display

    Cuenca, Ecuador

    Museo Pumapungo (Pumapungo Museum)

    This museum’s collection includes rescued birds, fine art, and a collection of shrunken heads.

  • Inside view of a representation of a communal structure from an Amazon village.

    Manaus, Brazil

    Museu do Homem do Norte (Northern Man Museum)

    This anthropological museum offers a glimpse into the lives of the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon River Basin.

  • The museum entrance.

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Museo Dolores Olmedo

    This extraordinary art museum is like a secret world on the edge of Mexico City.

  • The museum exterior.

    Puebla, Mexico

    Amparo Museum

    This beautiful and unmissable little museum is full of fascinating artifacts from Mesoamerica's great civilizations.

  • The museum entrance.

    Madrid, Spain

    Museo de América

    This fascinating and poignant museum chronicles every imaginable aspect of Spanish colonialism in the Americas.

  • Antonini Museum.

    Nazca, Peru

    Museo Antonini

    This archaeological museum in one of Peru’s most intriguing regions exhibits ancient artifacts from the Nazca civilization.

  • Waka house.

    Okains Bay, New Zealand

    Maori and Colonial Museum

    One of the largest collections of traditional Māori artifacts in New Zealand.

  • Latvian hats on display.

    Riga, Latvia

    The World of Hat

    A small museum contains one of the largest collections of ethnic and traditional headgear in the world.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.