List of museums in Hawaii facts for kids
Hawaii is famous for its beautiful beaches and volcanoes, but did you know it also has many amazing museums? Museums are special places where we collect and care for interesting objects. These objects can be about art, science, history, or different cultures. They help us learn about the past and understand the world around us. This list will help you discover some of the cool museums you can visit across the Hawaiian islands!
Awesome Museums to Explore in Hawaii
| Name | Location | Island | Subject | What You'll Find |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum | Kahului | Maui | Industry | Learn about Hawaii's history of growing sugar cane and how it shaped the islands. |
| Anna Ranch | Kamuela | Big Island | Historic house | Explore a historic ranch. |
| ARTS at Marks Garage | Honolulu | Oahu | Art | A cool art center in Honolulu. |
| Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center | North Kona | Big Island | Science | Discover space science and see items from astronaut Ellison Onizuka. It's right at Kona International Airport. |
| Bailey House Museum | Wailuku | Maui | Multiple | A historic 19th-century house. It shows Hawaiian history, art, and even has a collection of land snails! |
| Baldwin Home Museum | Lahaina | Maui | Historic house | Visit a mid-19th century missionary home. It is run by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation. |
| Bernice P. Bishop Museum | Honolulu | Oahu | Multiple | Explore Hawaiian history, culture, and science. It also includes the Hawaii Maritime Center. |
| Damien Museum | Honolulu | Oahu | Biographical | Learn about the life and work of Father Damien. |
| East Hawaii Cultural Center | Hilo | Big Island | Art | This art center is in a historic building. It used to be a courthouse and police station. |
| East-West Center Gallery | Honolulu | Oahu | Art | See changing art exhibits from the Pacific region. |
| Gallery ‘Iolani | Kaneohe | Oahu | Art | This art gallery is part of Windward Community College. |
| Greenwell Store | South Kona | Big Island | Living | Step back in time at this historic store. It is run by the Kona Historical Society. |
| Grove Farm | Lihuʻe | Kauaʻi | Historic house | See what a sugar plantation was like in the 1860s. |
| Hale Pa’ahao | Lahaina | Maui | Prison | This was once the Lahaina Prison. It is run by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation. |
| Hale Pa'i | Lahaina | Maui | Media | See old printing press equipment. It is run by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation. |
| Hana Cultural Center & Museum | Hana | Maui | Open air | This center has a local history museum. It also includes a historic courthouse, jail, and Hawaiian houses. |
| Hawaii Children's Discovery Center | Honolulu | Oahu | Children's | A fun place for kids to learn and explore! |
| Hawaii Keiki Museum | Kailua-Kona | Big Island | Children's Science | A science museum just for kids. |
| Hawaii Nature Center | Iao Valley | Maui | Natural history | This center has museum exhibits about nature. There is also an education center in Makiki Valley. |
| Hawaii Plantation Village | Waipahu | Oahu | Living | Learn about life on Hawaii's sugar plantations around 1900. |
| Hawaii Science and Technology Museum | Hilo | Big Island | Science | This is a mobile science museum that travels around. |
| Hawaii State Art Museum | Honolulu | Oahu | Art | See amazing permanent and temporary exhibits of Hawaiian art. |
| Honolulu Museum of Art | Honolulu | Oahu | Art | A major art museum. It also includes the Spalding House with modern art. |
| Honolulu Police Department Law Enforcement Museum | Honolulu | Oahu | Law enforcement | Learn about how law enforcement developed in Hawaii. It is run by the Honolulu Police Department. |
| Hoʻopulapula Haraguchi Rice Mill | Hanalei | Kauaʻi | Mill | Explore a historic rice mill. |
| Hui No`eau Visual Arts Center | Makawao | Maui | Art | This center includes a fine art gallery. |
| Huliheʻe Palace | Kailua-Kona | Big Island | Historic house | This beautiful palace was once a vacation home for Hawaiian royalty. |
| ʻImiloa Astronomy Center | Hilo | Big Island | Astronomy | Discover Hawaiian culture, history, and astronomy. Learn about the telescopes on Mauna Kea. |
| Iolani Palace | Honolulu | Oahu | Historic house | This is the royal palace of King David Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani. |
| Isaacs Art Center | Waimea | Big Island | Art | See art from early and mid-20th century Hawaiian artists. It is run by the Hawaii Preparatory Academy. |
| Jaggar Museum | Kilauea | Big Island | Science | This museum is all about geology, seismology, and volcanology. It is located at Kīlauea in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. |
| Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii | Honolulu | Oahu | Ethnic | Learn about the history and culture of Japanese Americans in Hawaii. |
| John Young Museum of Art | Honolulu | Oahu | Art | Part of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, it features Asian and tribal art. |
| Judiciary History Center | Honolulu | Oahu | Law | Explore Hawaii's legal history. It is located in Ali'iolani Hale. |
| Kauaʻi Museum | Lihuʻe | Kauaʻi | Multiple | See art and artifacts from Native Hawaiians. Learn about local and natural history. |
| Koa Art Gallery | Honolulu | Oahu | Art | This art gallery is part of Kapiolani Community College. |
| Koke’e Museum at Koke'e State Park | Kekaha | Kaua'i | Natural history | Learn about the nature and culture of Waimea Canyon State Park and Koke'e State Park. |
| Kona Coffee Living History Farm | South Kona | Big Island | Living | See what life was like for early Japanese immigrants. Learn about coffee farming from 1920-1945. |
| Lahaina Heritage Museum | Lahaina | Maui | Local history | Discover the history of Lahaina. It is run by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation. |
| Laupahoehoe Train Museum | Laupahoehoe | Big Island | Railroad | Explore the history of railroads in Hawaii. |
| Lucoral Museum | Honolulu | Oahu | Natural history | See amazing corals, pearls, gemstones, and fossils from all over the world. |
| Makawao History Museum | Makawao | Maui | Multiple | Learn about Makawao's history, including plantations, ranching, schools, and different ethnic groups. |
| Lyman House Memorial Museum | Hilo | Big Island | Natural history | Features Hawaiian culture, shells, and minerals. |
| Maui Arts & Cultural Center | Kahului | Maui | Art | This center includes a fine art gallery. |
| Mission Houses Museum | Honolulu | Oahu | Historic house | Visit three houses that show the "missionary period" of Hawaiian history, from 1820–1863. |
| Mokupāpapa Discovery Center | Hilo | Big Island | Natural history | Learn about the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. See exhibits on fish and coral life. |
| Nani Mau Gardens | Hilo | Big Island | Natural history | A beautiful botanical garden. It has a museum about tropical plants and their role in Hawaiian culture. |
| Onizuka Center for International Astronomy | Saddle Road | Big Island | Astronomy | Located on the slopes of Mauna Kea. Enjoy stargazing programs and learn about telescopes. |
| Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor | Ford Island, Hawaii | Oahu | Aviation | Located on Ford Island. See historic aircraft, hangars, and an air traffic control tower. |
| Pacific Tsunami Museum | Hilo | Big Island | Science | Learn about the history of tsunamis that affected Hilo. |
| Parker Ranch | Waimea | Big Island | Historic house | Visit a working ranch and tour two historic houses. |
| Polynesian Cultural Center | Lā'ie | Oahu | Ethnic | A living museum with displays of Polynesian culture and crafts. |
| Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park | Hōnaunau | Big Island | Archaeology | A park with ancient archaeological sites. See a reconstructed temple and thatched structures. |
| Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site | Kohala | Big Island | Archaeology | Explore temple ruins and exhibits. |
| R. W. Meyer Sugar Mill Museum | Kalae | Molokai | Industry | Also known as Molokai Museum and Cultural Center. It is a historic sugar mill and museum. |
| Queen Emma Summer Palace | Honolulu | Oahu | Historic house | This was a Victorian retreat for Queen Emma of Hawaii. |
| Queen's Medical Center Historical Room | Honolulu | Oahu | Medical | See exhibits about the hospital's founding. Learn about early medicine in Hawaii. |
| Shangri La | Honolulu | Oahu | Art | A historic mansion with Islamic art, furniture, and decorations. Tours are by reservation only. |
| Tropic Lightning Museum | Schofield Barracks | Oahu | Military | Learn about the history of the 25th Infantry Division and Wheeler Army Airfield. |
| University of Hawaii Art Gallery | Honolulu | Oahu | Art | An art gallery at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. |
| U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii | Waikiki | Oahu | Military | Located at Fort DeRussy. |
| USS Arizona Memorial | Pearl Harbor | Oahu | Military | A memorial and museum about the sunken USS Arizona. |
| U.S.S. Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park | Pearl Harbor | Oahu | Maritime | Explore a World War II submarine and learn about submarines. |
| USS Missouri | Pearl Harbor | Oahu | Maritime | Visit this museum battleship. |
| Waimea Sugar Mill Camp Museum | Waimea | Kauaʻi | Local history | Learn about the history and culture of Hawaii's old sugar plantation communities. |
| Waiʻoli Mission House | Hanalei | Kauaʻi | Historic house | Visit this mission house built in 1837. |
| Washington Place | Honolulu | Oahu | Historic house | This house is where Queen Liliʻuokalani was arrested. It later became the home for twelve governors of Hawaiʻi. |
| Whaler's Village Museum | Lahaina | Maui | Industry | Learn about the whaling industry and whales. |
| Wo Hing Museum | Lahaina | Maui | Ethnic | Discover Chinese cultural history in Maui. It is run by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation. |
Museums That Are No Longer Open
- Hawaii Maritime Center, Honolulu, closed in 2009.
- Hilo Art Museum, Kurtistown, Big Island.
- Kamuela Museum, Kamuela, Hawaii.
- Kauai Children's Discovery Museum, Lihuʻe.
- North Shore Surf and Cultural Museum, Waialua.
- Pacific Aerospace Museum, Honolulu, its displays are now at the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor.
- Paper Airplane Museum, Kahului, Maui, closed since at least 2004.
- The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, merged into the Honolulu Academy of Arts in 2011. It was renamed Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House.
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List of museums in Hawaii Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.