The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum is one of the most beloved and respected institutions in the Pacific. The museum covers art, science, cultural history, anthropology and ethnography, and even Hawai’i sports. Since 1889 the Bishop Musuem has housed the largest collection of Polynesian artifacts in the world. The museum is located in the Kalihi neighborhood of Honolulu on the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii.
For anyone interested in Polynesian cultures or Hawaiiana this is a must visit. If you are a bug nut i.e. an entomologist – there are 13.5 million specimens at the Bishop – making up more than half of the 24 million items in the collections. It is the third largest bug collection in the USA. It is the largest collection of Hawaiian artifacts in the world. Most people going to the Bishop go for the Hawaiian and Polynesian artifacts.
Princess Bernice Pauahi Paki Bishop (1831-1884) was a Hawaiian high chief and direct descendent of King Kamehameha the Great. At one point she was asked to be the designated heir to the throne of the Hawaiian Kingdom by King Kamehameha V (an honor she refused and which led to the election of Kings Lunalilo & Kalakaua). When she died, her husband, Charles Reed Bishop, created the museum to preserve her royal inheritances. Her lands and wealth were used to create the Bishop Estate and Kamehameha Schools.
The museum itself was built on the original campus of the Kamehameha Schools. An interesting note – the koa wood cases in the museum are now worth more than the entire buildings they are housed in – Koa is considered a gem quality wood. The original buildings were joined in recent years by the Castle building which houses traveling exhibits and the Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center which has exhibits tht include a volcano and aquariums. Near the main entrance is the Jhamandas Watumull Planetarium which offers great planetarium shows as well as programs about ancient polynesian navigation.
The museum is located at 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI. You can find hours and admission prices at www.bishopmuseum.org
