Bishop Museum General Admission Ticket

Overview

The number one rated museum attraction in Hawaii by Tripadvisor, every vacation to Oahu should begin with a visit to Bishop Museum. Bishop Museum offers incredible displays and stories of Hawaiian & Pacific culture and history, planetarium celestial shows, amazing traveling exhibits as well as unbelievable live lava demonstrations! Experiences for all ages with fun, interactive presentations, Bishop Museum tells the full story of Hawai‘i in relationship to its place in the Pacific and the world!

City: Honolulu

Sun 15 Feb

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $33.95

Make a reservation

Sun 15 Feb

Starting at $33.95

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Admission Ticket to Bishop Museum

Route and map

Meeting point

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Honolulu
1525 Bernice Street,

This ticket provides direct entry into the attraction

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately

What To Expect

Bishop Museum

Explore the several exhibit spaces for guests of all ages! • Hawaiian Hall Complex is the world’s premier showcase of Hawaiian history and culture • Pacific Hall explores the origins, culture, and values of Pacific people and the migrations and settlement of the Pacific Islands. • Jhamandas Watumull Planetarium where visitors can explore the skies of Hawai‘i and Polynesia in the ways the ancient travelers once did and full astronomy educational experience. • Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center features interactive and exciting learning opportunities focusing on science as it relates to Hawai‘i and Pacific environments. Learn about lava and the formation of the Hawaiian Islands and a live lava melting show. • Castle Memorial Building showcases changing exhibits for a limited time period a place for new, exciting exhibits and adventures! Discover the science and culture of Hawai'i at Bishop Museum, a must-see to understand the true Hawaiʻi.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (207)

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interceptpubs

Sep 2019

This amazing museum provides a unique and detailed view of Hawaiian and Pacific island cultural and natural history. The museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop, an early Hawaiian businessman and co-founder of First Hawaiian Bank, to honor his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last heir of the Kamehameha dynasty. The museum has grown to become the largest on the islands and has been designated the State Museum of Natural and Cultural History. The gateway to the museum is the Jabukla Pavilion which houses the admission desk, museum shop, café, and planetarium (the latter requires an additional fee of $3 over the general admission of $25 – if you drive here, you'll also have to pay $5 for parking). We mainly came to see the cultural history exhibits found in the Hawaiian Hall Complex. The largest gallery here is the three level space covering Hawaiian history – the first level covers the connection of the Hawaiian people with the sea and the legends, beliefs, and world of pre-contact Hawaiians. The second level tells the story of how Hawaiian society developed – how the people here lived, worked, and played, while the third level covers chiefs from King Kamehameha I who united the islands through Queen Liliuokalani, the first woman to rule the islands who was sadly deposed in 1893 in the coup that led ultimately to Hawaii becoming part of the United States. The depth of information provided in this gallery is quite, well, overwhelming, everything from how Hawaiians kept their calendar to the ceremonial elements of the Hawaiian monarchy. Once done here, the Pacific Hall puts Hawaiian history in the context of all of the other Pacific Island societies – comparing and contrasting how each has evolved. One example is a display that shows the similarity of native trawling hooks from around the Pacific, highlighting the common heritage of Polynesian societies. Also in this building is the Picture Gallery which provides an interesting view of Hawaiian people and places through 19th century art and the Kāhili Room which provides the story of the Hawaiian monarchy through the feather-topped staffs or scepters that served as symbols of the individual kings and queens of the Hawaiian kingdom. Next to this building is the Castle which is used for temporary exhibits – currently a travelling exhibit of 120 LEGO models ranging from a 22-foot-long Titantic oceanliner to a Saturn V rocket with local icons such as the Aloha Tower tossed in. In addition to the models, there is an activity area where younger visitors at least can try their own hand at building things with LEGOs. Although we certainly enjoy playing with LEGOs, we didn't feel like spending the extra $5 to see this exhibit. Behind the Hawaiian Hall is the Pāki Hall which houses the museum's library and archives, but perhaps of greater interest is the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame. Across from the Great Lawn from these buildings is Science Center which houses the three-floor natural history museum. In the basement is a demonstration theater where they show what molten lava looks like. On our visit, we were told that the a/c was out in the building and they had suspended the lava display. Because of this and as we had already spent two hours in the cultural exhibits, we decided to pass on visiting this building – maybe next time. However, we did take a few minutes to visit the native Hawaiian Garden which provides three zones representing the coastal plains, drier forest areas, and the "canoe" plants brought to the islands by the early Polynesians who originally settled Hawaii. Overall, we really enjoyed our visit here and think it is an excellent place to learn about the Hawaiian people and the islands themselves. The cultural exhibits at least are very "old school" with lots of interesting artifacts and information panels, but not rich in multimedia experiences or interpretive displays which may make it less enjoyable for young kids, etc. However, the more interactive science museum and certainly the current LEGO travelling exhibit would likely be more appealing to them more, so there should be something for everyone.

750marins

Sep 2019

We enjoyed the normal admission of almost 25 (wow!) dollars with no extra payment on top for the planetarium or the exhibition, so we could enter the impressive building with the pacific hall and the Hawaiian hall. It does give a good insight in the history and culture. Lighting could be improved substantially , as some displays could hardly be read or suffered from reflections. After the Hawai’i hall, the pacific hall is just more of the same. Same fishing hooks, same boats, same weapons. It gets not really exiting anymore. With only the garden left within our ticket permission, we left with a feeling of being cheated a little. The place is for sure worth going to, but not for that ridiculous price. Museums should be affordable.

Elizabeth W

Aug 2019

Spent a few hours here on a rainy day, but I feel like I barely saw half the exhibits! The museum was jam packed with artifacts, readings, and some interactive displays for kids. Admittedly, it wasn't the most exciting afternoon- it was a lot of reading, and I did hear a child complaining about how boring it was -but it was interesting to learn about Hawaii's rich and unique history! I plan to go back the next time I'm in Oahu, and I would definitely recommend to others!