Visiting the Bishop museum on my trip was really special! There's the main hall with tons of Hawaiian history and some modern art which was perfect to learn more about the culture and its past. Then, there's also a science hall and the planetarium which both seemed a little more geared toward children but cool to check out regardless. In the main hall, there are so so many artifacts, paintings, and models to see, and it felt a bit overwhelming to attempt and read them all. So, be content with grazing the surface for 2 hrs or so, or set aside 3+ hours if you like being thorough. I consider this a must if you're visiting O'ahu because it will contextualize a lot of cultural practices and give you a greater appreciation for their preservation. ALSO! No one told us about this beforehand, but, regularly admission is $33 per person (a little steep), however if you're staying at certain Honululu hotels, you're able to get 3 people in for $35 total!! Not sure what the discount would be for groups of 2 or 4+, but this was so helpful, and we almost didn't even get the discount until the museum entrance happened to ask where we were staying. The Moana Surfrider is where we stayed, but ask your hotel if they offer anything because they had an extensive list for the discount.

As a Pohnpeian from Micronesia that saw some artifacts from my island in your museum, I wish that my home had tried with more effort to save our past with similar (albeit smaller scale) efforts. Congratulations Hawaii on what you have here and you of course must cherish these time-capsules. Very informative place. Kalahngan.

I visited Bishop Museum solo in August and it was an enriching experience that immersed me deeply in Hawaiian history and culture. Nestled in Honolulu, this museum stands out not only for its extensive collection but also for its captivating storytelling.. It was fascinating to learn how they used the stars to navigate the vast Pacific Ocean, underscoring their remarkable knowledge of astronomy and maritime prowess... For a moment I felt like Moana. Haha.. The museum caters to both casual visitors like mine and avid learners. It simply was perfect.

Excellent place to learn more about their culture and just how much of their heritage is missing. What I noticed the most is just much the early settlers of these lands resemble Native Indians, Indians and Africans. From their facial features, to heights, builds let alone the clothes and dance routines. Now I know more about Captain Cooke and the Dole empire.

This museum charges $5.00 for every checked bag and $33.95 pp ($30.95 for seniors, $25.95 youth, 4-17). Exhibitions are spread amongst several multi storied spread apart buildings and the ADA restroom is away from the main exhibition buildings. This Museum is not convenient for anyone who doesn’t walk easily or is disabled. Not worth the price

The Bishop Museum proved to be a hidden gem, offering a nice blend of educational and entertaining elements. Its well-curated displays, immersive exhibits, and friendly staff make it a worthwhile destination for anyone interested in Hawaiian culture and history.

Incredible museum…a fusion of both modern and traditional exhibits housed in an updated 100 year old stone heritage building complex. It’s dark and moody in the main Hawaii hall building and you really feel like you have gone back in time to the turn of the century to see how the public viewed such artifacts. The 1909 giant sperm whale suspended in the main hall is an example…exactly how it was originally displayed. Pretty cool. My favourite part was the small hall off to the side of the main hall which featured a wall showing all of the Polynesian island chains and the various outrigger canoe styles from each region. I definitely recommend going to see the planetarium as the astronomy host was excellent and informative.

Interesting history of Hawaii and South Pacific islands. Very nice science center for children. Loved it! They also had a great cafe, serving good food.

It's hard to put into words how disappointed we were by the Bishop Museum. The reviews are pretty good for it and their website talks a good game. Once you arrive though, you find, as the staff told us they were "hit pretty hard by the COVID thing." We showed up on Wednesday, which we found out sadly meant the planetarium was closed. This is on the website, but buried pretty deep so you wouldn't know unless you were buying tickets online. Also mentioned on the website is lava pouring, which we were told the person who does it left 2+ years ago and they can't find anyone to replace it. I guess I'll continue with the bad before getting to the good - the cafe served good food (the biggest slab of ham on a ham sandwich I've ever seen) but is really depressing in layout and feels like it was deserted. There's also a building called the Science Adventure building that was basically completely under construction and rebuilding. A staff member told us it'd been like that for a year or more. Also, in what is open of the planetarium while neat to see, the interactive items were either not working or someone had swiped the balls/tops so you couldn't use them. The planetarium itself was a bit dingy and could use a clean up and refresh. Now for the good, the main history museum is fantastic. Three floors of great exhibits, although some of the interactive ones were broken/missing parts. The details involved and layout really helped you walk through Oahu and Hawaii's history. It is a bit dim when coming in but that felt conductive to the exhibits when your get to them. There's a small local-interest type area before the exhibits proper and while a staff member was there, they didn't engage so not sure what else is there besides viewing. There's also a children's play building that was set up pretty well. Again there was a missing part here or there, but overall engaging, laid out well, and fairly clean. Overall, I would say worth going (especially if you can get a discount on the ticket) to see the history of Hawaii, but don't budget more than a few hours as there's really nothing else currently to see.

We had a few hours to kill and decided to get a bus to the Bishop Museum as we had the Go City Pass to use. I wish we would have had more time as there is so much to see. Very well laid out museum, even though it was a tad hot in there the day we visited. Would definitely recommend and would visit again.

Such a great and educational museum to visit. The loloni palace is also amazing. Highly recommend to anyone

Very interesting museum with lots of exhibits on Hawaii's history. I did not know anything about Hawiian history other than the name King Kamehameha so it was very interesting to learn all of the history of the Hawaiian people. Definitely recommend stopping by this museum before you leave the island!

Great museum featuring a three-story hall dedicated to Hawaiian history, and an identical adjacent hall illustrating Polynesian history and migration. A separate building highlights kid-oriented exhibits. A great rainy day activity - book your tickets online for a small discount on admission. A decent amount of parking available.

We spent the whole afternoon at the museum and thoroughly enjoyed it. Full of so much history and artifacts. Super interesting and highly recommend the visit. Easy to get to on public transit from Waikiki hotels, bus #2 on Kuhio street for $3 each way.

This is a beautiful historic museum. The displays about Hawiian history were so interesting and beautifully done. There is a hand-on exhibit next to the historic building which is mainly for kids. There is also a science building that seems to be in disrepair or in transition. The price is kind of steep compared to other museums of this type on the mainland - but this is Hawaii so expect to pay a bit more. Plan on spending at least 2 two hours or more to savor all of the displays on all three floors of the historic buildings.