Hawaii State Art Museum
Hawaii State Art Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Galleries temporarily closed until February 10, 2023 while new exhibits are installed. Contemporary art of Hawaii and free, family-friendly events! 2nd floor of the No. 1 Capitol District Building, 250 South Hotel Street, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813. Admission is free. Museum Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am to 4pm. Open late First Friday of each month, 6pm - 9pm (galleries close at 8:30pm). Closed Sunday and all state and federal holidays. All artwork on display has a connection to Hawaii (e.g. artist born or raised in Hawaii). Parking available across the street in the Ali'i Place parking structure (entrance at 1099 Alakea St, cash only) or at Iolani Palace (metered parking, 25 cent coins only). Several TheBus lines stop in front of or close to the building. If you are taking a taxi cab, there is a small pull in area on Richards St. Wheelchair access from the Richards St. entry gate, on the Richards St. side of the building.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
148 reviews
Excellent
78
Very good
50
Average
19
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Jenan A
Turlock, CA2 contributions
Jul 2022
This is a great museum for a quick stop but it is rather small. The building is huge but most of it is still used as government offices. There are only 3 small galleries plus a small sculpture garden at present. When I went, the galleries were mainly about self determination of the Hawaiian people. It's very information if you enjoy learning about some history. Probably not the best place for young children. I was able to walk through the entire museum in approximately 35-40 minutes. No need to pay for the full two hours of street parking like I did.
Good stop if you want to find something to do while waiting for another destination to open.
Good stop if you want to find something to do while waiting for another destination to open.
Written July 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Canucksontheloose
Victoria, Canada745 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
We visited in March 2023 when there was a large exhibit of students' artworks from local high schools which were competing for best photograph, best sculpture, etc. It was a fabulous display of up and coming Hawaiian artists in addition to the contemporary art of homegrown talent on show. I very much enjoyed the sculptures there, esp. the ones outside. A great free museum well-located near the Iolani Palace and the Hawaii State Capitol building. Metered street-parking nearby as well as a parking garage.
Written May 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CasandraTP
Sydney, Australia3,913 contributions
Jul 2024 • Solo
I have to be honest, if you were at a loose end and looking for something to do I would suggest to come here. It is free to enter and considering the size of it, there really isn’t a lot to see compared to the other art gallery/ museum. There is a small statue garden so bring your lunch and sit outside. It doesn’t take long to go through the rooms and there was some interesting artefacts in the collection.
Written July 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rencar
Lowell, MA115 contributions
Mar 2023
With so so weather we needed a plan B and this was a good way to kick off the afternoon. Budget a bit over an hour for your visit. Very friendly and helpful staff. Easy to get to by The Bus, and close enough to the Iolani Palace to fit them both in for a nice morning or afternoon.
Written March 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EatTheBus
Honolulu, HI48 contributions
Apr 2013 • Solo
The Hawaii State Art Museum is a small contemporary art museum on the edge of downtown Honolulu. Admission is free, and it's a great companion to some great attractions in the area. The museum is open from 10am to 4pm, Tuesday through Saturday.
There are two galleries containing works of art related to Hawaii and its people, as well as a sculpture garden (opened in May 2012) and a children's area. The restaurant is the Grand Cafe, a notable eatery formerly on Pauahi street in Downtown Honolulu.
Pros:
**Free. Leave a donation in the box, if you want.
**(Powerfully) Air conditioned. On a hot day, this is a great rest stop when exploring downtown.
**Three well-maintained restrooms. All of them are very clean, and one of them is nicer than my house.
**The restaurant. 'Iolani Palace doesn't have a restaurant, and this is a good option for a "double-play" with that attraction.
**Contemporary Art. If you like contemporary art, then this has a ton. A good complement to the nearby downtown art galleries.
**The children's area provides a hands-on environment for young children.
Cons:
**Street Parking is metered, with limited nearby free parking on Saturday.
**Restaurant is closed on Saturday. Not many food options on Saturday in the area.
Best reasons to go:
**First Friday (of each month, 6pm). A family-friendly entertainment option on an otherwise rowdy night.
**Second Saturday (of each month, 11am). Additional hands-on (often "make-and-take") activities appropriate for children. A great time for families to visit.
**If you are traveling by bus. The museum is located at a very popular transfer point for many bus lines, and a quick stop in the museum can help pass the time until the next bus comes.
**Convenient to 'Iolani Palace, the capitol building, the Kamehameha statue, Chinatown, and the cruise ships.
**If it's raining...you need something to do.
There are two galleries containing works of art related to Hawaii and its people, as well as a sculpture garden (opened in May 2012) and a children's area. The restaurant is the Grand Cafe, a notable eatery formerly on Pauahi street in Downtown Honolulu.
Pros:
**Free. Leave a donation in the box, if you want.
**(Powerfully) Air conditioned. On a hot day, this is a great rest stop when exploring downtown.
**Three well-maintained restrooms. All of them are very clean, and one of them is nicer than my house.
**The restaurant. 'Iolani Palace doesn't have a restaurant, and this is a good option for a "double-play" with that attraction.
**Contemporary Art. If you like contemporary art, then this has a ton. A good complement to the nearby downtown art galleries.
**The children's area provides a hands-on environment for young children.
Cons:
**Street Parking is metered, with limited nearby free parking on Saturday.
**Restaurant is closed on Saturday. Not many food options on Saturday in the area.
Best reasons to go:
**First Friday (of each month, 6pm). A family-friendly entertainment option on an otherwise rowdy night.
**Second Saturday (of each month, 11am). Additional hands-on (often "make-and-take") activities appropriate for children. A great time for families to visit.
**If you are traveling by bus. The museum is located at a very popular transfer point for many bus lines, and a quick stop in the museum can help pass the time until the next bus comes.
**Convenient to 'Iolani Palace, the capitol building, the Kamehameha statue, Chinatown, and the cruise ships.
**If it's raining...you need something to do.
Written April 28, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marlene1985
Melbourne, Australia75 contributions
Jan 2014 • Friends
Wonderful art museum dedicated to both local and international artists in relation to the Hawaiian islands. Located in a beautiful Spanish style building, admission is free and save time to check out the delicious food in the cafe downstairs. The peach bread pudding is delectable!
Written January 15, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ladycanuck
Toronto3 contributions
A spectacular collection of both folk art and national treasures, and a welcome break from the rush of Waikiki. A definite must-see!
Written January 6, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Journey30726
Honolulu1 contribution
Recently I visited the museum with my HPU students of Writing 1100. I had been so impressed with the beautiful paintings and the architecture of the building during an earlier visit, that I thought my multinational class would also enjoy a visit. Their assignment was to observe and take notes of sounds, sights, people, and arts during their visit. Here is what Yi, Drawn, Krim, and Grace wrote in a group-writing effort. The Hidden Sounds Since ancient times, art has helped mankind to be more civilized and has transmitted culture throughout the generations. Our group tried to find the sound in the atmosphere of the Hawaiian Culture.We found two categories of sound. The first one is classified as realistic and it includes the fan, the AC, people talking, children running, shoes tapping as they glided across the wooden floor, and Grace's skirt which Krim thought sounded like a dragon breathing. The only artistic sound came from an artwork that looked like wind chimes and the noise came from the metal clanging together.The second kind of sound we heard was unrealistic sources. We tried to interpret the sounds of photographs and paintings. The first was a photograph taken by Franco Salmolleaghi. It represented a local woman chanting in her native language along with the sound of the wind howling and the leaves brushing against each other. The other was from a painting by Russel Sunabe. This painting consists of a red sky which we interpreted as fire and we thought we heard the fire crackling, people screaming, and the sound of bricks falling to the ground.Our group was interested to discover the Hawaiin culture through the paintings, sculptures, and photographs displayed in the museum...The students represent Taiwan, Malaysia, and France (French of Arab descent).The second group of students included Iris, Jeff, and E.J. from the Ivory Coast, Taiwan, and Korea. Here is what they wrote. Unmoving thingsMoving things can usually easily catch our attention but we soon lose interest in tr hearts even if we are not interested in them initially. ... In the painting by Stuart Sharp, we saw a cair, a light, a deck...even though those items are not what I think they are, he made me wonder. Everything has two sides, one being bright, the other one, dark. The two sides are always there, but the way we look at them is what counts. Avoiding one side and only looking at the other side is not the right thing to do, either. Opening our minds to look at both sides and accept them as experience is the right attitude to take. There are ways to show humans' feelings. Therefore, some people write, some draw, and there is no difference between all of these ways of exposing feelings.Having a beautiful museum that is accessible and free to all is a wonderful gift for which we are all thankful.Mari E. Zeleznik
Written June 6, 2003
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sciagrafist
Honolulu, HI11 contributions
Mar 2012 • Couples
Also not on this list (why not?), the Honolulu Museum of Art. As 47 yr. residents, that has always been our favorite destination, the primary art museum in the Pacific area. Cannot understand why it's not listed. Across the street from Thomas Square Park.
The Hi. State Art Museum (HISAM) is where the state exhibits it's collection of local art purchased over the last 50 yrs with the State law mandating 1% of all state building funds for the purchase of local art, the 1st state in the union to pass such a law. A phenominal collection, equal to the best in the US.
The Hi. State Art Museum (HISAM) is where the state exhibits it's collection of local art purchased over the last 50 yrs with the State law mandating 1% of all state building funds for the purchase of local art, the 1st state in the union to pass such a law. A phenominal collection, equal to the best in the US.
Written April 5, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
malie2
Honolulu, HI22 contributions
Sep 2013 • Couples
can be found for free at the Hawaii State Art Museum. The museum is located nearby the State Capitol and Iolani Palace. Make a day of visiting all three. Great art can be found in all three places. There is an abundance of history and culture in this walkable downtown area.
The Hawaii State Art Museum (HISAM) is located on the second floor of a historic building, with a gift shop and cafe on the first floor. State offices occupy the remainder of the building. It's a small and easy to navigate museum. Great also for people who aren't interested in visiting museums while on vacation. Easy for downtown workers to enjoy during a lunch break, too.
The museum is peaceful, facilities clean, and the artwork by local artists is diverse and thought provoking. So much offered in a small area and no entrance fee!
The Hawaii State Art Museum (HISAM) is located on the second floor of a historic building, with a gift shop and cafe on the first floor. State offices occupy the remainder of the building. It's a small and easy to navigate museum. Great also for people who aren't interested in visiting museums while on vacation. Easy for downtown workers to enjoy during a lunch break, too.
The museum is peaceful, facilities clean, and the artwork by local artists is diverse and thought provoking. So much offered in a small area and no entrance fee!
Written December 4, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mamiko C
Honolulu, Hawaii
Admission is free, as well as all of the events and programs run by the museum and the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (the state agency which operates the museum). Regular programming includes First Friday live music, Second Saturday hands-on art making activities, Art Lunch meet-the-artist lectures and docent tours.
Written June 11, 2016
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