Bishop Museum

For more than a century, the Bishop Museum, at 1525 Bernice St. in Honolulu, has been the premier research institution of natural and cultural history in the Pacific. Rooted in Hawaii's rich cultural heritage, the museum attracts nearly 400,000 people a year.

The museum's new Science Adventure Center is the only facility in Hawaii dedicated to showcasing the latest in scientific technology and research. Exhibits focus on topics such as oceanography, volcanology, biodiversity and ecology. In a highly interactive environment, visitors will feel the heat of a volcano, control a submersible ROV and learn more about Hawaii's fascinating natural environment.

Science On A Sphere, a new permanent exhibit, features a 68-inch, 200-lb. Fiberglass sphere suspended from an aluminum structure, which serves as a 3-D movie screen to display full-color, animated images from satellites and other sources.

If you're curious about ancient Hawaiian star navigation techniques, try the museum's planetarium where shows air twice a day.

The Hawaiian Hall, a popular feature of the museum, is currently undergoing extensive restoration and renovation. The three-story gallery, which was completed in 1903, is expected to open again in the Spring of 2008.

Bishop Museum has the largest collection of Hawaii and Pacific area artifacts in the world, however many of the most precious items are unable to be displayed due to Hawaiian Hall's unacceptable conditions, including natural light and open-air ventilation that result from its original 1889 design. The first priority of the renovation will be to restore Hawaiian Hall and bring it up to modern conservation and accessibility standards, so that the Museum's many Hawaiian treasures can be displayed.

The Picture Gallery will be restored as a window into the nineteenth century. Pieces from the Museum's extraordinary collection of oil paintings and rare books from the museum library will be displayed on a rotating basis.

During the renovation, the Castle Memorial Building will continue to display national traveling exhibitions and special museum collection exhibits, and the Science Adventure Center and Planetarium will be open for tours and ongoing programs.

Founded in 1889, the museum originally was intended to house the legacy of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last heir to Kamehameha I. Eventually, the focus was broadened to include the islands of the Pacific Basin. The museum offers a wide variety of tours and demonstrations on a daily basis and special exhibitions throughout the year.