Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum

Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Immerse yourself in Hawai‘i’s rich culture and heritage at the premier natural and cultural history museum in the state. Welcome to Hawai‘i’s Museum.
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The Official page of Bishop Museum

05/31/2026

Mahalo nui loa for your support of Bishop Museum and the work that we do to connect our community with the stories we share about Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

When you and your ʻohana visit our campus, it’s often our team of Museum Educators that support you through interpretation of collections, research, and stories stewarded at Kaiwiʻula. They lead programs with school groups, guided tours of our galleries, as well as shows in our J. Watumull Planetarium and Science Adventure Center.

During the Spring 2026 Annual Fund Campaign, we’re sharing our Educators’ stories, their memories of the Museum and more about the role they serve today. Here, Museum Educator Donnette Tuisano shares memories at the Museum as a student and some insights into how she sees her role as an educator.

Your donation to Bishop Museum’s Annual Fund supports the talented Educators and team members who keep our doors open to you seven days a week, 361 days a year. Mahalo no kou kākoʻo ʻana.

Please consider making a gift today: BishopMuseum.org/AnnualFund


Is there something you only do “once in a blue moon?” Well, get ready because we’ll be seeing one in the Hawaiian Island...
05/30/2026

Is there something you only do “once in a blue moon?” Well, get ready because we’ll be seeing one in the Hawaiian Islands on Saturday, May 30, 2026.

“Although it would be really neat to see, during a Blue Moon the moon isn’t actually blue, contrary to popular belief,” shares Romee Wizza Gaoiran, our planetarium manager. “Rather, a Blue Moon is when there’s a second full moon in any given month.”

While a Blue Moon isn’t actually blue in color, there are times when the moon is observed in a different color, such as shades of red. During the Artemis II mission, astronauts were quoted as observing how “colorful” the moon was up close, with astronaut Jeremy Hansen describing the Aristarchus Plateau as having green and brown hues.

Enjoy daily shows in our J. Watumull Planetarium, as well as special evening shows. On June 19, 2026, enter our Trivia Dome and enjoy this question-filled exploration of our view from Earth.

View our schedule of live shows, access our monthly Sky Map, and explore more astronomy resources on our Planetarium page: BishopMuseum.org/Planetarium.

Image 1: Earthset captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 6:41 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2026, during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon. Photo courtesy of NASA.

Image 2: As the Artemis II crew flew over the terminator, the astronauts described this boundary between day and night as "anything but a straight line." Crater rims along the terminator stand out as "islands" in the night. Photo courtesy of NASA.

Bishop Museum is the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History.




05/30/2026

Come pau hana with us at Museum After Hours on June 12, 2026!

Every month, we open our campus after sunset, inviting you and your ʻohana to experience everything has to offer. Relax on the Great Lawn with ʻono eats from the Kaiwiula Night Market, explore the Museum’s galleries, and travel to the stars with shows in the J. Watumull Planetarium ... There’s something for everyone at Museum After Hours!

Plus, June’s spotlight programming features a special outdoor screening of “He Moʻolelo Wahi Pana: A Storied Landscape” and the opportunity to engage with the filmmakers.

Explore, learn, shop, and support local at Museum After Hours.

Museum After Hours
Friday, June 12, 2026 | 5-9p

$10 pre-sale, $15 at the door for General Admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

Learn more and register online at BishopMuseum.org/AfterHours!

Museum After Hours programming is generously supported by Hawaiian Telcom, Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi and Waiākea.

Video by Under My Umbrella.


Are you ready? The Science & Sustainability Festival returns to Bishop Museum on Saturday, May 30 — just $5 admission fo...
05/29/2026

Are you ready? The Science & Sustainability Festival returns to Bishop Museum on Saturday, May 30 — just $5 admission for kamaʻāina and military!

Don’t forget your Science & Sustainability Festival shirt, available for purchase this Saturday! This year’s shirt was designed by artist and Bishop Museum Botany Research Specialist Miles Thomas, and reflects the Festival’s special focus on Makahiki Kuleana Kahakai: The Year of Our Coastal Kuleana, featuring an array of birds, plants, and fish found in our coastal habitats.

Science & Sustainability Festival 2026
Saturday, May 30, 2026 | 9a – 3p

$5 admission for kamaʻāina and military with ID. Learn more about the Festival and view program schedules at BishopMuseum.org/SSF26!

The Science & Sustainability Festival brings together Bishop Museum scientists, educators, cultural practitioners, and community partners to highlight the ongoing work needed to ensure a sustainable future for our keiki and future generations.

Discover how science, culture, and community action come together to protect Hawaiʻi’s unique biodiversity.

Mahalo nui loa to the Atherton Family Foundation for their generous support of this year’s Science & Sustainability Festival.

Bishop Museum is the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History.


Happy ! Bishop Museum's Ethnology Department helps care for some of the Museum's treasured cultural resources.This week...
05/28/2026

Happy ! Bishop Museum's Ethnology Department helps care for some of the Museum's treasured cultural resources.

This week, we're highlighting material culture on loan to the Museum from Hālau o Kekuhi. These pieces are on view in our newest exhibition, "Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice."

Kūpeʻe (Nerita polita) are nocturnal marine snails, whose shells are often made into adornments. As a material and form, kūpeʻe are also important in hula contexts.

In Hālau o Kekuhi — a multigenerational hula company in Keaukaha, Hawaiʻi — an ʻōlapa (dancer) creates a set of kūpeʻe adornments to wear in performances. This set, made by Kiha Stevens under the creative direction of Nālani Kanakaʻole, includes a necklace, wristlets, anklets, and leggings made to wrap around the calf. Each kūpeʻe shell is collected, drilled, and strung on wax cordage.

The kūpeʻe adornments accentuate a dancer's movements, adding to the visual and acoustic aspects of the hula as they flash and click. They also shield the dancer from spiritual burdens evoked by certain performances.

Read the full story and explore more at Mau Ka Leo, Bishop Museum's online storytelling space: BishopMuseum.org/MauKaLeo.

Interested in learning more about the Ethnology Department's work? Come visit our webpage at BishopMuseum.org/Ethnology.

"Kūpeʻe in Hula and Fashion" is written by Sarah Kuaiwa and Kauʻi Kanakaʻole.

Images 1-3: Kūpeʻe set, made by Kiha Stevens under the creative direction of Nālani Kanakaʻole. Loan from Hālau o Kekuhi. Photos by Noel Kenny.

Bishop Museum is the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History.




A new Wehiwehi cohort arrives this June and you're invited to the first program of their residency — an artist showcase ...
05/28/2026

A new Wehiwehi cohort arrives this June and you're invited to the first program of their residency — an artist showcase in Bishop Museum's historic Hawaiian Hall.

Wehiwehi is an artist residency bringing together six Native Hawaiian performing artists at Shangri La. Wehiwehi ma Kaiwiʻula brings these artists to Bishop Museum for an evening of artist presentations, conversation, and creative exchange. From hula and mele to poetry, theater, contemporary dance, and experimental music, this program highlights the depth and dynamism of Native Hawaiian creative practice across Hawaiʻi and the diaspora.

The 2026 cohort includes Kalikopuanoheaokalani Aiu (dance/movement art), Sean-Joseph Takeo Kahāokalani Choo (theater), Kealoha Ferreira (dance), Nāwāhineokalaʻi Lanzilotti (music), Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, Ph.D. (poetry/music), and Kalia Vandever (music).

Wehiwehi ma Kaiwiʻula
Friday, June 19, 2026 | 5–8 p.m.

Location: Hawaiian Hall at Bishop Museum

Free admission with registration. Complimentary food and beverages included.

Learn more and reserve your tickets at BishopMuseum.org/Events — link in bio!

Presented as part of Creative Labor, Creative Conditions (CLCC) 2026, this special event invites audiences into dialogue around cultural practice, innovation, and the future of performance.

Bishop Museum is the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History.


There’s a new large-scale sculpture coming to “Aloha Bricks ‘26: Stories of Hawaiʻi” and we’re here today with another h...
05/27/2026

There’s a new large-scale sculpture coming to “Aloha Bricks ‘26: Stories of Hawaiʻi” and we’re here today with another hint! It’s a silhouette this time, but we can’t wait for the official unveiling at the Science & Sustainability Festival on Saturday, May 30, 2026!

This year’s Festival is just $5 admission for kamaʻāina and military, and includes access to our exhibits and galleries. Learn more about the Festival and view program schedules at BishopMuseum.org/SSF26 — link in bio.

Learn more at BishopMuseum.org/Bricks.

“Aloha Bricks ‘26” is a great way for you and your keiki to learn about our people, places, plants, and animals. There are incredible 3D builds of iconic local landmarks by the Hawaii Lego Users Group (HILUG), a gallery of middle school mascots created by students from 50 local schools, and even 2D mosaics of native species researched by the Natural Science teams at Bishop Museum!

Mahalo to our generous supporters that helped make this exhibition possible:
Hawaiian Telcom
First Insurance Company of Hawaii, LTD
Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts
Pasha Hawaii
Hawaiian Airlines
AIA Honolulu (American Institute of Architects, Honolulu Chapter)



Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts
Pasha Hawaii



Bishop Museum is the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History.



On November 15, 1976, a 14.6-foot, 1,653-pound adult male shark was accidentally caught by the U.S. Navy research vessel...
05/26/2026

On November 15, 1976, a 14.6-foot, 1,653-pound adult male shark was accidentally caught by the U.S. Navy research vessel AFB-14, about 26 miles northeast of Kahuku Point, Oʻahu. While conducting oceanographic research, the ship deployed two large cargo parachutes as sea anchors for several hours at a depth of about 540 feet. When they were brought back to the surface, the shark was found dead, tangled in a parachute it had partly swallowed.

The specimen was brought to the Naval Undersea Center lab in Kāneʻohe Bay, where Ensign Linda Hubble — struck by the animal's unusual appearance — contacted Dr. Leighton R. Taylor, director of the Waikīkī Aquarium and a world-renowned shark expert.

Taylor inspected the shark the next morning and, after consulting shark literature and with colleagues, confirmed that it was an undescribed species.

Read the fascinating history of the megamouth shark now on Mau ka Leo, Bishop Musuem’s online storytelling space: BishopMuseum.org/MauKaLeo.

You can also learn about megamouth and the ocean science work our Icthyology team does at the Science & Sustainability Festival, returning to Bishop Museum on Saturday, May 30! Tickets are available at BishopMuseum.org/SSF26.

“Megamouth Shark: The Hawaiʻi Holotype” was written by Calder J. Atta.

Image: Megachasma pelagios holotype; Bishop Museum Ichthyology Collection, BPBM 22730. Digitized composite image by Brian D. Greene.

Bishop Museum is the State of Hawai‘i Museum of Natural and Cultural History.



Aloha Nūhou Monday! Dear Reader, He Aupuni Palapala has now digitized over half of the nūpepa ‘ōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian l...
05/25/2026

Aloha Nūhou Monday! Dear Reader, He Aupuni Palapala has now digitized over half of the nūpepa ‘ōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language newspapers) stored at Bishop Museum Library & Archives, the largest collection of Hawaiian language newspapers in the world.

Partnered with Awaiaulu, we continue to work toward our goal of creating an entirely new and searchable image repository available for unrestricted, free online access.

Over 15,000 newly digitized pages are being prepped for launch on OHA’s Papakilo Database. Working with our delicate nūpepa is no easy feat, and we are thankful for the dedication of our highly trained staff and the support provided by Kamehameha Schools.

Here’s a preview* of our high-resolution images compared to the microfilm scans currently available online.

*Visit our blog to read the rest of the story, plus view additional images of the original Hawaiian language newspapers: blog.bishopmuseum.org/nupepa.

1: Microfilm scan of the front page of Ka Hoku o Hawaii, June 5, 1940, found online at papakilodatabase.com.

2: Newly digitized front page of Ka Hoku o Hawaii, June 5, 1940, captured by He Aupuni Palapala.

3: “He Paa Mare Maikai,” Ka Hoku o Hawaii, October 16, 1940, p. 2. Found online at papakilodatabase.com.

4: “He Paa Mare Maikai,” Ka Hoku o Hawaii, October 16, 1940, p. 2. Newly digitized by He Aupuni Palapala.

5: “Mele O Na Moho,” Ka Hoku o Hawaii, October 16, 1940, p. 2. Found online at papakilodatabase.com.

6: “Mele O Na Moho,” Ka Hoku o Hawaii, October 16, 1940, p. 2. Newly digitized by He Aupuni Palapala.

Image-sharing on social media is welcome. For all other uses please contact Archives [at] BishopMuseum [dot] org.





05/24/2026

Mahalo nui loa for your support of Bishop Museum and the work that we do to connect our community with the stories we share about Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

When you and your ʻohana visit our campus, it’s often our team of Museum Educators that support you through interpretation of collections, research, and stories stewarded at Kaiwiʻula. They lead programs with school groups, guided tours of our galleries, as well as shows in our J. Watumull Planetarium and Science Adventure Center.

During the Spring 2026 Annual Fund Campaign, we’re sharing our Educators’ stories, their memories of the Museum and more about the role they serve today. Here, Planetarium Educator Leilani Gamboa shares what she loves about bringing school groups into the Planetarium.

Your donation to Bishop Museum’s Annual Fund supports the talented Educators and team members who keep our doors open to you seven days a week, 361 days a year. Mahalo no kou kākoʻo ʻana.

Please consider making a gift today: BishopMuseum.org/AnnualFund


Address

1525 Bernice Street
Honolulu, HI
96817

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18088473511

Website

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