December 12, 2014 - March 16, 2015
For 125 years, Bishop Museum has chronicled life in the Hawaiian Islands. Over that time we’ve seen tremendous changes to Hawai‘i, our people, our cultures, our environment, and our place in a global society.
In this exhibit, explore how everyday life in Hawai‘i has changed since Bishop Museum was founded in 1889. Some changes have been for the worse and some for the better, and the future holds still more changes that will inevitably transform this place and the people who call it home.
The emphasis of the exhibit will be the common lived experience of life in the Islands. Rather than create a linear chronological sequence through the period, the exhibit will examine change thematically, with more than a dozen large graphics panels exploring topics like Communication, Work Life, and Transportation.
Each topic area will let visitors explore deeper with interactive stations:
- vote for a new state fruit for Hawai‘i (unofficial)
- test your knowledge of local sports history
- tune a radio to stations from each decade of recorded music
- eavesdrop on a party line conversation when you use our antique phone
- test your penmanship on our magic slate
- predict what you think the next 125 years might bring to Hawai‘i
- see local landmarks "then and now"
Above: Punchbowl Crater, or Pūowaina. Left, 2014. Right, c.1890.
Mahalo to our sponsors:
September 27 2014 – January 26, 2015
Castle Memorial Building, First Floor
Scream Machines explores the science behind roller coasters through fun, interactive experiences. Settle into your seat for a roller coaster ride simulator - "Ride the Great Ones" lets you experience five of the world's greatest roller coasters viewed on a large screen from the seat of a roller coaster car.
Equally popular is "Revolver," or "The Spin Room." Enter a circular space, about ten feet across, and feel the entire room start to turn. As the room rotates, roll a ball to someone on the far side of the revolving room. A little bit of a challenge, since the entire room is spinning! It's a good demonstration of what NASA does when it aims a rocket at Mars – the rocket is aimed at where Mars will be when the rocket arrives there, not where the planet is at launch. On a smaller scale, "The Spin Room" requires the same technique of aiming the ball at where the person will be when the ball arrives.
Scream Machines also features an elaborate model of a roller coaster called "The Black Plague." The roller coaster car descends through the whirlpool hill, through two teardrop loops, and turns twice over in a double corkscrew.
Interactive stations invite kids to create their own roller coasters. Kids will be amazed as they explore the impact of height, loops, speed, curves and gravity in the design of a roller coaster!
Scream Machines is designed by the Ontario Science Center, who gave us the popular exhibits Circus: Science Under the Big Top (2010) and Facing Mars (2011).
Scream Machines opened to the public on Saturday, September 27, 2014. The exhibit runs through January 11, 2015, the last day of public school holiday break. Join us this fall and Christmas season for some educational roller coaster fun!
August 2, through December 1, 2014 in the J.M. Long Gallery
Gaze upon art made up of iridescent butterflies, dainty sea horses, and shimmering beetle shell jewelry. The first exhibit of its kind in Hawai‘i showcasing some of the more fascinating, incredible, and beautiful natural history specimens from the collections of the Bishop Museum. The most fascinating and beautiful specimens were carefully chosen for display, from over 22 million specimens.
Creatures like the incredibly colored Birds of Paradise, golden metallic beetles, intricately formed corals, and a variety of skeletons and skulls show off the magnificence of nature’s beauty. The fascinating natural designs of the nautilus and delicate ferns among spotted moths and colorful butterflies in spiral and manadala patterns are awe-inspiring. Native cultures in Hawai‘i and the Pacific appreciated the beauty of nature and incorporated items into wearable ornaments, such as helmets, headbands, necklaces, and bracelets. Some of the more unique and exquisite of these examples of “nature’s jewelry” are on display in the exhibit as well.
Catch a rare glimpse into the fascinating world nature has made for us!
Fall 2011 - Spring 2015
Castle Hall’s second floor gallery features special treasured stories in focus cases, a timeline of Hawaiian history, video stations, and significant artifacts and document to relay the history of Japanese in Hawai‘i.
Inspiring stories abound when the discussion centers on the challenges faced by immigrants coming to a new homeland. Tradition and Transition, Stories of Hawai‘i Immigrants presents these and celebrates the diversity brought by all ethnic groups who contribute to the economic strength and cultural multiplicity of Hawai‘i.
Tradition and Transition, Stories of Hawai‘i's Immigrants celebrates the stories of challenge and victory, tales of hardship matched with those of success. It is a story that focuses on the strength of human spirit and the power of change.
For children, a Pā‘ani Place is for kids to learn about multi-ethnic playthings and pastimes.
The hallway adjacent to the main exhibition gallery is Ho‘olaulea Hall, filled with large photomurals, hanging celebratory items, and smaller exhibit cases that focus on multiethnic celebrations.
At the end of the Ho‘olaulea Hall, will be Ho‘okipa Parlor, a recreation of the interior of a plantation home living room, welcoming visitors who wish to sit a while and browse books on various local ethnic traditions or watch some old news reels of plantation-era Hawai‘i.
Tradition and Transition: Stories of Hawai‘i's Immigrants is funded by generous gifts from the Atsuhiko & Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation and Hawai‘i Imin Shiryo Hozon Kai.
The three floors of Hawaiian Hall take visitors on a journey through the different realms of Hawai‘i.
The first floor is the realm of Kai Ākea which represents the Hawaiian gods, legends, beliefs, and the world of pre-contact Hawai‘i.
The second floor, Wao Kanaka, represents the realm where people live and work; focusing on the importance of the land and nature in daily life.
The third floor, Wao Lani, is the realm inhabited by the gods; here, visitors will learn about the ali‘i and key moments in Hawaiian history.
Explore Moananuiākea, the wide expanse of Oceania, in Pacific Hall's newly renovated two-story gallery.
Encounter the family of the Pacific on the first floor, which is filled with cultural treasures - model canoes, woven mats, contemporary artwork, and videos of Pacific scholars.
On the second floor, learn about the origins and migrations of Pacific peoples through the fields of archaeology, oral traditions, and linguistics.
Learn how the peoples of Oceania are diverse, yet deeply connected.
Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kāhili Room
The Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kāhili Room honors cherished ali‘i and displays the precious Kāhili (feather standards) associated with them.
On display here are portraits of the Hawaiian Monarchy and some of their personal effects.
Nā Ulu Kaiwi‘ula - Native Garden
Stroll though our garden and learn about plants important to Hawaiian culture. You'll find dozens of species ranging from endemic plants (found no where else on Earth) to plants like breadfruit that were brought by Polynesians when they discovered the Hawaiian Islands centuries ago.
The garden is maintained by our Botany department and with the help of volunteers.
This 16,500 square-foot facility adds a new dimension to the Museum by providing exhibits that are immersive and interactive – with a strong emphasis on better understanding Hawai‘i’s environment.
Visitors become active participants in exploring areas of science in which Hawai‘i has gained international recognition for cutting edge research – including volcanology, oceanography, and biodiversity.
Hawai‘i Sports Hall of Fame
The Hawai‘i Sports Hall of Fame records for all time, with pictures and memorabilia, the outstanding accomplishments of Hawai‘i's sports history.
The primary goal of this exhibit is to encourage our youth to emulate these outstanding athletes for their devotion, dedication, pursuit of athletic excellence and steadfast character.