Planning a Museum Day: Oahu’s Best Options

Oʻahu’s museums are treasures that offer a window into Hawaiʻi’s history, culture, and art — experiences you’ll be grateful not to have missed.

We deeply value Oʻahus museums for enriching our understanding of Hawaiʻi’s history, culture, and art, while offering meaningful insights into the events that have shaped our islands.

These venues highlight everything from royal residences and plantation life to aviation feats. Whether exploring Hawaiʻi’s heritage or envisioning its future, an inspiring exhibit awaits.

In this post, we share our local recommendations for the best museums on Oʻahu.

1. Bishop Museum

Hawaiʻi’s leading museum where science, culture and natural history come alive.

📍 1525 Bernice St, Honolulu
🕒 Open: Daily 9am-5pm
🎟️ Cost: From $33.95 for adults

When it comes to museums in Hawaiʻi, it doesn’t get bigger or better than Bishop Museum in the Honolulu neighborhood of Kalihi, only a 15-minute drive from Waikīkī.

Operated by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop’s estate since 1889, the venue houses the world’s largest collection of Polynesian natural history specimens, plants, cultural artifacts and artworks.

It features Hawaiian cultural exhibits, a planetarium, a major insect collection and hosts public programs, cultural festivals and musical performances on its historic grounds.

2. ʻIolani Palace

Former home of Hawaiʻi’s monarchs, where a legacy of royal history lives on.

📍 364 South King St, Honolulu
🕒 Open: Tue-Sat 9am-4pm
🎟️ Cost: From $26.95 for adults

ʻIolani Palace served as the royal residence from King Kamehameha II’s reign through to Queen Liliʻuokalani, Hawaiʻi’s last monarch. It remains a National Historic Landmark today.

After the overthrow, Queen Liliʻuokalani was imprisoned at ʻIolani Palace, which later housed the territorial capitol and served the U.S. military during World War II.

Today, visitors can explore the storied palace through guided tours, while the beautifully maintained grounds are open to the public, offering a glimpse into Hawaiʻi’s regal past.

3. Honolulu Museum of Art

A collection of 50,000 artworks spanning 5,000 years of history.

📍 900 South Beretania St, Honolulu
🕒 Open: Wed-Sun 10am-6pm (Fri until 9pm)
🎟️ Cost: From $25 for adults

Founded in the 1920s, the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA) houses over 50,000 pieces, featuring global works, Asian art and celebrated artists like Van Gogh and Monet.

HoMA showcases Hawaiian artists alongside global collections. Visitors can also enjoy the Doris Duke Theatre, screening independent, classic and international films year-round.

Savor lunch at the lovely al fresco café, browse the eclectic gift shop highlighting Pacific artists, join a docent-led tour, or unleash your creativity in a class or open studio.

4. Capital Modern

Hawaiʻi’s free hub showcasing contemporary public art.

📍 250 South Hotel St 2nd Floor, Honolulu
🕒 Open: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm
🎟️ Cost: Free admission

Capital Modern, formerly known as the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum, is a hidden opportunity to experience Hawaiʻi’s vibrant arts community. It’s housed in a 1928 Spanish mission-style building.

The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and stands as an architectural reminder of territorial Hawaiʻi. Galleries feature Hawaiian art and exhibitions by Hawaiʻi artists.

After exploring the museum, relax with lunch at the on-site café. Before departing, browse the gift shop filled with art and fashions made by local artisans.

5. Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site & Archives

Step into 19th-century Hawaiʻi and explore the daily life of missionaries.

📍 553 South King St, Honolulu
🕒 Open: Tue-Sat 10am-3pm
🎟️ Cost: From $10 for adults

Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site & Archives preserves the original mission led by American Christians from New England, with some of the oldest surviving buildings in Hawaiʻi.

Structures include a New England-style frame house and coral block homes, reflecting how missionaries adapted as they learned about Hawaiʻi’s culture, climate and building methods.

The museum holds artifacts, documents and records from the 1820-1860s, including an important collection on the introduction of literacy and Hawaiʻi’s first printing press.

6. King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center

Learn about Hawaiʻi’s legal history and the impact of its Supreme Court.

📍 417 South King St, Honolulu
🕒 Open: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm
🎟️ Cost: Free admission

The King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center, located on the first floor of Aliʻiōlani Hale, educates visitors about Hawaiʻi’s legal history from ancient times to today.

Aliʻiōlani Hale was commissioned by King Kamehameha V and completed in 1874, built as a courthouse and government building by Australian architects and skilled stone masons.

The Center offers self-guided and group tours, hosts exhibits, educational programs and stages re-enactment events that bring Hawaiʻi’s legal traditions and courtroom history to life.

7. Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum

Experience historic aircraft and heroic stories at a museum honoring aviation.

📍 319 Lexington Bld, Honolulu
🕒 Open: Daily 9am-5pm
🎟️ Cost: From $27.99 for adults

Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is located in World War II-era hangars on Ford Island, presenting artifacts that tell America’s story from Pearl Harbor to Midway and beyond.

The museum features indoor and outdoor exhibits, showcasing historic and modern aviation, space exploration and original aircraft from pivotal moments in aviation history.

The Fighter Ace 360 Flight Simulators are a highlight, offering ticketed experiences where visitors can take the controls, roll, spin and loop digitally through thrilling skies.

8. Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design

Discover Doris Duke’s oceanfront estate, a showcase of Islamic art and design.

📍 4055 Pāpū Circuit, Diamond Head
🕒 Open: Wed-Sun 9am-1:30pm
🎟️ Cost: From $25 for adults

Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, the former estate of heiress Doris Duke, is a spectacular residence perched along Diamond Head’s coastline.

Built in the 1930s, the home celebrates Muslim world artistry with textiles, ceramics, glasswork and carpentry, including commissioned pieces over 100 years old, collected by Doris.

Now a public museum, Shangri La is accessible by reservation through the Honolulu Museum of Art, offering visitors an intimate glimpse into Duke’s lifelong passion for Islamic art.

9. Queen Emma Summer Palace

Queen Emma’s peaceful mountain retreat, her summer residence from 1857 to 1885.

📍 2913 Pali Hwy, Honolulu
🕒 Open: Wed-Sat 10am-3:30pm
🎟️ Cost: From $14 for adults

Nestled in Nuʻuanu Valley, Queen Emma Summer Palace served as a serene retreat for Queen Emma from 1857 to 1885, offering respite from Honolulu’s heat.

Inside, visitors find a museum preserving royal artifacts, including Queen Emma’s personal belongings, providing insight into the daily life of Hawaiʻi’s monarchy during the 19th century.

Managed by the Daughters of Hawaiʻi, the palace and its lush gardens are open for self-guided and docent-led tours, showcasing Hawaiʻi’s rich royal heritage.

10. Hawaiʻi Army Museum

A former coastal battery in Waikīkī now presenting Hawaiʻi’s military history.

📍 2131 Kālia Rd, Waikīkī
🕒 Open: Tue-Sat 10am-5pm
🎟️ Cost: Free admission

Housed in the historic Battery Randolph at Fort DeRussy, the Hawaiʻi Army Museum showcases Hawaiʻi’s military history, from ancient Hawaiian warfare to modern conflicts in the Pacific.​

Exhibits include artifacts from World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars and the renowned 442nd Regimental Combat Team, highlighting the valor of Hawaiʻi’s soldiers.​

Admission is free (donations welcomed) and visitors can explore interactive displays, view military equipment and gain insights into the U.S. Army’s role in Hawaiʻi’s history.

11. Honolulu Police Department (HPD) Museum

Exploring the evolution of Hawaiʻi’s law enforcement through the decades.

📍 801 South Beretania St, Honolulu
🕒 Open: Mon-Fri 9am-3pm
🎟️ Cost: Free admission

Located on the ground floor of HPD headquarters, the Honolulu Police Department Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into over 150 years of law enforcement history in Hawaiʻi.

Exhibits showcase vintage badges, uniforms, a handmade 1965 pistol and the bullwhip of famed HPD detective Chang Apana, the real-life inspiration for fictional detective Charlie Chan.

The museum welcomes walk-ins with free admission on weekdays and offers guided group tours by reservation, giving visitors a deeper look into Hawaiʻi’s policing legacy.

12. Hawaiʻi Plantation Village

Get a firsthand look at daily life on Hawaiʻi’s historic sugar plantations.

📍 94-695 Waipahu St, Waipahu
🕒 Open: Mon-Sat 9am-2pm
🎟️ Cost: From $17 for adults

Located in Central Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Plantation Village is an open-air museum showcasing the diverse cultures and daily experiences of plantation workers from 1850 to 1950.

The village includes over 25 restored and replica structures — homes, communal buildings and gardens — representing the Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and other immigrant communities.

Docent-led tours share rich stories and historical context, offering visitors a deeper appreciation for Hawaiʻi’s plantation era and its enduring influence on the islands today.

In summary, a day exploring Oʻahu’s museums offers a meaningful connection to the island’s history, culture and art — adding a learning element to your visit.