Museums, Galleries, Libraries and Archives

Honolulu is fortunate in that it has a number of fine museums, libraries and archives. In addition to the Honolulu Academy of Arts, there is the Bishop Museum a museum of tremendous importance for Hawaiian history and natural sciences. Named by Charles Reed Bishop in honor of his late wife Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the museum has an incredible collection of material relating to Hawaiian history and the Pacific Region. The main Museum building is an important architectural landmark in Honolulu dating from 1889.

The Contemporary Museum in Makiki Heights exhibits contemporary art in an historic structure and setting with a view of Honolulu and the Pacific. Quite possibly one of the most beautiful contemporary museums in the world the museum will be having an exhibit on contemporary art in Korea during the conference called Crossings '03 Korea/Hawai'i.

The Mission Houses Museum in downtown Honolulu are the original structures inhabited by the first missionaries and include a printing press used when the Hawaiian language was transcribed into a written language by the missionaries and the first generation of literate Hawaiians. It also houses an important library and archive for Hawaiian history. Nearby is the Kawaiaha'o Church, the first Christian church in Hawai'i built of coral blocks between 1836 and 1842. adjacent is the graveyard containing the graves of many of the missionaries and their families and important members of the Hawaiian Royal family.

The 'Iolani Palace nearby was built by King Kalakaua and Queen Kapi'olani as a royal residence for the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1882. It functioned as a royal palace until a coup led by American business interests in 1893 overthrew the Hawaiian Kingdom and the subsequent annexation as an American Trust Territory. For many years the Palace served as the seat of government for subsequent Hawaiian governments including the military government in place after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Displays of material from the Bishop Museum originally belonging to the Royal Family can be seen in the first floor of the palace.

For those interested in archival collections and libraries, the Hawai'i State Archives houses more than 12,000 linear feet of documents on Hawaiian history. The Hawaiian Historical Society publishes a journal and maintains a library and a useful web site. Hamilton Library at the University of Hawai'i is the home of the Library and Information Science program at the university and a fine university research library with strong holdings on Hawaii, the Pacific and Asia. For those interested in the archaeology of the Hawaiian islands, the web site for the Society for Hawaiian Archaeology will prove interesting with its online newsletter.