Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum

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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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Happy ! Bishop Museum's Ethnology Department helps care for some of the Museum's treasured cultural resources.This pāpa...
10/15/2026

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

This pāpale pua kō (sugarcane tassel hat) comes from the personal collections of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Like other 19th-century pāpale, it is a distinct fusion of western Victorian fashion and customary Hawaiian weaving.

Using a plaiting technique, the hatmaker stripped and braided pua kō (sugarcane tassel) stems and sewed them into shape. An openwork pattern was woven in the middle of the braid, creating a delicate design. The hatband — made of paper, pig bristle, and other materials — resembles wheat stalks.

Learn more about this pāpale 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.

Images: 05066. Photo by David Franzen, Bishop Museum Archives. Q 219636 and Q 219640.

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



Did you know the first automobiles to arrive in Hawaiʻi were electric?Cars are an everyday part of our 21st century live...
10/13/2026

Did you know the first automobiles to arrive in Hawaiʻi were electric?

Cars are an everyday part of our 21st century lives, but they’ve actually been in the Islands for nearly 125 years. Through photos in Bishop Museum’s Library & Archives collection, we can not only trace how the roles and appearances of cars have changed. More importantly, we can see stories around them highlighting people and places, and technologies of the times.

Explore some of these narratives on Mau ka Leo, our online storytelling space that documents, preserves, and shares the priceless knowledge and stories around Bishop Museum’s collections.

Find stories and images of transportation and automobiles in Hawaiʻi and other themes using the Keyword Search on Mau ka Leo at BishopMuseum.org/MauKaLeo!

Image: Line of electric cars in front of the Hawaiian Automobile Co. located on King Street near Punchbowl Street; Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Bishop Museum Archives. SA 126095.

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



Aloha Nūhou Monday! Dear Reader, one of the great values of nūpepa (Hawaiian newspapers) is not only the ability to read...
10/12/2026

Aloha Nūhou Monday! Dear Reader, one of the great values of nūpepa (Hawaiian newspapers) is not only the ability to read what Hawaiians said about their own people, culture, and land, but also what the rest of the world looked like, through their own eyes, in their own language. Access to nūpepa pages online, from anywhere in the world and at any time, allows us to retrace their footsteps.

Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox (Wilikoki), many years before he and Nowlein fought for their kingdom, was enrolled earlier in life in the Royal Military Academy in Torino (Turin), Italy. Wilikoki was one of the youths sent abroad by Kalākaua to be educated in faraway lands, so that they may return and bring what they learned back home to serve their nation.

One of our He Aupuni Palapala team members recently “tread upon the famed earth recounted millions of times,” just as Wilikoki had, almost a century and a half ago. Rome was seen twice, once with the eyes, and again through accounts in the nūpepa. One of these accounts is the first half of Wilikoki’s article about his travels through Rome, a place he calls Ke Kūlanakauhale Kamahaʻo (The Wondrous City).

Read our blog and the rest of today’s story, plus view images of original newspapers at: blog.bishopmuseum.org/nupepa. “He Aupuni Palapala: Preserving and Digitizing the Hawaiian Language Newspapers” is an ambitious, multi-year collaboration between Bishop Museum and Awaiaulu, with contributions from Kamehameha Schools.

Image 1: Robert W. Wilcox photographed by Michele Schemboche; Piazza Castello 25, Turin (Torino), Italy, ca. February 1882, Bishop Museum Archives, SP 46044.

Image 2: Information printed on the back of the Wilcox carte-de-visite, ca. February 1882. Handwritten information by various individuals. Bishop Museum Archives, SP 46044-verso.

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




Do you have a passion for sharing stories about the natural and cultural history of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific? Join our ʻo...
10/11/2026

Do you have a passion for sharing stories about the natural and cultural history of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific? Join our ʻohana of Bishop Museum Volunteers!

The Winter 2026 Education Docent Volunteer Program trains members of our community to engage with visitors, local families, and Museum members through the extraordinary natural and cultural history of Hawaiʻi and the broader Pacific region. Training sessions will include lectures, workshops, activities, and assignments to introduce cultural and scientific content as well as Museum front-of-house and visitor interaction protocol.

Winter 2026 Education Docent Training
Oct. 29 – Nov. 21, 2026
Thursdays 5-8p and Saturdays 9a - noon

To apply, visit https://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/ap?AP=1818509481. When applying, please select “Education Docent Program 2024” under the “Assignment Preference” dropdown menu.

We’re so thankful to all of our docents and volunteers who honor Pauahi and her vision of education and sharing knowledge with our community.

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



Happy Year of Coastal Kuleana! Our coasts connect mauka to makai, and Hawaiʻi has more than 1,000 miles of coastline wit...
10/10/2026

Happy Year of Coastal Kuleana! Our coasts connect mauka to makai, and Hawaiʻi has more than 1,000 miles of coastline with an incredible variety of habitats, including wetlands, beaches, nearshore ocean waters, and offshore islets. They provide us with food and places to gather and enjoy.

Today, we’re looking at the ʻaukuʻu!

Also known as black-crowned night heron, ʻaukuʻu are native to Hawai‘i, but aren’t endemic which they’re found elsewhere in the world. They have a black crown and upper back, and a narrow band above their bill that extends over their red eyes. Unlike their mainland cousins, they are active both at night and during the day.

‘Auku‘u sometimes use tools to catch their prey, an extremely rare behavior in the avian world. They create fishing lures with bread, insects, twigs, or other objects, dropping them on the surface of the water to entice small fish. They live in a wide variety of wetland habitats including mountain streams, lowland ponds and estuaries, as well as urban waterways like golf course ponds!

Learn more about our Vertebrate Zoology collections at BishopMuseum.org/Vertebrate-Zoology.

Photo 1 by Alex Want.
Photo 2 by Joshua Atwood, DLNR.
Artwork by Malia Heimuli.



Save the date — On Nov. 7, 2026, celebrate the life, work, and enduring legacy of Mary Kawena Pukui, a foundational pill...
10/09/2026

Save the date — On Nov. 7, 2026, celebrate the life, work, and enduring legacy of Mary Kawena Pukui, a foundational pillar of Hawaiian knowledge and cultural revitalization.

In this special program presented in partnership with the Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society, experience an evening inspired by the hula and mele presentations Mrs. Pukui organized in Hawaiian Hall during her tenure at Bishop Museum and throughout Hawaiʻi paeʻāina.

This will be a rare coming together of kumu hula, archival presentation, and intergenerational ʻike. Join us for this truly special evening honoring Mrs. Pukui’s contributions to ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, moʻolelo, hula, mele, and the perpetuation of ʻike kupuna.

Nānā I Ke Kumu: He Hoʻoilina Ola Ka Hula, Presented by Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority

The Living Hula Legacy of Mary Kawena Pukui Through Archival Film, Audio, Photographs, and Hula (1930–1945)

Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026
6–8 p.m. (Doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
Location: Bishop Museum Great Lawn

$25 General Admission, FREE for ages 13 and under. Bishop Museum Members receive a 50% discount.

Learn more and register at BishopMuseum.org/nana-i-ke-kumu-he-ho%CA%BBoilina-ola-ka-hula.

This program is generously supported by Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority and the Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society.

Image: Mary Kawena Pukui (center) and her daughters Patience Wiggin (left) and Pele Pukui (right); Honolulu, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, ca. 1938. Bishop Museum Archives. SP 126331.

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.In the ea...
10/08/2026

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

In the early days of Hawaiʻi's sugar industry, Native Hawaiian artists demonstrated their resourcefulness by creating pāpale (hats) from kō or sugarcane materials. Several examples of such hats can be found in the personal collections of Bishop Museum's namesake, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop.

This pāpale ʻie (plaited hat) is made of pua kō (sugarcane tassel) — that is, the flowering part of the kō plant. To construct the hat, the maker stripped the pua kō stem, plaited it into a long braid, and sewed it into the desired shape.

The large hatband, also plaited with pua kō, features a multicolored pattern. It was made separately from the pāpale and attached to the crown after its completion.

Learn more about this pāpale 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.

Images: 05072. Photos by David Franzen, Bishop Museum Archives. Q 219659 and Q 219663.

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



Gather with us and the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana on Oct. 22, 2026 for Maʻa: Establishing our Pilina to Kanaloa, the seco...
10/08/2026

Gather with us and the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana on Oct. 22, 2026 for Maʻa: Establishing our Pilina to Kanaloa, the second of a series of presentations commemorating 50 years of Aloha ʻĀina.

This installment in our commemorative series turns to Maʻa — becoming familiar, practiced, and grounded in relationships. Our featured panelists will share how repeated, intentional engagement with Kanaloa cultivates a grounded, generational commitment to stewardship and balance. Together, they consider how service becomes a way of being — one that restores connection, strengthens community, and aligns us with the forces that sustain life.

The evening’s panel includes CJ Elizares, Momi Wheeler, Anela Evans, and will be moderated by Arianne Chock.

Maʻa: Establishing our Pilina to Kanaloa
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026 | 6-8p
Location: Hawaiian Hall

Free Admission

Learn more and register at BishopMuseum.org/PKO.

Mahalo nui loa to our sponsors Atherton Family Foundation, Hawaiian Airlines, and Kamehameha Schools Kaiāulu.

Image: A hui prepares to plant and hoʻōla the ʻāina of Kohemālamalama. Photo by Momi Wheeler.

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



Don’t miss out — Our “Aloha Bricks ‘26” exhibition is on view through October 11!Perfect for the whole ʻohana, our newes...
10/07/2026

Don’t miss out — Our “Aloha Bricks ‘26” exhibition is on view through October 11!

Perfect for the whole ʻohana, our newest exhibition, “Aloha Bricks ‘26: Stories of Hawaiʻi,” highlights the people, places, plants, animals, and stories that shape our islands through the vibrant and imaginative lens of bricks.

Tour incredible 3D builds of iconic local landmarks created by the Hawaii Lego Users Group (HILUG), explore 2D mosaics of native species researched by our Natural Science teams, and then build your own creations in the Free Play Zone, surrounded by the Middle School Mascot Mosaic Gallery.

And if you’re on campus on October 10, take part in hands-on workshops led by local architects to learn how our natural world informs building design!

Learn more at BishopMuseum.org/Bricks.

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)

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



The Kamehameha Girls’ School moved to their new campus on Kapālama Heights in September 1931. Its original location was ...
10/06/2026

The Kamehameha Girls’ School moved to their new campus on Kapālama Heights in September 1931. Its original location was across King Street from the present Farrington High School.

With the growth of Honolulu, Kalihi had become increasingly urbanized, street traffic had increased, and the school’s buildings were in need of repair. The Girls’ School moved to Kapālama Heights in 1931, the Boys’ School followed in 1940, and coeducation was introduced in 1966.

Read the full story and view additional photos on Mau ka Leo at BishopMuseum.org/MauKaLeo.

Mau ka Leo is our online storytelling space that documents, preserves, and shares the priceless knowledge and stories around Bishop Museum’s collections. Many of these stories come from our most valuable resource, our very own staff.

“A New Campus for Kamehameha Girls’ School” was written by the Bishop Museum Library & Archives team.

Photo: Kamehameha School girls; Kalihi, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. ca. 1890s. Photo by Hadley. Bishop Museum Archives. SCP 118844.

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



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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