Honolulu Museum of Art is Eye-popping -opens minds, eyes and imagination
Updated: Jul 12
HONOLULU MUSEUM OF ART OFFERS 50,000 WORKS SPANNING 5,000 YEARS, A WISE COLLECTOR'S GIFT THAT GREW
STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS
PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER
"The Carpe Diem Kids"
Editor's Note: This piece was reviewed and updated July, 2026
The Honolulu Museum of Art is one of Hawaii's cultural treasures, offering visitors a remarkable collection of artwork spanning thousands of years and diverse cultures.
Located just minutes from Waikiki, the museum blends Asian, European, American, African, and Pacific art within a series of beautiful open-air courtyards and galleries. Whether you're an avid art enthusiast or simply looking for a peaceful escape from the beaches and bustling streets, the Honolulu Museum of Art provides an enriching experience that showcases the artistic heritage of Hawaii and the world
A MUSEUM should draw the viewer in, stimulate the mind, recharge the brain and conjure thoughts of life in other cultures.
The splendid Honolulu Museum of Art does all that and more.
From the Bronze Age to contemporary times, including dozens of countries and cultures, this fascinating museum opens the eye to a world of change and creativity.
Founder Anna Rice Cooke had a vision. Born into a prominent missionary family in Oahu, she grew up in a home that nurtured an appreciation for the arts.
As a young woman in the 1880s, she began the collection that would become Hawaii's first visual arts museum, reflecting the islands' intriguing cultural mélange.
THE MUSEUM is a treasure trove of stunning art from around the globe.
Cooke's philanthropy encouraged other donors, as she might have hoped.
The museum's African art, for example, includes 230 unusual objects which began with a gift of textiles from Mrs. Charles R. Hyde in 1931. Since then, the African collection has grown to include impressive sculptures. O, mostly from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Other pieces include a terra cotta kneeling figure from the 5th Century BC culture of present-day Nigeria to a centuries later piece created in the 1800s, a beautiful carved wood female fertility figure from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
ANOTHER stand-out piece in this wide-ranging museum is a stunning "wearable art" work, "Lobster," of found organic materials.
Artist Noah Harders says he "reimagines" flora, fauna and found objects through his passion and "crazy progression in finding myself."
His Hawaiian ancestry and study at Chicago's famous Art Institute complement one another in his bold organic inspirations. The piece on this page uses flowers, leaves, molted crustacean shells, and fishbones, an intriguing work of art.
THE MUSEUM promotes beauty, harmony, learning, self-awareness, and connection with nature, with its continent-spanning holdings in Asian art, American and European painting and decorative arts. Add to that 19th- and 20th-century art, an extensive collection of works on paper, Asian textiles, and revolving installations such as a lyrical display of leaves and blossoms by Rebecca Louise Law of Britain.
ALL THIS beauty stems from the generosity and curiosity of Cooke and her daughter Alice Spalding, who by the 1920s were cataloguing and researching dozens of art pieces. They obtained a charter for the museum from the Territory of Hawaii in 1922 and the family donated their Beretania Street land and $25,000 for the museum's 500 works.
Their home was torn down to make way for the building whose unique design is the creation of New York architect
Bertram Goodhue. He used natural light and Hawaii's temperate climate as his inspiration. When Goodhue died before the project was completed, his colleague Hardie Phillip finished the job. Over the years, the museum’s architectural style grew, incorporating Hawaiian, Chinese, and Spanish influences. This appealing blend has been imitated in many buildings throughout the state.
Mrs. Cooke's desire was “That our children of many nationalities and races, born far from the centers of art, may receive an intimation of their own cultural legacy." She wanted people of all persuasions "to wake to the ideals embodied in the arts of their neighbors."
In a lovely statement delivered at the museum's dedication on April 8, of 1927, she expressed her hope "that Hawaiians, Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos, Northern Europeans, South Europeans, and all other people living here... would perceive a foundation on which a new culture, enriched by all the old strains may be built..."
The museum also offers workshops, school tours and many other outreach programs to involve and educate the community.
MORE INFO or to book tickets:
We recommend a fun way to get there, the "hop on and off" Waikiki Trolley:
UP NEXT: Whales are a passion for both of us -- writer and photographer of this weekly endeavor. One of our most exciting whale watching adventures is in Depoe Bay, Oregon, where resident humpback whales spend a few months frolicking and enjoying the beautiful warm waters.
We whale-watched four days with one of the country's best guides, and report back next week. Meanwhile, remember to explore, learn and live --always respecting nature -- and checking out our weekly blogs on travel, nature, the arts, family and more at: www.whereiscookie.com
Just spent the day here as was drawn by your story. Wonderful place in a unique city bridging East and West.