Bishop Museum’s Annual Online Fundraising Auction, E Ulu A PA’A is now open for bidding!
Register and bid now through August 28, at 8 pm HST.

About Us

Bishop Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in honor of his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last descendant of the royal Kamehameha family. The Museum was established to house the extensive collection of Hawaiian objects and royal family heirlooms of the Princess, and has expanded to include millions of objects, documents and photographs about Hawai‘i and other Pacific island cultures.

Mr. Bishop built the magnificent Polynesian and Hawaiian Halls on the grounds of the original Kamehameha Schools for Boys. The Museum and School shared the Kapālama campus until 1940 when a new larger school complex was opened nearby on Kapālama Heights.

Today, Bishop Museum is the largest museum in the state and the premier natural and cultural history institution in the Pacific, recognized throughout the world for its cultural collections, research projects, consulting services and public educational programs. It also has one of the largest natural history specimen collections in the world. Serving and representing the interests of Native Hawaiians is a primary purpose of the Museum.

an old photo of a man and a woman.

State Museum of Natural and Cultural History of Hawaiʻi

State Museum of Natural and Cultural History of Hawaiʻi

As the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, we are honored to be designated as the State Museum of Natural and Cultural History of Hawaiʻi, a recognition that underscores our deep commitment to preserving and showcasing the rich heritage of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region. This esteemed designation, established by Act 398 of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, affirms our role as a vital repository of artifacts and a center for educational research and cultural exchange. It not only celebrates our past contributions but also sets the path for our future endeavors in serving both our local community and scholars from around the globe. Our mission, guided by this legislative support, continues to inspire us to bring the history and culture of Hawaiʻi to life for all who visit.

Mission: Bishop Museum inspires our community and visitors through the exploration, celebration, and perpetuation of the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

Strategic Vision: From 2016-2026, the Bishop Museum will champion a decade of strategic transformation, vigorously re-energizing and re-investing in its mission to inspire our community and visitors through the exploration and celebration of the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

Board Of Directors

Community Volunteer

Vice President of Community Partnerships
& Public Affairs, Hawaii Community Foundation

Professor of Anthropology, University of Hawaii, Manoa
& Professor Emeritus of Anthropology,  University of California, Berkeley

Chief Financial Officer,
Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Accounting Office

CPA and Retired Managing Director
Deloitte & Touche LLP

President & Chief Executive Officer

Vice President and General Counsel,
Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Legal Office

Executive Assistant,
Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum’s President’s Office

Managing Director
Deloitte & Touche LLP

Chancellor
University of Hawaii – West Oahu

Provost
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

Vice President for Resiliency Harold K.L. Castle Foundation
Community Volunteer

Instructor
Shidler College of Business

Executive Director
City & County of Honolulu
Office of Housing & Homelessness

Retired
Former Science Professor at Windward Community College

Executive Vice President, Mortgage Banking Division Manager

President
Kualoa Ranch

President
A&B Properties, Inc.

Founding Partner
Pitluck, Kido & Aipa, LLP

Hui Nohona Manager for Administration
Partners In Development Foundation

Kyo-ya Management Company, Ltd.
Vice President of Real Estate & Development

Retired
Former President, Director and CEO, National Tropical Garden

Director Emeritus

Richard L. Humphreys

Bishop Museum Association Council

The Bishop Museum Association Council (BMAC) is a volunteer group dedicated to supporting membership activities at Bishop Museum. These activities are primarily focused on the growth and retention of membership at the Museum. For example, the BMAC specifically coordinates content for programs like Traditions of the Pacific and science talks. To learn more about the BMAC or how you can get involved, please contact the Membership Department at membership@bishopmuseum.org or 808.847.8296.

Kathy Suter, President
Nancy Lueck, 1st Vice Chair
Pua Sterling , 2nd Vice Chair
Coochie Cayan, Secretary
Monte McComber, Treasurer

COUNCIL MEMBERS

David AsanumaRowena BlaisdellMike Buck
Dylan ChingJan ElliottMarylou H. FoleyToni Han PalermoEmily HawkinsElaine (Muffet) JourdaneJalene Kanani Hitzeman
Leland MiyanoRandall MonaghanMaria E. OrrLloyd Sing
Margo VitarelliVictoria Wichman 

Be a Part of Our Story

Celebrate the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific with a gift to Bishop Museum. As a partner in the Museum’s work, you can help to sustain vital collections, research, and knowledge, and inspire exploration and discovery with a tax-deductible donation.

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OPEN DAILY 9 AM – 5 PM

1525 BERNICE STREET
HONOLULU, HAWAI’I 96817

OPEN DAILY 9 AM – 5 PM

1525 BERNICE STREET
HONOLULU, HAWAI’I 96817

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