Membership
Become a Bishop Museum Member!
Members support Bishop Museum in our mission to care for our collections, engage in meaningful research, and make our work accessible. In return, Bishop Museum Members enjoy an array of benefits including free general admission, discounts on select public programs, and exclusive invitations.
Membership Department
808.847.8296
membership@bishopmuseum.org
Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
General Membership
ALL General Membership Benefits include:
- Free general admission and parking during normal operating hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Sunday
- Free daytime tickets and discounts on evening shows at the J. Watumull Planetarium
- Free or discounted admission to special exhibits, events, and programs including Bishop Museum After Hours
- Invitations to see-it-first Member Previews
- Subscription to Ka ‘Elele, the Museum’s print journal and e-newsletter
- 20% discount on Bishop Museum Press titles online
- 10% discount at the Bishop Museum Café by Highway Inn and Shop Pacifica
Student $35 Fully tax-deductible
For one high school or college student (16-26 years), with valid student ID
- Includes ALL General Membership Benefits
Senior $65 Fully Tax Deductible
For one adult 65 or over, plus an additional member OR guest*
- Includes ALL General Membership Benefits
*Naming or removing an additional member is limited to once a year at the time of purchase or renewal
Friend $70 Fully Tax Deductible
For one adult
- Includes ALL General Membership Benefits
Dual/Family $120 Fully Tax Deductible
For up to two named adults*, plus up to six children under the age of 18**
- Includes ALL General Membership Benefits
*Naming or removing a second member is limited to once a year at the time of purchase or renewal
**Children must be accompanied by a card-carrying member to receive membership benefits
Patron $160 BEST VALUE – Fully Tax Deductible
For one adult and an additional named member OR guest*, plus up to six children under the age of 18**
- Includes ALL General Membership Benefits
- Free general admission during normal operating hours for two additional guests per visit per membership when accompanied by the member.
- Free or discounted admission to select traveling exhibits.
*Naming or removing a second member is limited to once a year at the time of purchase or renewal. Any guest taking the place of a second named member must be accompanied by a card-carrying member to receive membership benefits.
**Children must be accompanied by a card-carrying member to receive membership benefits
Benefactor $250 $220 est. tax-deductible ($30 est. non-tax-deductible)
For one adult and an additional named member OR guest*, plus up to six children under the age of 18**
- Includes ALL General Membership Benefits
- Invitations to private exhibit receptions and previews
- Two One Day Passes for use during general admission hours (does not require guest to be accompanied by the member) ($50 value)
- 10% off facility rental at the Museum (up to a $400 value)
- Free general admission during normal operating hours for two additional guests per visit per membership when accompanied by the member.
- Free or discounted admission to select traveling exhibits.
*Naming or removing a second member is limited to once a year at the time of purchase or renewal. Any guest taking the place of a second named member must be accompanied by a card-carrying member to receive membership benefits.
**Children must be accompanied by a card-carrying member to receive membership benefits
Visionary $500 $470 est. tax-deductible ($30 est. non-tax-deductible)
For one adult and an additional named member OR guest*, plus up to six children under the age of 18**
- Includes ALL General Membership Benefits
- Invitations to private exhibit receptions and previews
- Four One Day Passes for use during general admission hours (does not require guest to be accompanied by the member) ($100 value)
- 10% off facility rental at the Museum (up to a $400 value)
- Invitation for two to attend A Night Behind the Scenes, an annual Museum expert guided collections tour
- Free general admission during normal operating hours for two additional guests per visit per membership when accompanied by the member.
- Free or discounted admission to select traveling exhibits.
*Naming or removing a second member is limited to once a year at the time of purchase or renewal. Any guest taking the place of a second named member must be accompanied by a card-carrying member to receive membership benefits.
**Children must be accompanied by a card-carrying member to receive membership benefits
Stewardship Circles
ALL Stewardship Circle Membership Benefits include:
- Free general admission and parking during normal operating hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Sunday
- Free general admission during normal operating hours for two additional guests per visit per membership when accompanied by member
- Free daytime tickets and discounts on evening shows at the J. Watumull Planetarium
- Free or discounted admission to special exhibits, events, and programs including Bishop Museum After Hours
- Invitations to see-it-first Member Previews
- Subscription to Ka ‘Elele, the Museum’s print journal and e-newsletter
- 20% discount on Bishop Museum Press titles online
- 10% discount at the Bishop Museum Café by Highway Inn and Shop Pacifica
- Invitations to private exhibit receptions and previews
Explorer Circle $1,000 $750 est. tax-deductible ($250 est. non-tax-deductible)
For one adult and an additional member OR guest*, plus up to six children under the age of 18**
- Includes ALL Stewardship Circle Membership Benefits
- Six one-time daily admission guest passes to the Museum ($150 value)
- 10% off facility rental at the Museum (up to a $400 value)
- Invitation for two to attend A Night Behind the Scenes, an annual Museum expert guided collections tour
- Invitation for two to attend the annual Chairman’s Reception
*Naming or removing an additional member is limited to once a year at the time of purchase or renewal
**Children must be accompanied by a card-carrying member to receive membership benefits
Preservation Circle $2,500 $2,150 est. tax-deductible ($350 est. non-tax-deductible)
For one adult and an additional member OR guest*, plus up to six children under the age of 18**
- Includes ALL Stewardship Circle Membership Benefits
- Eight one-time daily admission guest passes to the Museum ($200 value)
- 10% off facility rental at the Museum (up to a $400 value)
- Invitations for two to attend A Night Behind the Scenes, an annual Museum expert guided collections tour
- Invitations for two to attend the annual Chairman’s Reception
- Invitations for two to attend An Evening with DeSoto Brown, an annual gathering to discuss treasures from our Library & Archives
*Naming or removing an additional member is limited to once a year at the time of purchase or renewal
**Children must be accompanied by a card-carrying member to receive membership benefits
Charles Reed Bishop Circle $5,000 $4,440 est. tax-deductible ($560 est. non-tax-deductible)
For one adult and an additional member OR guest*, plus up to six children under the age of 18**
- Includes ALL Stewardship Circle Membership Benefits
- Eight one-time daily admission guest passes to the Museum ($200 value)
- 10% off facility rental at the Museum (up to a $400 value)
- Invitations for two to attend A Night Behind the Scenes, an annual Museum expert guided collections tour
- Invitations for two to attend the annual Chairman’s Reception
- Invitations for two to attend An Evening with DeSoto Brown, an annual gathering to discuss treasures from our Library & Archives
- One complimentary gift Patron level membership ($160 value)
- Opportunity to schedule a private docent-guided tour of one gallery of your choice for up to eight guests
*Naming or removing an additional member is limited to once a year at the time of purchase or renewal
**Children must be accompanied by a card-carrying member to receive membership benefits
Pauahi Circle $10,000 $9,340 est. tax-deductible ($660 est. non-tax-deductible)
For one adult and an additional member OR guest*, plus up to six children under the age of 18**
- Includes ALL Stewardship Circle Membership Benefits
- Eight one-time daily admission guest passes to the Museum ($200 value)
- 10% off facility rental at the Museum (up to a $400 value)
- Invitations for two to attend A Night Behind the Scenes, an annual Museum expert guided collections tour
- Invitations for two to attend the annual Chairman’s Reception
- Invitations for two to attend An Evening with DeSoto Brown, an annual gathering to discuss treasures from our Library & Archives
- One complimentary gift Patron level membership ($160 value)
- Opportunity to schedule a private docent-guided tour of one gallery of your choice for up to eight guests
- Opportunity to schedule a private Museum expert-guided collections tour for up to eight guests
*Naming or removing an additional member is limited to once a year at the time of purchase or renewal
**Children must be accompanied by a card-carrying member to receive membership benefits
Membership Policies
- Members must present their photo ID and membership card for Museum admission.
- Bishop Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Membership dues are considered a charitable donation and are fully or partially tax-deductible. Therefore, Bishop Museum memberships and benefits are non-refundable and non-transferable.
- “Free guest” benefits associated with Patron, Benefactor, Visionary, and Stewardship Circle members are limited to admission to Bishop Museum during normal operating hours unless otherwise noted. Special events and programs require guests of members to pay the general admission/registration rate unless otherwise noted.
- Please display your parking sticker on the lower corner of the driver’s side of the front windshield. A $5 fee will be incurred for replacement parking stickers.
- Student, Senior, Friend, and Dual/Family members receive a discount on special exhibit fees, while these fees are waived for Patron, Benefactor, Visionary, and Stewardship Circle members. Guests of Patron, Benefactor, Visionary, and Stewardship Circle members who are eligible for free admission may still be required to pay any special exhibit fees at the discounted member rate. Special exhibit fees may vary by exhibit.
- Naming or removing an additional member is limited to once a year at the time of purchase or renewal.
- Children must be accompanied by a card-carrying member to receive membership benefits. Children accompanied by an adult or caregiver that does not have a membership on file will be charged applicable admission rates.
- Members must have an email on file and be registered on our site and be logged in in order to receive membership discounts for online transactions. If you did not opt in to “register for site” during your initial membership transaction, please register at bishopmuseum.org/register. Any applicable membership discounts will be displayed on the final check out page. If you are unsure of what email we have on file or whether or not if you have registered on our site, please contact the Membership Team at membership@bishopmuseum.org.
Membership FAQ
Yes! General admission fees can be applied towards any membership level within seven days of the initial visit. Unfortunately, this offer cannot be redeemed online. Please bring your original order receipt to the Admissions Desk.
Please allow 7-10 business days for your welcome package to arrive to your primary mailing address via the United States Postal Service. If you have not received your cards within two weeks, please contact the Membership Department at 808.847.8296 or membership@bishopmuseum.org.
Each named adult within the membership receives a digital membership card. An email with the link to your digital membership cards is sent as soon as your transaction is completed. Student and Friend members receive one parking sticker, and all other membership levels receive two if there is a second named adult on the membership. If your parking sticker is lost or damaged, you can request a replacement parking sticker at the Admission Desk for a $5.00 fee.
Please display your parking sticker on the lower corner of the driver’s side of the front windshield.
To access all your member benefits, and to renew your membership, you will need to register your membership on our website. To register and create an account login, click here. Please fill in the primary member’s contact information. The email provided when initially creating your membership will become your username. Remember to write down your password so you don’t forget it! Once you’ve completed online registration, you will need to sign into your membership account any time you want to renew or gift a membership, or reserve event tickets online. This will ensure that your membership transactions are correctly processed, and any member discounts are applied to your order. Please note that any membership discounts associated with your purchase will not be applied until the final check out screen.
Some traveling and other special exhibits at Bishop Museum require an additional fee for entrance from both members and general admission, including guests of members. Fees may vary by exhibit. Student, Senior, Friend, and Dual/Family members receive a discount on special exhibit fees, while these fees are waived for Patron, Benefactor, Visionary, and Stewardship Circle members. Guests of Patron, Benefactor, Visionary, and Stewardship Circle members who are eligible for free admission are still required to pay any special exhibit fees at the discounted member rate.
Bishop Museum welcomes gifts of stock. To facilitate a smooth transaction, please contact the Development Department at 808.848.4188.
Children must be accompanied by a card-carrying member to receive membership benefits. Children accompanied by an adult or caregiver that does not have a membership on file will be charged applicable admission rates. If you have an adult or caregiver that you would like to accompany children to Bishop Museum, we recommend that you list that adult or caregiver as the second named member within your membership. Naming or removing a second member is limited to once a year at the time of purchase or renewal.
Donor Advised Funds and Qualified Charitable Distributions from your IRA can only be used to pay for fully-tax deductible levels of membership (up to Patron level), or if all benefits are waived for membership (Benefactor level and above). IRS rules prohibit bifurcation, meaning DAFs and QCDs cannot be combined with other forms of payment to purchase membership that includes non-tax-deductible benefits. For questions, please contact the Development Department at 808.848.4188 or email development@bishopmuseum.org.
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.
