September sees part one of a series of programs presented in partnership with the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the landing of the Kahoʻolawe Nine in 1976. The first talk story session on Sept. 24, 2026, corresponds with the opening of a new installation in Hawaiian Hall, Kanaloa ka Laʻa o Kohemālamalama: Unconquerable is the Divinity of Kohemālamalama. Also in September, learn about our precious Hawaiian land snails with live music, hula, puppetry, presentations, and activities at Celebrate Kāhuli Day.

• On view Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026 | Installation

Kanaloa ka Laʻa o Kohemālamalama: Unconquerable is the Divinity of Kohemālamalama
Hawaiian Hall (3rd floor Treasure Case)

Included with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

Kanaloa Ka Laʻa o Kohemālamalama: Unconquerable is the Divinity of Kohemālamalama commemorates 50 years of ceremonial practice by the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana on Kohemālamalama o Kanaloa, the island of Kahoʻolawe. The installation draws from the island’s long history as a place of religious and ceremonial practice, bringing together historical objects and archival materials from Bishop Museum’s collections with contemporary ceremonial objects and photographs. These materials highlight the continuity of ceremony on Kahoʻolawe and the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana’s role in carrying these traditions forward. The installation reflects on the importance of ceremony as part of the ongoing care and restoration of Kahoʻolawe, connecting generations of practitioners and reaffirming relationships between people, place, and the sacred.

• Ongoing | Exhibition
  Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice
  M. Long Gallery

  Included with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

  Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice is a powerful exhibition featuring the work of Nālani Kanakaʻole (1946-2026), Sig Zane, and Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane — a Hilo-based family of artists whose creative practices are deeply rooted in hula ʻaihaʻa.

  As dedicated members of Hālau o Kekuhi in Keaukaha, Hawaiʻi, their work across visual and performing arts is continually charged and sustained by hula. From Nālani Kanakaʻole’s art direction and choreography to Sig Zane’s photography and textile design, and Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane’s graphic design and immersive installations, each artist channels ‘ike (knowledge) carried through generations.

  Bringing together new and existing works alongside botanical specimens and cultural treasures from Bishop Museum’s collections, Ea Mai ʻEiwa weaves together themes of migration, community resilience, and environmental stewardship.

  Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice is presented with the generous support of Hawaiian Airlines, First Hawaiian Bank, Matson, Mellon Foundation, Servco Pacific Inc., Min Plastics, OUTRIGGER Resorts & Hotels, and Shibby Stylee.

• Ongoing | Exhibition
  Aloha Bricks ’26: Stories of Hawaiʻi
  Castle Memorial Building

  Included with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

  Aloha Bricks ’26: Stories of Hawaiʻi shares a look at our islands through the vivid and creative presentation of bricks! Engaging for the whole family, this new exhibition is a celebration of the people, places, plants, animals, and stories that shape Hawaiʻi.

  Created in partnership with the Hawaii LEGO® Users Group (HILUG), Aloha Bricks ’26 features jaw-dropping, detailed builds, from beloved landmarks to native species and legendary tales. In addition, guests can explore the Middle School Mascot Mosaic Gallery representing 50 schools statewide; 2D mosaics inspired by the flora and fauna researched by Museum scientists; a massive 10-foot wave made entirely of bricks; and, the Free Play Zone that invite visitors of all ages to tap into their imaginations and build.

  Aloha Bricks ’26: Stories of Hawaiʻi is presented with support from Hawaiian Telcom, First Insurance Company of Hawaii, Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts, Pasha Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines, and AIA Hawaii.

• Ongoing | Exhibit
  Wayfinders: He Waʻa He Moku, He Moku He Waʻa, We Are One and the Same
  Jabulka Pavilion Rotunda (J. Watumull Planetarium lobby)

  Wayfinders: He Waʻa He Moku, He Moku He Waʻa, We Are One and the Same celebrates the resurgence of wayfinding across Hawaiʻi and the wider Moananuiākea. This exhibit showcases the growing family of voyaging canoes and crew members, reflecting on environmental and cultural stewardship for future generations. Meet inspirational leaders in the Hall of Teachers interactive by Arizona State University, and practice using kūkuluokalani, the Hawaiian star compass, and nā lālani hōkū, the four Hawaiian star lines, to navigate.

• On view through Sept. 21, 2026 | Installation
  Mary Kawena Pukui: Knowledge is Life
  Hawaiian Hall (3rd floor Treasure Case)

  Included with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

  Mary Kawena Pukui: Knowledge is Life celebrates the work and enduring legacy of Mary Kawena Pukui, honoring her many teachers and recognizing Pukui as the leading source of Hawaiian language and cultural study today. This installation acknowledges Pukui’s ties to her own sources of knowledge, and how these teachings prepared her for her role as a kumu hula, composer, writer, researcher, and expert English-Hawaiian translator.

• Ongoing | Exhibit
  Lele o Nā Manu: The Splendor and Loss of Hawaiʻi’s Birds
  Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center

  Included with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

  Lele o Nā Manu: The Splendor and Loss of Hawaiʻi’s Birds features 47 exquisite carvings of endemic manu nahele by master craftsman, Haruo Uchiyama. The complete set of historically known Hawaiian honeycreepers are displayed atop an original mural painted by local artist, Patrick Ching. The exhibit also includes a mural by Dr. Julian Hume depicting prehistoric Kīpahulu Valley, Maui; fossils of extinct Hawaiian bird species; and an interactive game.

• Ongoing | Exhibit
  ʻElala ʻAʻaʻā o Hawaiʻi: Cave Bugs of Hawaiʻi
  Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center

  Included with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

  Explore ʻaʻaʻā (lava tube) with ʻElala ʻAʻaʻā o Hawaiʻi: Cave Bugs of Hawaiʻi, featuring an updated lava tube “caving” experience that highlights Hawaiian underground biodiversity, the scientific process of finding and naming new species, as well as a collaboration with members of Papahānaumokuākea Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group Nomenclature Hui to develop Hawaiian names for species found only in Hawaiian lava tubes.

• Ongoing | Exhibit
  Ke Kai Pōwehiwehi: The Twilight Zone
  Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center

  Included with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

  Ke Kai Pōwehiwehi: The Twilight Zone showcases the rich biodiversity in our islands’ coral reefs, presented as two distinct sections: shallow sunlit reef systems and deeper mesophotic coral reefs.

On the ground level of the Science Adventure Center, the exhibit features the shallow sunlit reef systems that most of us are familiar with, highlighting some of the native corals that make up our reefs in Hawaiʻi.

The lower, second level of the exhibit highlights the deeper and less familiar mesophotic coral reefs, often referred to as the “twilight zone” of the ocean, where light barely penetrates. Deep sea fish and other mysterious creatures are represented here, giving guests a close-up look into the darker environment being explored by Bishop Museum scientists.

• Ongoing | Installations
  Campus Murals
  Throughout the Museum campus.

  Included with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

  Bishop Museum’s outdoor murals provide an immersive art experience that bridges traditional culture, creative expression, and indigenous perspectives. The initial round of murals was completed in 2021 in conjunction with the special exhibit POW! WOW! The First Decade: From Hawaiʻi to the World, and was expanded in May 2023 during the Hawaiʻi Walls Mural Festival in Kalihi. The additional murals were inspired by the Kalihi community, local histories, and Bishop Museum’s cultural and scientific collections and resources.

• Thursdays–Tuesdays
  Planetarium Shows
  Watumull Planetarium

  $3 with General Admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

  Join us in the J. Watumull Planetarium to connect with the environment and people of the Pacific region, the expanse of our universe, and the stories we pass on from generation to generation.

  2026 Early Fall Planetarium Shows:
  – “The Hawaiian Sky Tonight”
  – “Wayfinders: Waves, Winds, and Stars”
  – “Ocean Paradise”

• September 2026 Sky Map | Online Resource (also attached to this release)

  Free downloads for personal use.

  You and your ʻohana can try your hand at backyard astronomy! The monthly Sky Maps from our J. Watumull Planetarium show the sky above Hawaiʻi from about 8-10 p.m. HST. Hold the Sky Map above your head to align all four directions and discover which stars and constellations are visible this month.

• Weekdays, 10:10 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Program
  Hawaiian Garden Tour
  Nā Ulu o Kaiwiʻula Native Hawaiian Garden and throughout the Museum campus

  This program is coordinated and presented in Japanese. Limited capacity. Pre-registration three days prior is required. $60 for General Admission. Museum Members receive a 10% discount.

  Leisurely explore the grounds of Bishop Museum with our Asia Pacific Educators and learn about the plants of Hawaiʻi! These tours are open to all Japanese-language speakers and include a hands-on kukui lei making workshop.

• Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Program
  Lā Kūleʻa: ʻAuana
  Hawaiian Hall and Pākī 2

  This program is coordinated and presented in Japanese. Limited capacity. Pre-registration two days prior is required. $120 for General Admission. Museum Members receive a 10% discount.

  Lā Kūleʻa: ʻAuana provides guests with a multi-faceted experience at the Museum. Open to all Japanese-language speakers, this culture program includes a hula ʻauana (contemporary hula) experience, a private guided tour of Hawaiian Hall with an Asia Pacific Educator, as well as a hands-on ti leaf lei-making workshop.

• Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, 5-9 p.m. | Public Program
  Museum After Hours
  Campuswide

  $10 pre-sale, $15 at the door for General Admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

  Discover Bishop Museum in a whole new light! Once a month, Bishop Museum opens its 15‑acre campus after sunset, inviting kamaʻāina and visitors to explore Hawaiʻi’s rich cultural and natural heritage in a vibrant evening setting.

  • Explore the Museum’s Signature Galleries.
  • Enjoy shows in our J. Watumull Planetarium and our newest exhibitions in the Castle Memorial Building and J. M. Long Gallery.
  • Support Hawaiʻi businesses at the Kaiwiʻula Night Market, an expansion of our on-campus marketplace with an even greater selection of local food, drink, and dessert vendors, along with local artisans and craft makers.

Come explore, learn, shop, and support local at Museum After Hours!

Museum After Hours programming is generously supported by Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Telcom, and Waiākea.

• Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, 3-4 p.m. and 4-5 p.m. | Public Program
  Saturdays at the Seed Bank: Hawaiʻi Plant Propagation Workshop
  Seed Bank Lānai

  Included with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

  This hands-on workshop with Protect & Preserve Hawaiʻi explores the incredible world of Hawaiʻi’s native plants. Designed for teens, this interactive experience will teach participants how to identify native species, discover why they’re essential to healthy ecosystems, and practice plant propagation techniques to grow their own. Put your new knowledge to the test in a fun interactive game, then take home a native plant you propagated yourself!

  This workshop is part of Bishop Museum’s ʻāina-based community experiences, educating and connecting the public with our ʻāina in the Museum’s open air learning spaces.

• Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, 10-11 a.m. | Public Program
  Kanikapila ma Kaiwiʻula
  Bowman Hālau Waʻa

  Included with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

  E hoʻokani pila kākou! Join members of the ʻUkulele Guild of Hawaiʻi in our Nā Ulu o Kaiwiʻula Native Hawaiian Garden. Bring your ʻukulele or borrow one. Learn new techniques, share moʻolelo, or just enjoy the music as ʻUkulele Guild of Hawaiʻi leads guests through selections from “He Mele Aloha: A Hawaiian Songbook.”

• Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Program
  Lā Kūleʻa: ʻAuana
  Hawaiian Hall and Pākī 2

  This program is coordinated and presented in Japanese. Limited capacity. Pre-registration two days prior is required. $120 for General Admission. Museum Members receive a 10% discount.

  Lā Kūleʻa: ʻAuana provides guests with a multi-faceted experience at the Museum. Open to all Japanese-language speakers, this culture program includes a hula ʻauana (contemporary hula) experience, a private guided tour of Hawaiian Hall with an Asia Pacific Educator, as well as a hands-on ti leaf lei-making workshop.

• Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, 6:15-7:15 p.m. and 7:30-8:30 p.m. | Event
  The Stars Tonight: Trivia Dome
  Watumull Planetarium

  Capacity is limited, and registration is required. $10 General Adult, $7 General Youth. Children 3 and under are free but will be expected to share a seat with an adult or guardian. 50% discount for Bishop Museum Members.

  Come study the stars, travel across the Earth and into our solar system, and share stories with us in our J. Watumull Planetarium! For June’s program, the Trivia Dome returns with astronomy-focused quiz questions. Come by yourself, bring a teammate, or invite your stiffest competition along. Stargazing on the Great Lawn with the Hawaiian Astronomical Society after each show, weather permitting.

• Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, 6-8 p.m. | Public Programming
  Laʻa: Consecration of Aloha ʻĀina in ʻAha
  Hawaiian Hall

  Free Admission

  In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the landing of the Kahoʻolawe Nine, Bishop Museum is honored to partner with the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana for a series of programs this fall.

  This opening talk story session, Laʻa, explores the sacred acted of consecration — how aloha ʻāina is grounded in ceremony, intention, and responsibility. Reflecting on the courageous 1976 landing ot Kūheʻeia, presenters will share how Kahoʻolawe continues to teach us what it means to hold ʻāina as sacred and to stand in principled relationship with it.

  You’re invited to join us as we begin this three-part series guided by the ʻōlelo noʻeau, “Laʻa, Maʻa, Paʻa.”

• Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Public Program
  Kāhuli Celebration Day
  Hawaiian Hall Complex

  Free with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.

  We celebrate kāhuli, our precious Hawaiian land snails, with a day of live music, hula, puppetry, educational presentations, and activity booths in Hawaiian Hall Complex. Kāhuli Celebration Day is a great opportunity for guests of all ages to engage with the researchers, conservationists, educators, and artists who “mālama pū i ka ʻāina” as a community.

  Throughout the day, musicians will present “The Kāhuli,” a musical movement for violin, bass, and harp that raises awareness for endangered Hawaiian land snails, in collaboration with puppeteers and guest artists.

  Kāhuli Celebration Day is presented in collaboration with Ocean Music Action, and is supported by KS Kaiāulu.

Looking past September, Bishop Museum is also excited to preview the following upcoming exhibits and public programs in 2026:

• 22, 2026 | Maʻa: Establishing Our Pilina to Kanaloa
• 7, 2026 | Nānā I Ke Kumu 2026, Presented by Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority
• 12, 2026 | Paʻa: Kanaloa kānaka i Kanaloa: Ea aʻe ka ʻOhana
• 13, 2026 | 50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina concert and festival: Laʻa, Maʻa, Paʻa!

Bishop Museum also holds Daily Programs for all guests, as well as in-person J. Watumull Planetarium shows. Its Signature Galleries include Hawaiian Hall, Pacific Hall, Picture Gallery, Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kāhili Room, Nā Ulu o Kaiwiʻula Native Hawaiian Garden, Kamālaʻulahiwa ʻOhana Learning Space, Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center, and Campus Murals. For more information, please visit BishopMuseum.org.