Bishop Musuem Hawaiian Hall set to reopen on time

June 29th, 2009

The Bishop Museum’s Hawaiian Hall is scheduled to reopen August 8 after nearly 3 years and $21 million dollars for renovations.  This was the first building built at the Museum and Victorian architecture has earned it a place on the National register of historic places. It was built in three phases from 1889 to 1903, using lava stone that was quarried on the site of the museum’s Kalihi campus. The building itself is more than a hundred years old and needed renovation.  Teams of workers have pulled out the koa-trimmed cabinets and are restoring them, bringing historic iron railings and supports back to their original, unpainted condition.

The exhibits have been redesigned in the hall to reflect the Hawaiian culture and will be divided into three parts in the tradition of Kanoa which means many layers  and corresponds to the three floors of the building.  On the first floor the theme is water and will look back at the importance religion played to the Hawaiian people. The second floor is devoted to Hawaiian lands and will feature video presentations about where Hawaiians worked. Hawaiian Kapuna tell first-hand stories about how practices and traditions were carried out. The third floor is devoted to the mountain relm and  shares the rich history of Hawaii’s Alii’ (royalty) and Chiefs. Here, you’ll experience Hawaiian chants and stories which are in Hawaiian but also translated into English.

The heart of the exhibit will remain which is the many artifacts and favorites that many people come to expect when they visit the Bishop Museum. You’ll see the famous red and yellow feather capes, Outrigger canoes, and the grass houses from the early 1800’s.

Admission for adults is $16: $13 for children.  The museum is open daily except Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Posted by: AlohaBruce

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Entry Filed under: Oahu