Happy Museum Day 2012!

Visiting a museum in Hawaii might not be at the top of your vacay to-do’s. Most would rather be enjoying the outdoors – snorkeling, surfing, hiking, anything but being stuck inside a building. While we can’t force you to peruse the local museums, we can suggest you keep an open mind while visiting and look for those off-the-beaten-path opportunities that present themselves every so often.

Like this one: Museum Day.

Today, Hawaii and the rest of the nation celebrate Museum Day, which basically means free admission for museums falling under the Smithsonian Institution. It’s opportunities like these that you shouldn’t pass up. Get your ticket for two at www.smithsonianmag.com.

Queen Emma Summer Palace in Honolulu.

Here are some museums in Hawaii that will have free admission today:

[OAHU]

• PACIFIC AVIATION MUSEUM • Park at Pearl Harbor Visitors Center and take shuttle • Opens 9am-5pm • 808-441-1000
• TROPICAL LIGHTNING MUSEUM • Schofiled Barracks, Waianae Avenue Building 361 • Opens 9am-5pm
• JAPANESE CULTURAL CENTER OF HAWAII • 2454 S. Beretania St., Honolulu • Opens 10am-4pm • 808-945-7633
• MISSION HOUSE HISTORIC SITE AND ARCHIVES • 553 S. King St., Honolulu • Opens 10am-4pm • 808-447-3910
• QUEEN EMMA SUMMER PALACE • 2913 Pali Hwy., Honolulu • Opens 9am-3pm • 808-595-3167
• IOLANI PALACE • 364 S. King St., Honolulu • Opens 9am-5pm • 808-522-0822

[MAUI]

• BAILEY HOUSE MUSEUM • 2375A Main St., Wailuku • Opens 10am-4pm • 808-224-3326

[KAUAI]

• GROVE FARM MUSEUM • 4050 Nawiliwili Rd., Lihue • Opens 10am-1pm • 808-245-3202

[BIG ISLAND]

• ANNA RANCH HERITAGE CENTER • 65-1480 Kawaihae Rd., Kamuela • Opens 10am-4pm • 808-885-4426