Friendly staff and tons to see. The grounds and are well-kept and walkable. You'll learn a lot…read moreabout Hawaiian history and the Pacific region. There's rotating exhibits in the Castle Memorial Building. When I take the kids, I go to the Science Adventure Center to see the volcano simulation. I would spend about 3-4 hours at the museum. If you need to rest, there's benches and water refill stations across the property. The only cafe on-site is Tutu's Place by Highway Inn. The food is good (consistent with Highway Inn quality). It does get packed though, so plan your dining accordingly.

Museum entry was complimentary courtesy of our hotel. We knew about it the last time we visited the…read moreislands, but didn't have time to make it over to the museum. It's a great place to learn about Hawaiian history and the culture. It also wasn't very crowded and a good way to seek refuge from the sun. I would recommend the planetarium shows (additional charge of $3/person). We spent about 3 hours here including the planetarium show.

The Capitol Modern Art Museum on Richards Street in Honolulu is an amazing experience! Best of all,…read moreit's free to attend and offers a wonderful mix of art, music, dancing, and community. I enjoyed exploring the art exhibits and seeing the creativity of local artists. There were also vendors selling local products, jewelry, hats, clothing, and other unique items. If you'd like, you can also grab a drink or food while enjoying the event. The museum hosts special First Friday events every month, creating a fun and vibrant atmosphere where people can gather, socialize, and appreciate art and culture. For convenient parking, I recommend the Aliʻi Place parking garage, where parking is very affordable. It's a great way to spend an evening in downtown Honolulu, whether you're a local or a visitor.

Capital Modern, Hawaii State Art Museum is a beautiful museum located downtown Honolulu surrounded…read moreby historical and modern buildings. Old and new Honolulu come together in this location. The grounds are scenic and lovely, really nice area to stroll and enjoy some of Hawaiian history and art. Lots of street parking and free parking after 6pm. I usually go on First Friday which is always a blast, they always have different local entertainment throughout the evening and sometimes the place really gets rocking from the music. The nice thing, kids are welcome as well so the whole family can attend. On the second floor there is two galleries that house the different art and artists. The wood floors are beautiful. Every month there is a different theme and the art work is rotated so it never gets old. Also on the second floor are different vendors that are selling food products or locally made products for sale. They also have beer and wine available for sale. The staff are great and very helpful. If you have a bag, the security outside the gallery will check it for you as well as any waterbottles. Admission is free but donations are accepted and really appreciated. Come check this place out, you won't be disappointed.

Historical building with beautiful architecture and a spacious garden. It was closed today so we…read moreweren't able to enter. This is the Royal palace for King Kamehameha and other royals until 1893. This is an easy walk from the piers if you are on a cruise. The Monkey Pod trees are huge and spacious. The grounds are well kept.

Palace Fact: The U.S. has exactly one official royal palace and it's Iolani Palace!…read more Cue me and my impeccable timing. We popped by ʻIolani Palace on a Saturday, fully unaware that they close at 4:00 PM. And yes, we just missed them. Pain. Tragedy. A royal-level fumble. We had wandered over after visiting the statue of King Kamehameha I across the street, so at least the vibe was still immaculate. Even from the outside, the palace is stunning, grand, elegant, and carrying that quiet weight of history that makes you instinctively lower your voice a little. Shoutout to Nadine C. for dropping the knowledge that this is the only royal palace in the United States. Let that sink in. Not a mansion. Not a "former estate." A palace palace. A little context moment because it makes standing there hit different: This was the royal residence of Hawaiian monarchs starting with Kamehameha III in 1845, and later home to Queen Liliʻuokalani, who was ultimately overthrown and even imprisoned here in 1893. It's also the second palace built on this site, which somehow makes it feel even more layered, like history stacked on history. Today, it's a designated National Historic Landmark and honestly? I'm a little mad at myself for not planning better because I know the inside tour is going to be incredible. Guess I'll just have to come back and do it properly. Next time, we check the website and respect the hours. Lesson learned.

What do I want to do on my birthday? Let's go take a walk in the park!…read more With the hustle and bustle of the holiday weekend and events here and there, I wanted somewhere less crowded and quiet. Foster Botanical Garden came to mind. I haven't been here for a very long time! The entrance is located along Vineyard Blvd. - westbound, right after the Kuan Yin Temple. There's plenty of free parking. Out of all the City and County botanical gardens, this is the only one with admission, but it's well worth the price - $5 for adults, $3 for Hawai'i Residents, $1 Children 6-12 (so, 13+ are adults?), and free for kids 5 and under. There is a free docent-led 90-minute tour at 10:30am - every Monday and Wednesday to Saturday - anyone can join. Walk-ins okay if there's space, or make reservations via email or phone. Before heading in, you can grab a map and a bird checklist. The garden itself is very well kept and quite spacious. There are two restrooms - one on the left and another on the right. They were quite clean! All areas, trees, and plants are clearly marked. Be on the lookout for the "exceptional trees" such as the Baobab, which looks like elephant legs; Cannonball Tree, Kapok, and etc. The Orchid Collection in the greenhouse has a nice variety with the infamous Corpse Flower. Overall, a very nice, well-maintained place to visit and worth the admission fee. Even though you're in town, next to the freeway and busy streets around, you still feel a sense of relaxation and calm while connecting with nature and admiring the vast collection of trees and plants. I wouldn't mind getting the annual pass for $25 just to take my lunch here!

Was still open at the end of the year and New Year's Eve which was lovely for a holiday stroll :)…read moreWas kinda busy which was nice because usually when we got it's kinda empty. People want to come during the holidays :D

Called 4/3/2026 3:50pm. Closed. Spoke to owner. This business is closed. He said this business has…read morebeen closed for a while now. No plans to reopen.

ONE HOUR LIVE THEATER WORKSHOP FOR KIDS 4-12 with ACTIVE AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION $14.95…read more I'll be honest, I don't really know how to write this review because I don't know how to describe what exactly is going on here. BUT "The Rhelm" opened two months ago and is only here for a limited time and if your kids have seen everything on Oahu already, this is something DIFFERENT. It's not like a discovery center. It's not a museum. It's not a playground. You basically walk into a day in the life of the town of Wentrus. (See www.therhelm.com for more details) *cue the imagination music* The town of Wentrus got burned down by a dragon. The town needs help rebuilding. As soon as you ("the traveller") arrive, the villagers will take you to their various workshops where you can earn stamps on your passport when you do good deeds. Weaving and tinkering are just a few of the good deeds that my kids got to experience. HOURS: Fri 6-9pm, Sat 9a-9pm, Sun 9a-6pm. You can come whenever you want during these hours, they put a colored dot on your card so they will announce when your one-hour time limit is up. It goes by pretty quickly. LOCATION: Aloha Tower Marketplace, ground floor, across Gordon Birsch. I think they're only here til the end of September but I'm not even sure about that. PRICE: $14.95 for one hour. Other party packages are available too (ie $250 for 15 kids for a 2hr private party). PARKING: not validated. $5 flat rate (weekdays after 4pm, weekend days) *cue the reality music* So all the pictures I posted are in the square footage of one store, so this place is not really that big. Do NOT bring babies, toddlers, strollers (see age recommendation 4-12yrs), because there isn't room for all of that and it won't make sense to them anyway. Just bring your imagination and creative spirit and your kids will have a great time.

"Abstraction allows man to see with his mind what he cannot see physically with his eyes…read more.. Abstract art enables the artist to perceive beyond the tangible, to extract the infinite out of the finite. It is the emancipation of the mind. It is an exploration into unknown areas." - Arshile Gorky After recent visits to the Hawai'i State Art Museum and Honolulu Museum of Art, we were inspired to visit this art museum. This Contemporary Museum at the First Hawaiian Center is an extension of the Honolulu Museum of Art. It features the work by artists of Hawai'i who use a variety of media and displays can be found in the bank's lobby and second floor mezzanine. Exhibits and artistic works are routinely rotated. The museum isn't very large and usually has enough space to feature 3 artists at a time. I can't express how the different artwork affected my senses and emotions as everyone will have their own impression(s). You may or may not feel or see what I have seen or what the artist was trying to express. However, when you come to the First Hawaiian Center, you'll also be impressed with the architecture. The former CEO and Chairman of First Hawaiian Bank, Walter A. Dods, Jr, is responsible for completing and opening Hawai'i's tallest building. Distinctive architectural features bring in as much natural sunlight as possible, views from its mountain-side use vertically-proportioned windows and ocean-facing views can be seen through horizontally framed windows that capture the sea and horizon. The building's shape resembles a knife as it "slashes through" its banking competition, Bank of Hawai'i. If you happen to be in Downtown Honolulu's Financial District, check out this museum. Explore and discover the unknown.

The Contemporary Museum is located inside the main branch of First Hawaiian Bank. It occupies…read moresections of the first and second floors. A person would need to take the stairs to get to the second floor. I'm unsure if the art gallery wing on the second floor can be accessed by the elevators...if they do then a person would have to pass the FHB workers in order to get to the gallery First Hawaiian Bank and Honolulu Museum of Art just had their 20th anniversary of partnership in 2016. Paintings and art sculptures on the two levels are part of the First Hawaiian Bank's art collections. Individuals are able to browse both levels for free. All art in the museum were done by individuals growing up in Hawaii or from transplanted former residents of the island. I recommend everyone to stop by the Contemporary Museum in the Downtown Honolulu location of First Hawaiian Bank. 10/100

Loved the tour, history and the house. It was amazing. But…read moreas someone who is regular weight and height, but struggling with infertility, to be asked by the docent whether I was pregnant, is hugely hurtful and shows lack of interpersonal interactions. Specially as she was a woman, or even it it were a man, that is unacceptable. I am not expecting. We are going through IVF. I thought everyone from a young age was asked not to ask that kind of question. I loved our visit, but now it's on a sour feeling. Would not recommend bc of conduct of the docent. Otherwise, it's spectacular

Perched high in the mountains of Makiki Heights and nestled in an oasis of eucalyptus trees and…read morelush tropical foliage sits the magnificent Liljestrand House. Getting there is quite the experience of hairpin turns and winding roads, but once you see the low sprawling home, your blood pressure will return to normal. With its Japanese aesthetic and simple clean lines, the home captures the ambience of country cabin meets mid-century modern innovation and convenience. Once occupied by the Lilijestrand family, today the House is a showpiece of architectural excellence best experienced on a small guided tour. We were lucky to have Lisa and Kim as our guides, regaling us with one fascinating story after another along with intimate peeks into the lives of the architect and the homeowners. The breathtaking views from every room in the house is as gasp-inducing as the artwork and amazing nooks and crannies. Betty Lilijestrand oversaw the construction and it's her foresight along with Ossipoff's brilliant design that makes one marvel at their genius. Remember to wear shoes that can be removed easily, and plan to do some walking and taking lots of photos. And ... I imagined if I lived here I wouldn't want to leave! A wonderful experience that I highly recommend! Enjoy!

Beautiful museum, self guided, no pressure on time. Amazing history. Parking lot is small go early…read moreto figure it out. Very enjoyable and peaceful.

Dropped by after hiking nearby to see if we could Tour Queen Emma's Summer Palace without…read morereservations. We paid for the self tour and entered the building. Read through the information so we could understand the different items we were viewing. Fascinating walk through Hawaii History and Queen Emma's own personal involvement . Some of the furniture is beautifully made with local wood. There were interesting gifts received from other rulers. There were beautiful feathered capes on display, which the handout how they were produced by only taking a few feathers from multiple birds and releasing without doing harm.