Reviews of Honolulu Museum of Art (Museum)

Hapa Kama‘aina

I was genuinely impressed by the exhibits. You wouldn't think you'd have such a diverse collection in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but alas, you do. And the place is so much bigger than it looks like from the outside. You could easily spend a few hours here perusing the art. Stop by the cafe too for a nice bite to eat/something to nosh on.

J. David Riechert

Awesome. I don't know why I didn't get a yearly membership sooner. They've got tons of events, a cafe worth eating at, and art worth looking at... Overall, an amazing place to spend a day or so a month.

Isis Comma

Very beautiful place to learn about all Asian cultures! Definitely bring headphones because the play absolutely no music. For me it was a little awkward hearing every persons cough and whisper. No food or drink as always, but they have a cute courtyard with a cafe for rest. A must see!

Jo LeBlanc

Great way to spend the afternoon!

nerd_roast 808

This art museum was the best one I ever went to. I loved the art their and learning about hip hop cause I love to rap

Dionne Berry

I enjoy myself every time I visit and the annual membership is definitely worth it. The restaurant also has a great menu and service is great.

Kashmira G

Beautiful museum. Love the collection and the architecture. Cafe has yummy food. Parking is metered street parking.

Louise Hellyer

Excellent displays. There is a book club and seminar room. Lecture was good.

Silvia Barzola

Nice place to go with family and friends. Lots of things to do.

Marge Moore

The dining area is nice, but I quess I expected buffet. Food ok, service was great.

Jaimee Molloy

I have loving memories of going to many their exhibits growing up at the Honolulu Museum of Arts. They especially have amazing & relivent content/activities to interest kids!

M Liu

Wonderful place to lose yourself in. The café serves really good food too.

Reid Kagemoto

A wonderful place to spend the day. History and culture eminate from the walls. Art from all over the world and various centuries, there's something for everyone. Top all that off with a theater, bookstore and cafe. Like I said, a wonderful place to spend the day.

Karen Taylor

I've gone here all my life...it's an amazing Museum. Focus of Asian Art is excellent, but it also has a Eureapean art collection. How fortunate was I; it is a quality collection. ,

Koki Mashita

Great museum with great guides! Can be a little busy. Has a great cafe inside which the prices are quite reasonable. Extremely recommended.

Elizabeth Snyder

We come monthly for family day for the past 3 years and now that we have a membership we come more often. I come with my kids and my oldest enjoys learning about the new art especially when it is similar with what she is learning in intro to Art. The employees volunteers have always been very kind and helpful,the gallerys and bathrooms are always well kept. If you have kids definitely come for Family Day( the 3rd Sunday of each month) it is so much fun for kids of all ages to make and learn about art. The theater shows great films as well!

Michelle Covey

I would love to come here more often, but I'm annoyed because I am a member and every time I go to the "Art After Dark" they are "at capacity" or are not letting any more members in for some other reason. So glad that I bought the membership. It's a smaller art museum, but it has enough of a collection, it is worth the visit. The Hawaiian art collection is nice.

Rei Fukuzawa

Nice place with lot a great cool art

Matthew Harper

Always interesting temporary exhibitions, most with a Hawaii connection, and incredible permanent collection. I love seeing which Japanese woodblock prints from their huge collection are on display each particular visit.

Gary Baumoel

Always a delight even though there is nowhere to park (unless you're a bus)

ai shoji

This place is amazing! It has a lot of art works from all over the world. There weren't many people here so I could take time to actually look at pieces.

Camden Mullenaux

I was sent here by a professor for academic research for my first visit. I arrived in a bad mood but left with a humbling sense of awe and inspiration. Art can change a person and this museum is full of priceless wonders from nearly every corner of the world. I now visit every chance I get.

Emily McKenzie

Fantastic art!! Really great museum, the layout is very nice and I love the open air concept of the place. The free bus to the Spaulding House wasn't running because a dump truck was in the way. Normal inconveniences of city life.

Traci Rosario

This is a quaint but wonderful museum. All of the pieces are beautiful. The museum's architecture is quite calming, with how how everything flows.

Courtney Kong

Super nice artifacts and paintings. Every third sunday is free thanks to Bank of Hawaii. Such a great day to take advantage of.

vtcycles LLC

1st Wednesdays is free for locals! Can't beat that. Nice a/c too!

jordan campbell

Upon arriving I was underwhelmed by the seemingly small building and not expecting much. I was totally wrong. It was packed with lovely exhibits and beautiful courtyards plus a large shop and a cafe. The exhibits contained your standard paintings but always had a few surprises sprinkled in which were cleverly inserted to fit the theme of the room while remaining a refreshing juxtaposition to the rest of the pieces. Often these would be pieces by a hawiian artist who had a modern take on the style or a series of sculptures in a room of portraits. I happened to go on the first Wednesday of the month which turned out to be free for kama'aina guests. They are also free to everyone the 3rd Sunday of the month.

Regular Consumer

It's good, but too small for the price.

Bill Wise

Pleasantly surprised. Didn't know Honolulu had such a nice collection.

Masaya I

Their collection is good, and the building also garden are beautiful!

Paul Cassinetto

Nice museum!

Amy Colbaugh

AWSOME place to learn about history from all of the world, this is my second trip there, and I'm planning two more , because there is lots to see, and I don't want to rush and miss a thing ! I truly love this place and it's awsome staff was incredible! !!! Got to go and experience the aesome pictures, paintings, and artifacts, don't miss out !!!!

Shannon Amiot

Super awesome place to go during the day if you want to go check out some beautiful artwork collections. The museum can get a little wild at the “art after dark” events, but it can be a fun time if you don’t mind crowds.

Frances Holland

The museum was our first stop before our tour of the Shangri La house so we walked around some of the exhibits. A lot of great pieces, statues, carvings, pottery, and more. It doesn't take long to walk from room to room. I'm not sure you can spend more then a few hours here unless you are a die hard or specifically interested in something they have on display so check with them to see what is on display. The facility is nice, clean and well kept and worth a look for sure.

Lani Wren

It's been a minute since I've stopped here but I've always enjoyed coming to this place. The art after dark events are so much fun but also just stopping by to see the exhibits are fun. Parking is a little difficult but worth it. Also, if you are curious about something just ask, they are always very helpful.

Richard LaRue

The Honolulu Museum of Art is considered a small museum, but I was surprised by how deep it’s collection is. Definitely one of the best things to do in Honolulu.

Vee Dimant

This was part of our GoCard attractions. What a lovely museum, learnt a lot about the history of hawaii and saw amazing art works and sculputres from around the world. Only takes a hour or two to get around the place and check everything out. Has areas for food if you get hungry.

Marina K

I always love this little but so beautiful museum. This year first time I went for Hollowing Party. What a great idea! See the art and have fun!

Christina

Worst museum I have ever visited. Shangri La Tour told us how we COULD NOT go to their tour. Socially exclusive.

Giovanni Gaudino

Beautiful with an excellent presentation of the art masterpiece. Nice and interesting bookshop. Very good restaurant with excellent service.

Palm Rice Itomura

Very nice, and very clean facilities. Went to "chickenskin" ghost stories here with my mother and uncle. Fantastic!

John Sung

Great art and lots of history within these walls. A must visit for all lovers of history and art.

Geoffry Spangler

I love this museum with all my heart. The exhibits don't change as often as I'd like, but I still come here at least three times a year. This is my happy place, and I love to share it with my friends that are visiting. I do find it strange that there isn't a larger collection dedicated to representing the art of Hawai‘i, which is something I urge the Museum to change soon.

Greg Knickel

Very nice museum. I stopped in to eat lunch at the museum's cafe and decided to look at the exhibits afterwards. The food was good and the art is interesting. A few of the exhibits were a little underrepresented but the museum is a good place to spend the hot hours of the day.

Tomomi Nakashima

Li Huayi's exhibition is there now. There are great scrolls that take you to the different world.

stacie manning-Godfrey

Lots of great art, especially the Asian area. Samurai swords, jade figurines, and potion bottles. Very cool.

Joyce Guieb

Lots of photo opportunities....but no safe wheelchair access to the 2nd floor.

Guy Caldwell

Great place to see.

Foxley Andrews

A great place for culture. Especially showcasing of local artistry.

Felicity Halo

Beautiful Museum, helpful staff member. I look forward to seeing more art when I visit again. Mahalo

Hannah T

So fun and interesting, loved exploring the cultures

Jessica Sepulveda

This place is worth the stop if you are an art lover. Learn about oceanic artwork from the past, as well as Hawaii’s modern artists showcasing their talents. Cafe is available to eat a bite, and staff is friendly. You will have to check in your bags and backpacks, but it’s free!

Nikolaos Drakopoulos

Fantastic museum. A must see. The building is amazing. It represents the Hawaiian art and how diverse it is. The cafe restaurant serves amazing food and the service is top notch. Try to go the earliest you can cause it gets busy after 1.

David Sampson

Extensive collection, well worth the visit

Claudia Hall

Had a great time will t return when I have visitors they will like many point's of interest I did.

Chris Townsend

Great place to spend a couple hours in peace and quiet, reflection, art. Nice collection of national, international, and local exhibits. Wonderful cafe to refresh and hangout. Worth the trip anytime.

Maria McDonald

Lovely place to visit, great selection of art to view. The masks were particularly good!

Cagney Lopez

I really enjoyed wondering around the museum. There is so much to see! The parking close by is metered with a 2 hour max. In 2 hours I only made it about halfway through the whole museum. So if you really like to appreciate art then be prepared to go move your car after 2 hours. There is a nice gift shop and a cafe that appeared to have a nice food selection- definitely smelled good!

Andre M Payne

Get place to learn about Art

Frank Candia

Visited the museum in conjunction with a tour to Shangri La. What a great day and a nice way to get a break from the beaches... If you need one! Nicely set up large courtyards and open areas that connect with different galleries show casing lots of Polynesian art. The cafe made my friend a lavender late and their barristas actually make the lavender syrup! Also a beautiful gift shop to visit with unique items. Free parking half of block away for museum visitors. Free parking in Honolulu is next to impossible to find.

Connie G. Ruggirello

Wonderful museum! Lots to see and great collections. Wonderful Café! Delicious food! Beautiful place to hangout, read, sip some tea or coffee and enjoy the court yards. Great place don't miss it!

Jeffry Lynch

A great place. Excellent

Keahe Davis

Great location and exhibits

Steven Gonzales

Much bigger than it looks. Worth a visit.

Johnathon Kraska

I've been here a number of times and still haven't seen it all. The Art After Dark the last Friday of every month is really a great time to view the exhibits and mingle a bit. The exhibits are well put together and the building's architecture is a work of art in itself. Friendly staff will help show you around and describe the art to see here. The cafe offers hot coffee and other beverages so you can sit and relax if you would like. I will be coming back here for sure to see the rest of what they have to offer.

Ann Y

Lovely museum in the center of a busy location that offers the perfect and peaceful escape

kgannet29

Beautiful works of art. Field trip friendly. Accommodating.

Johanka Sonorasky

Beautiful collections of art from different parts of the world. My favourite has been Japanese and art from Hawaii. Nice concise descriptions of artists and the story behind individual pieces. Nicely designed building with five beautiful courtyards to sit and relax, each one of different theme. Nicely located next to thomas square where i could wait as museum had special event at the time (state visit of prince and princess of Japan). Would enjoy glass of wine if they have in cafe (reataurant has been closed for visitor).

Kenneth Wayne Hill

They had a sign that it's free this Sunday at 10 a.m. family day enjoyed.

Cain Kamano

Family friendly museum, with awesome art and a very responsive staff... Honolulu Museum of Art for the WIN!

Josh Keller

Very nice collection. Curated very well.

Francis De Castro

Great location. The cafe is located in the center courtyard of the museum with fresh air and a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. I suggest the salmon. Also, service was amazing.

Jason Jestice

Great collection in a beautiful setting. Doris Duke. theater shows an array of great films foreign, art house, retrospectives,

Kihale Chamberlin

Very vibrant location, excellent destination for Art appreciation ! Excellent work of Art is there in the form of a scroll of a thousand Geese in various positions that may have invested more than 40-50 hours OF pleasant scrutiny; on a visit to Honolulu, during a rainy day or a Too warm day tourists can invest much time in various ways; including excellent food in the café

Denise Modglin

Really a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon. The collection is far more extensive than I had expected, which means I need to go back soon. Oh, and the restaurant was very impressive. Excellent food AND service!

Daniel White

I arrived in a bad mood but left with a humbling sense of awe and inspiration. Art can change a person and this museum is full of priceless wonders from nearly every corner of the world. I now visit every chance I get.

Caleb Bell

Was a nice museum, didn't look around a hole lot because the bus to Shangri-La arrived shortly after we did (our fault for not being early). I wasn't a huge fan of the gift shop, nothing really stood out but that may just be me. Hope you enjoy are! PS. If you get the chance, definitely do the Shangri-La tour!!! Really cool experience and a chance to see art dating as far back as 1200 Persia (or something like that).

Gullu Singh

Bollywood film festival is bonkers great. Despite being relatively unknown, this is a world class museum. A hidden gem, especially for Asian art.

Terrieann Dean

Outstanding Asset for Honolulu - wonderful exhibits and shows i.e. Lisa Reihana - Emissories

Burrow Den

Multiple buildings. Large inside despite appearance. A wide range of works and even famous artists (Monet) in the middle of Pacific Ocean. Layout can be confusing, but plenty of air conditional inside galleries. Free bag check. No flash photography or videography.

Roy Apana

Went there for Mothers Day lunch. Great cafe with delicious menu filled with salads, sandwiches, entrees, deserts, and drinks. I enjoyed the special mahimahi locomoco, longboard, and breadpudding. I haven't been there since I was a little boy and like what I'm seeing today. Will come back again.

Nani Chang

Art After Dark at the Honolulu Museum of Art is so much fun!

RobertoCruz45

Incredible, you should go if you have the opportunity. Feel like I should elaborate about this "incredible" comment. Let me start with not only do they have incredible portraits, pictures and sculptures. Also have an excellent movie selection and offered twice out of the month free admission.

Linda P.

Always well curated and worth a visit. Beautiful building and a very serene inner courtyard

Mae Fukushima

A lovely place to have lunch as well as appreciate fine works of art.

Yasmin Khan

Stunningly beautiful, a relaxing break from sun and crowds. Top notch art from around the world, from the Philippines to New Mexico to India. One of my new favorite museums.

kenneth mcintosh

I love the museum and art after dark bit the last time I went with a date these 2 gentlemen signaled out me and my date telling is that it was full but they weren't making a formal announcement to the rest of the people in line. We watched from a far for a bit and they seemed to be singeling out all the less than attractive people and letting the better looking people stay in line. Ugly people have feelings too! So how about turning everyone away when an event is full and not just us eyesores?

ryan ramiro

My family and I go every third Sunday for their free admission day. There are activities for the kids because they hand out a sheet to explore around all the different art galleries they have there. You have to checkout their Hawaii gallery. It will surprise the everyone even the locals.

Cody Judd

This place was very nice. I had been there years ago for a school field trip and the exhibits are much different. It's very peaceful and there is alot to admire. It was the first time for my son to see it and he really enjoyed it.

Steve Ostlund

You need to see how many different types of art there is in this Museum. Do people create art!!!!! Through there own experiences? Is it through our tragedys? The amount of admission was 20$ Then the sky is the limit the second you see the coffee shop. I had a very tasty Mocha triple shots of course. The moment I entered the Museum of amazing culture and works of art I met the very friendly and helpful staff I've ever had the privilege to meet. No visitor will ever leave the Museum without getting all their questions answered and of course a very helpful map. I still managed to get lost on The way out. I took 32 photos of the museum 1 in every exhibit. If your in the area and want to caught up in our Unique culture differences this is a must see.

Kimo Kuoha

Was a great time

John Takeuchi

We had a wonderful time at the museum. The Sunday crafts are lots and lots of fun for the kids. So glad we went today. :)

Kathy Price

Lovely gift shop and wonderful staff and cafe. Had a delicious lunch. Beautiful art.

Sandy Gottesman

We went for the flower show. It was a visual feast. We know many of the award winners and were happy to see their hard work and talent recognized an honored. We went to the last two and we look forward to going to the next one, too

S. Sanayei

Great place to spend a rainy day. It more like a world heritage museum than one dedicated to hawaiian and polynasian culture.

Shanelle

Beautiful art

Mark Charles

Lots to see. Cafe had great food, too.

cloudia charters

Outstanding collection of Asian and Western art. Well worth a long after noon. Great architecture, space, sense of place.

Joshua Cambra

Very intresting place i took art classes there at a young age

Stacey Quandt

Surprising number of impressionist and rococo works. The Sunday Brunch is very good. Traditional eggs Benedict comes with a salad with walnuts. Good coffee.

Byron Goodall

great selection of art works. Their Cafe is also recommended.

Liana Michelle

very nice staff and great variety of art from different cultures and times.

Stephon Ellis

Diverse and interesting collection. The facilities we're also architecturally interesting. The gift shop save some time for it's worth the wait at the end. You need around two hours or more to fully explore this amazing Museum. The staff were pleasant. This was an unexpected Treasure.

Christopher Edwards

Great museum and location, busier than I expected. Wonderful exhibits right now

Kris Allen

Such a wonderful museum covering a variety of art history as well as local Hawaiian history.

Kumi Horiuchi

A pleasant museum to visit with nice cafes in courtyards. Several small exhibits are not overwhelming for amateurs like myself.

Chistopher Licking

$20 Wednesday for non Hawaii residents so NOT free. Mistook this museum for the much larger museum a couple miles away so my mistake, but really very little so see here. No idea why they think it’s worth a $20 entry fee. Nice garden walk but very few exhibits inside

Catricia Magsayo

Bank of America family days are so amazing!

Murray Foster

Awesome little museum. A great way to spend a wet morning

Momo The Sagittarius

A plethora of art to see and the art after dark is such a wonderful event

Christy H

Much more impressive collection than I expected.

No Drama

Art after Dark is always a good time. The atmosphere is good.

Mike Wesolowski

An amazing collection of art from around the Pacific Rim!

Morgan Migita

Very interesting exhibits but staff rather aloof.

ad

This is a great museum. Each time i see something that wasnt seen the time prior. A definite should see! Amazing art, artifacts and history. Very Well organized with s nice flow. The Doris Day trip is also well worth the time. The land and property are breathtaking!

Jazmin Cano

Love the free shuttle and the included admission to Spalding House. Surprised by how big this place was! It's beautiful too. Got a little lost, but then I was back on track after looking at one of their handy maps that are placed around. Lovely staff! Wonderful restrooms.

Melvin Bajamundi

The building for the Museum was built in 1928 and is the former Armed Services YMCA Building. It is a surprisingly good Art Museum that features interesting modern art with a focus on Hawaiian. There is a room set aside for kids (great idea). And it is Free! Take a wander through it. The curation and arrangement of art in the rooms lent context and surprise. There is a nice gift shop and a small cafe on the ground floor.

Prince Llama

Art after dark. Was more like a night club but hey I ain't complaining... Nice art, and everyone dressed to impress. Art everywhere! Also found a Monet which was unexpectedly awesome ...

JoAnn Yee

Lovely lunch. Seared ahi salad delicious. Eggplant not so much.

Alan Hashimoto

Great art great tour guy

Altaf Hussain

Great location to just unwind and take in the beautiful art

brian medcalf

Very in depth lots of good stuff to look at

Lindsey Speights

Great selection of art. Especially loved the Georgia O'Keeffe Hawaii paintings. And they have one of Monet's water lily paintings which was neat to see in person. This is definitely worth a visit if you love art or is a rainy day in Honolulu.

Jayson Garcia

Always Great to come in. Especially for local artists' work.

Jonathan Brebrich

Great place much history. Wow.

Zanzibar

Always an enjoyable experience!

Michi Tanaka

Nice many paintings by famous painters.

Roberta Castillo

A one time experience every local should experience, awesome

Lisa Barbour

it's never open for public except at night rarily.

Mary Carol Pung

My friend and I went today and had lunch. Great food! Then we visited the rooms surrounding the Mediterranean Courtyard. Loved the Impressionist art!!. We spent a lot of time there and will have to go back to see more... maybe a few more times!

Chris Amendola

The museum was our first stop before our tour of the Shangri La house so we walked around some of the exhibits. A lot of great pieces, statues, carvings, pottery, and more. It doesn't take long to walk from room to room. I'm not sure you can spend more then a few hours here unless you are a die hard or specifically interested in something they have on display so check with them to see what is on display. The facility is nice, clean and well kept and worth a look for sure.

Kris dJ

Great place for brunch, art, and contemplation. Art After Dark - held once a month - is great for socializing and people watching. Get there early. The place gets packed.

Tony Nguyen

It's very educational place to spend work your family

Elizabeth Switaj

From the outside, this looks like a modest museum, but it holds an impressive permanent collection, especially when it comes to Asian and Pacific art. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions of multimedia, contemporary art. I plan to return when I'm next in Honolulu.

Michael Scott Novilla

Was hoping for good enough, got FANTASTIC! Such a wonderful surprise to enjoy the gorgeous, though provoking, inspiring artwork from so many different countries and artists. Definitely worth the visit when here in Honolulu - and I've been to art museums all over the globe. Well done Honolulu!!

Michael Witbrock

Very nice smallish thematically divided art gallery. Pleasant environment with courtyards (none Pacific Island themed). Coverage of Hawaiian indigenous culture somewhat disappointing.

Adrianna Christmann

The Art After Dark is one of the coolest places I've ever been to! It has lots of artworks and galleries, it is packed with people and they even have drink and food stations spread throughout the museum. But parking is a little bit tricky, it took me 30 minutes to just park my car, next time I will come here earlier to find a good spot for parking. I also applied for membership so I can visit next time without paying for an entry fee.

Patrick Dolan

Sundays are family day free admission enjoy your stay

Lynda Barry

Starting point of the tour of the breathtaking Shangri-La Museum of Islamic Art and Culture, former home of the late Doris Duke.

Mary MacKay

Lovely museum. Always something wonderful and familiar, always something new and remarkable.

R Pach

Its ok. Not much serious art. More of a weekend millenial go to.

john bradley

A serene building with a nice Asian collection and a great cafe for lunch

Robert Nanius

So much to see. I have to go back!!!

TJ Lawrence

A nice quiet place for viewing some worldly artifacts. I thought the price was a little high for visitors but the do offer a military and locals discount.

Bobbi W

Beautiful. Worth the trip, don't miss out. Calming if you need it, inspiring if that's your desire too. Has it all, even restrooms (on Oahu?? Whaaaa??!?)

Scott Yim

Arts and creation

Sarah B

Incredible collection of historic artifacts!

Jackson Cafazzo

This place is awesome! Outstanding collection, beautiful building. Even a tasty cafe.

Robbie Wolfe

Wonderful exhibits! Lots to see and a wonderful Cafe and coffee bar!

Chris Boone

Some pretty neat statues outside. A diverse selection without having too much of any one section of the world.

Brianna Langman

Great place to explore!

Willard Eastman

A very nice museum with a broad cultural story across the Pacific and from around the world.

Justin Kind

An incredible museum, I think it's the favorite one I have been to. Very organized, and has a lot of works! Great for Asian and Pacific Arts! I was amazed at all the cool statues and pretty complete works of art, instead of just small pot shards for instance. I think this museum is highly underrated, I highly recommend making a stop here! Cost is about $20 per person for visitors to Hawaii, but well worth the cost in my opinion!

Xavier Xavier

Nice exhibit. My only issue is the Museum security.....nasty, rude as if someone is going to walk out with a painting or a statue! plain rude!!!!! rude!!!! nasty!!!

Jordan Manickam

Wonderful museum all around. Look forward to coming back, one day was not enough!

Sri Nagubandi

So beautiful. Don't let th outside fool you. Th staff is amazing.

Vanessa Lum

Love going on Family Sunday (offered once a month!)

muluh62

Limited collection but building is good. Courtyards nice.