Location: Honolulu
Top Things to do in Honolulu
What to do and see in Honolulu, Hawaii (HI): The Best Things to do Good for a Rainy Day
The mere mention of Hawaii is enough to prompt visions of grass skirts and colorful cocktails with tiny umbrellas. While you will find some kitsch in Honolulu, you’ll also find art museums, bike paths, and some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Popular Waikiki Beach has soft sands and great surf. For majestic Oahu views scramble to the top of Diamond Head – a 350-acre volcanic crater. Historic structures like Iolani Palace and Ali'iolani Hale are worth a visit on a non-beach day.
Restaurants in Honolulu
1. Honolulu's Police Department Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 99 reviews
Reviewed By COGuest
What a hidden gem. We learned so much history; not just about policing in Honolulu, but history of Hawaii, as well. Learned about how justice was meted out back in the days of the monarchy. Great artifacts, great photos. Really enjoyed the old moonshine still on display. Old Indian motorcycle has been beautifully kept up. Our guide, Eddie, is a veteran officer who is now retired and he knows so much, What an incredible font of info! So glad we stopped by. Thank you!
2. Iolani Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,478 reviews
Iolani Palace, the official residence of Hawaii’s monarchy, is a marvel of opulence, innovation and political intrigue. Meticulously restored to its former grandeur, this National Historic Landmark in downtown Honolulu tells of a time when their Majesties, King Kalakaua, who built the palace in 1882, and his sister and successor, Queen Liliuokalani, walked its celebrated halls. Today, you can enjoy one of the most spectacular living restorations in all of Polynesia and immerse yourself in Hawaii’s royal heritage. E komo mai! Welcome!
Reviewed By nippys - Newcastle, United Kingdom
An excellant audio tour with lots of facts from the Hawaiian monarchy history, Lots of very interesting artifacts to see You have to wear shoe over covers to protect the palace floors, You buy your tickets from the small building in the grounds.
3. Bishop Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,774 reviews
Bishop Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in honor of his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last descendant of the royal Kamehameha family. The Museum was established to house the extensive collection of Hawaiian artifacts and royal family heirlooms of the Princess, and has expanded to include millions of artifacts, documents and photographs about Hawai'i and other Pacific island cultures. Today, Bishop Museum is the largest museum in the state and the premier natural and cultural history institution in the Pacific, recognized throughout the world for its cultural collections, research projects, consulting services and public educational programs. It also has one of the largest natural history specimen collections in the world. Serving and representing the interests of Native Hawaiians is a primary purpose of the Museum.
Reviewed By 281patriciaq - Racine, United States
The Bishop Museum has a fascinating history and collection of artifacts dating back to the earliest contacts of the Island people with the white explorers. The feather capes and headdresses worn by the Hawaiian chiefs and kings retain their beautiful colors, and the intricate detail work and construction is lovely. The history of the Hawaiian people, and their interactions with people of other island nations is documented and explained in great detail, and serves as a wonderful education in Hawaiian history.
4. Honolulu Museum of Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,262 reviews
One of the world’s premier art museums presents international caliber special exhibitions and features a collection that includes Hokusai, van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet, Picasso and Warhol, as well as traditional Asian and Hawaiian art. Located in two of Honolulu’s most beautiful buildings, visitors enjoy two cafés, gardens, and films and concerts at the theater. Other location: Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House
Reviewed By salinasorchidboy - Pahoa, United States
If you need some quiet time with culture and even a bite to eat this is a wonderful place to visit...........there is always something interesting to see on display with a first-class permanent collection of art and antiques.......in a setting of beautiful gardens and interesting architecture...
5. Queen Emma Summer Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 366 reviews
Queen Emma Summer Palace or Hanaiakamalama (The Southern Cross), served as a summer retreat for Queen Emma of Hawai'i from 1857 to 1885, as well as for her husband King Kamehameha IV, and their son, Prince Albert Edward. It is a now a historic landmark and educational museum preserved and operated by Daughters of Hawai'i. Admission to the Palace: General: $10 Kama'aina & Seniors: $8 Children 5-17 $1. Open Sundays from 10 AM to 3 PM, Mondays through Saturdays from 9 AM to 4 PM. Closed on major holidays. Because the Palace was built in the nineteenth century, access may not be available for visitors who have difficulties climbing stairs.
Reviewed By interceptpubs - Columbus, United States
Also known as Hānaiakamalama (The Southern Cross, which is also the name of a benevolent Hawaiian goddess), this one-story Greek Revival frame house was originally commissioned by an American ship captain. It was built in Boston in 1848 and then shipped in pieces to Hawaii to be reassembled here in the Nu'uanu Valley in the heights above Honolulu, a popular area for Hawaiian royalty and non-Hawaiian newcomers who preferred its cooler climate over the heat in the city below. In 1850, the home was bought by John Young II (also known as Keoni Ana), the only son of an English sailor who had become a trusted advisor of King Kamehameha I and the King's niece. On his death in 1857, the estate passed to his niece Emma who had married King Kamehameha IV just the year before. Queen Emma used the house as her summer retreat until her death in 1885. The Kingdom of Hawaii then bought the property, which the Territorial Government later turned into a park. When plans were announced to tear down the house to build a baseball diamond, the Daughters of Hawaii bought the property, restored it, and turned it into a museum. Besides preserving the house itself, the Daughters have also been able to assemble an amazing collection of artifacts from the Queen's life and Hawaiian royalty in general. On our recent visit, we were able to effectively get a private tour of the house and its contents from one of the tour guides who took us from room to room explaining the history of basically every piece in the collection – everything from royal feather standards (kahili) and ceremonial capes to hand carved furniture and gifts from other royal families such as Queen Victoria (who was the godmother to Emma's only child) and Napoleon III. There are also a number of portraits of various Hawaiian kings and other members of Hawaiian nobility which the guide used to help explain the rather complicated history of the Hawaiian monarchy. After we finished with the tour, we retired to the gift shop to look through their extensive selection of books on Hawaiian history (of course, they also carry a wide range of souvenirs, prints, etc.). We spent somewhere between one and two hours here and really enjoyed seeing and learning so much about this period in Hawaiian history.
6. USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,903 reviews
Reviewed By samanthao520 - Cincinnati, United States
Paid for the ticket with go Oahu card It was well worth it since we did a lot on the card. Recommended to research the activities since it may come with shuttle bus to some activities and paid admission and extra with others. Well worth it for us. Pro: amazing submarine and lots to see, audio tour was amazing and a must have (it comes automatically with admission cost) Con: small and may be tight at times, the staff was waxing the floor and had to take alternate route to see everything Would return
7. Hawaii State Art Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 142 reviews
Contemporary art of Hawaii and free, family-friendly events! 2nd floor of the No. 1 Capitol District Building, 250 South Hotel Street, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813. Admission is free. Museum Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am to 4pm. Open late First Friday of each month, 6pm - 9pm (galleries close at 8:30pm). Closed Sunday and all state and federal holidays. All artwork on display has a connection to Hawaii (e.g. artist born or raised in Hawaii). Parking available across the street in the Ali'i Place parking structure (entrance at 1099 Alakea St, cash only) or at Iolani Palace (metered parking, 25 cent coins only). Several TheBus lines stop in front of or close to the building. If you are taking a taxi cab, there is a small pull in area on Richards St. Wheelchair access from the Richards St. entry gate, on the Richards St. side of the building.
Reviewed By gbot3000 - Vancouver, Canada
I ended up spending a few hours here viewing the two exhibits. The descriptions of the art are top-notch and make each piece more thought-provoking. Also, free admission!
8. US Army Museum of Hawaii
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,092 reviews
The U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii is open Tues - Sat from 10 AM - 5 PM. The Museum is FREE to all with exhibits located on the first and second floor of the facility. English and Japanese audio tours are available to visitors for a nominal fee ($5). Parking is available directly across the street from the museum in the Saratoga parking lot. Validation is available at the welcome desk. Constructed from 1909-11, the Coast Artillery Battery (known as Battery Randolph) protected Oahu with its two 14-inch disappearing guns. In the early 70’s, attempts were made to tear down Battery Randolph to make way for the Hale Koa Hotel, however, those attempts proved to be unsuccessful. In 1976, the structure was repurposed into a museum focusing on depicting early Hawaiian warfare and the military’s presence in the Pacific highlighting every major military encounter throughout the 20th Century.
Reviewed By interceptpubs - Columbus, United States
Let's face it - one doesn't expect to find a military museum at one of the most famous beach destinations in the world, yet that's exactly what you'll find here at Waikiki. However, once you visit the museum, its location makes a lot of sense. Although it isn't obvious, the museum is actually on an active U.S. Army base. Fort DeRussy is mostly green space with no perimeter fences to keep people out, indeed it is mostly open to the public to enjoy, so it is pretty well camouflaged in plain sight. The museum itself is housed in what was originally Battery Randolph, a coast artillery installation completed in 1911. It is a massive reinforced concrete structure that originally housed two 14-inch guns designed to defend Honolulu from battleships. Following the rise of bombers over battleships during World War II, coast defense forts like Randolph were shutdown, their guns removed and the concrete bastions mostly demolished. The adjacent Battery Dudley here on Waikiki Beach was successfully removed in 1969, but Battery Randolph proved impervious to the wrecking ball and blasting would have been too dangerous for the surrounding city already rising up around it, so it was converted into this museum instead. The museum consists of two floors of exhibits inside the old fortress along with displays of tanks, artillery, and even a helicopter gunship outside on the roof of the battery and the adjacent grounds by the museum entrance. The galleries on the first floor provide a generally chronological history of Hawaiian defense starting with the feudal society of native Hawaiians that Captain Cook found when he first visited the 1780s through the military campaigns of Kamehameha that ultimately unified the islands in the early 19th century. The growing trade and military influence of the United States in Hawaii during the 19th and into the 20th century is also covered. Of course, being in an intact coast defense fort, the history and operation of Army's coast artillery branch in general and specifically the construction and operation of this and other coast defense installations in Hawaii are covered in great detail, although other specialties within the Army (cavalry, field artillery, aviation, etc.) are not left out. Naturally, the rise of Japanese militarism culminating in the attack on Pearl Harbor and World War II is another key topic. Coverage then extends through later Pacific wars in Korea and Vietnam. Throughout, much coverage is also given to the contributions of Hawaiians, particularly its Japanese Americans, in American military history. This is particularly true as the exhibits move to the second floor and the Gallery of Heroes which covers the Hawaiian recipients of the Medal of Honor and Army Distinguished Service Cross. Also on the second floor is a separate gallery devoted to the Army Corps of Engineers and their work not only in Hawaii but around the country in general. The exhibits are quite well done, combining artifacts, models, photos, ephemera, and even interactive displays to tell the story. Audio tours are also available. Admission is free (although donations are gratefully accepted), and they even validate parking. Once you get finished looking at the exhibits, you can stop by their gift shop for souvenirs, history books, etc. We spent the better part of two hours here and had a great time.
9. Shangri La
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 930 reviews
Shangri La is a museum for learning about the global cultures of Islamic art and design through exhibitions, digital and educational initiatives, public tours and programs, and community partnerships.
Reviewed By reikitraveler3 - South Hadley, United States
I had recently been to Rough Point, Doris Duke's Newport, Rhode Island mansion when Shangri La was mentioned. Knowing I would be visiting family in Honolulu, I planned on visiting Shangri La during my stay. I made a reservation through The Honolulu Art Museum in advance and joined the tour of this marvelous mansion that the museum oversees. Like Rough Point, Duke made it possible for her homes to be open to the public. This mansion contains a large and beautiful collection of Islamic art, culture, and design in every room of this home. The siting is breathtaking...be sure to take in the dining room extension that overlooks the ocean. The tour guide was thorough and unrushed, something that is most appreciated and that seems to be disappearing from many historic home tours. Your fee also gets you a day ticket at the Honolulu Museum of Art ( a fabulous museum itself) back in the center of Honolulu from where your tour group departs via Museum shuttle buses. Parts of the house are handicap accessible. You need to contact the Museum of Art way in advance to schedule this kind of tour of Shangri La. Visit the Art Museum website for more information. It is closed for annual cleaning and maintenance until December 18, 2018.
10. Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 41 reviews
