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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Bishop Museum strives to "record, preserve and tell the stories of Hawaii and the Pacific." The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Christmas.

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Bishop Museum
preserves Pacific
history

It's simply one of the country's great museum collections of natural and cultural history, and it is quickly catching up as a premier exhibit space as well. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum was founded in 1889 by businessman and philanthropist Charles Reed Bishop to honor the memory of his wife, the last direct descendant of the Kamehamehas. Mrs. Bishop was heir to priceless royal family artifacts and concerned about the education system for those of Hawaiian blood.

A poor but canny immigrant to the kingdom from New York, Bishop met Bernice Pauahi while she was a student at the Chiefs' Children's School. They married in 1850 and had a great relationship until her death 34 years later. At the time, he wrote, "I know you all loved her, for nobody could know her at all well and not love her. For myself I will only say that I am trying to bear my loss and my loneliness as reasonably as I can, looking forward hopefully to the time when I shall find my loved one again."

Her legacy, Bishop Estate, was the entity that made Kamehameha Schools possible. Alas, her estate was land rich and cash poor, so Bishop dug into his own pockets for the schools' first buildings in Kalihi. This campus became the nucleus for the museum collection, largely created as an educational adjunct to the schools.

To this day, it's difficult to figure out the museum's entrance -- the design of the campus is inward-looking, cloistered, its back to the hustle-bustle of daily events. Even the new construction of a grand science learning center feels insular.

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BISHOP MUSEUM PHOTO

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The campus is dominated by Hawaii Hall, a mighty example of Victorian museum design -- lots of stuff in glass cases to stroll and look at -- so much so that it is a kind of exhibit itself. (Hawaii Hall is about to undergo many invisible renovations to bring it into the 21st century.) The museum's mission statement is simple and elegant: "Our mission is to record, preserve and tell the stories of Hawaii and the Pacific, inspiring our guests to embrace and experience our natural and cultural world."

The museum has in its collection more than 25 million specimens and artifacts that preserve the history and natural wonders of Polynesia. The museum notoriously "lost" several revered items some years ago when a group of Hawaiian activists seized them.

Bishop Museum continues to provide a resource for research into natural sciences and cultural collections. Although it is not a history museum -- Hawaii still has no state history museum -- Bishop Museum is virtually a prerequisite field trip for every kid in Hawaii.

Bishop Museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Christmas. Guided tours and cultural demonstrations are held daily.

If you plan to visit the museum more than once -- and there's plenty to see -- consider becoming a member of the Bishop Museum Association, as members get free admission and special deals on events.

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