Museums on Hawaii Island

Hawaii Loves Barbie Dolls Museum
The private Barbie Doll collection of Florence Marton includes about 5,000 Barbie Dolls and the general public is invited to view it if they call 808-262-9100 to make arrangements in advance. The museum is located in Kailua-Kona.

Hulihee Palace Museum
Historic home built by Hawaii Governor John Adams Kuakini in 1838. Tours are available several days a week and there are free monthly concerts on the palace lawn. Located at 75-5718 Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona. Call 808-329-1877 for more information or to confirm operating hours.

Henry Nicholas Greenwell Store
This store built in the 1870's is on the United States National Register of Historic Places. The store is the oldest surviving store in Kona. A restoration project was begun in 2006 and today guided tours are available several days a week. FDor more information call the Kona Historical Society at 808-323-3222.

Imiloa Astronomy Center
The state-of-the-art Imiloa Astronomy Center is located on a hillside above the town of Hilo. The center has a planetarium and it features exhibits telling the story of the Mauna Kea Volcano as it relates to astronomy and the Hawaiian culture.

Jaggar Museum
Formery located within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Exhibits to be moved to a new home due to it's building experiencing earthquake damage. Phone: 808-985-6000

Kilauea Volcano Visitors Center
Located within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Phone: 808-985-6000

Lyman Museum and Mission House
Located at 276 Haili Street in Hilo. Phone 808-935-5021

Mauna Kea Observatory Complex
Information about visiting the observatory complex at the summit of Mauna Kea. Note that a four wheel drive vehicle is required to get to the summit and that some visitors experience altitude sickness because of the center's high elevation (I experienced it myself! A very strange and uncomfortable feeling - a pronounced headache and extreme drowsiness that were only resolved by driving to a lower elevation. I have been told stopping at the visitor's center for 30 to 60 minutes before driving to the top prevents altitude sickness for most people. My friends and I drove directly to the summit without stopping the day we visited. Interesting to note that none of my three companions experienced any symptoms during our visit.)

Onizuka Center for International Astronomy (Mauna Kea)
The Mauna Kea Visitors Center was named Onizuka Center for International Astronomy in honor of Hawaii Island born astronaut Ellison Onizuka who died in 1986 when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded. The center is located near the summit of Mauna Kea, at an elevation of about 9300 feet. Staff at the visitor's center educate the public about altitude sickness, driving conditions, weather conditions, and Visitor Center programs. They also conduct stargazing programs many evenings. For more information the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, its operating hours, and its programs call 808-935-6268.

Onizuka Space Center (Kona Airport)
This astronomy museum at the Keahole-Kona International Airport is was founded in memory of Hawaii born astronaut Ellison Onizuka who died when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff in 1986. For more information about the museum or its operating hours call 808-329-3441.

Pacific Tsunami Museum
Located at 130 Kamehameha Avenue in Downtown Hilo. Phone: 808-935-0926

Parker Ranch Historic Homes
Visitors to the Parker Ranch can take guided tours of the historic home of ranch founder John Palmer Parker the 7000 square foot home of his son John Parker II, and the gardens surrounding the homes. Many visitors like to bring a picnic lunch to eat in the gardens. The Parker Ranch historic homes are located on Highway 190 just outside of Kamuela, a town also known as Waimea. For more information call 808-885-5433.

The Train Museum
Small community museum established to highlight the history of the Hilo Railroad, which operated fromf 1899 to 1946. Also preserves, promotes and protects the historic, cultural, educational, social, civic and economic, interests of the North Hilo and Hamakua regions of the Big island. The museum first opened on March 1, 1998. It is located at 36-2377 Mamalahoa Highway in by location Town. Phone: 808-962-6300

Uchida Kona Coffee Living History Farm
The D. Uchida Farm is a historic coffee farm in Captain Cook that was founded in the early 1900's. The farm is on the United States National Register of Historic Places. Self-guided tours of the farm's orchard, farmhouse, and coffee processing mill are available several days a week. Call 808-323-2006 to confirm operating hours and get more information.

Volcano Arts Center
Center for the arts in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park that was founded in 1974. The center promote, develops, and perpetuates the culture and arts of Hawaii through visual arts, literary arts, and performance arts.

Wailoa Arts and Cultural Center
The Wailoa Art and Cultural Center is located next to the Wailoa River State Recreation Area in Hilo and it features rotating cultural exhibits, photographs, and artwork displays. For many years the Big Island Art Guild presented their Spring Art Festival at Wailoa Center The center is open several days a week and it is located at 200 Piopio Street in Hilo. For more information or to confirm exhibits or operating hours call 808-933-0416.

West Big Island Museums

Other Attractions on the Big Island

Hawaii Island Travel Guide

All of the Islands of Hawaii

Hawaii for Visitors

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