Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA) holds one of the largest single collections of Asian and Pan-Pacific art in the United States, along with works from America, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. The museum has more than 50,000 works of art, spanning 5,000 years of history and representing all of Hawaii’s cultures.HoMA collections include paintings, decorative and traditional arts, woodblocks, and textiles.
Located in downtown Honolulu near Blaisdell Center, HoMA is comprised of gallery spaces, a gift shop (in-person or online), Robert Allerton Art Library (in-person or online), art school (for youth and adults), open-air café + coffee bar (more information below), and the Doris Duke Theatre (more information below). In addition, HoMA manages tours for the Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art (more information below).
Visiting HoMA
Listed below is basic information about the Honolulu Museum of Art, including how to get discount admission. Scroll down for a list of recurring and special events at HoMA.
- Location: Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA), 900 South Beretania Street. Honolulu, HI 96814.
- Hours: Thursday-Sunday 10AM-6PM, with extended hours until 9PM on Friday and Saturday.
- Parking: paid lot behind HoMA School of art (enter on Beretania or Young St) and weekday evenings only or weekends in the Kina’u Street Lot at 1035 Kina’u St.
- General admission: $20. Kama‘āina: $10.
- Café + Coffee Bar: There is no museum admission charge to lunch at the café.
- Website: https://honolulumuseum.org/
How to get free admission or discount tickets to HoMA
- Membership. Museum membership beings at $50/annually and includes free HoMA admission for you and up to two guests, discounts in the gift shop and café, HoMA magazine and e-newsletter, and other benefits, including free admission to over 100 museums nationally and internationally through the ROAM Reciprocal Museum Program,
- Volunteer. HoMA has a wide range of volunteer opportunities to match your personal interests and time commitment. Youʻll get behind-the-scenes access to museum programming along with discounts at the HoMA Shop and the Café. More info: Volunteer Program | Honolulu Museum of Art
- Kama‘āina. Admission is free for Hawai‘i residents on Family Sundays (the third Sunday of each month), and 0n Lā Kūʻokoʻa (Hawaiʻi Independence Day) July 31, 2022.
HoMA Café + Coffee Bar
Enjoy island-style hospitality in the HoMA Café, offering a menu of casual, contemporary selections. There is no museum admission charge to visit the Café during lunch and brunch service. Walk-ins are welcome, Thursday-Sunday from 11am–2pm. The open-air Café is a designated ocean-friendly restaurant, committed to operating as sustainably as possible. The Coffee Bar is located outdoors in the museum’s Palm Courtyard, with a menu of coffee, tea, beer, wine, and grab-and-go items. More info: Cafe | Honolulu Museum of Art
Doris Duke Theatre
HoMA’s Doris Duke Theatre is Hawai‘i’s largest independent arthouse theatre. The theatre’s program cultivates transformative experiences in our community by addressing relevant issues of our time. The theatre screens independent, documentary, and international films, plus hosts lectures, performances, and concerts by local and visiting performers. Find the entrance to Doris Duke Theatre on Kīnaʻu Street, at the rear of HoMA. More info: Doris Duke Theatre | Honolulu Museum of Art and What’s on | Honolulu Museum of Art
Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art
Built in 1937 as the Honolulu home of Doris Duke (1912-1993), Shangri La was inspired by Duke’s extensive travels throughout North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. It is the only standalone museum of Islamic Art in the US. Over the course of 60 years, Duke assembled an impressive collection of nearly 4,500 artworks; the collection is particularly strong in ceramics, wood, glass, and textiles from 1600 to 1940 CE.
Through a partnership with the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA), admission to the Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art is by reservation only. Your ticket includes shuttle transportation to and from HoMA, along with same day admission to HoMA permanent exhibitions. Located near Lēʻahi (Diamond Head), individual access to Shangri La is not allowed. More info: Shangri La (shangrilahawaii.org) and Shangri La | Honolulu Museum of Art
Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA) 2016 photo by jewhyte via iStock by Getty Images
Events at HoMA
Listed below are recurring and special events, temporary exhibits, and selected film screenings at HoMA.
Free tours Thursday-Sunday at HoMA
Thursday–Sunday, free docent-led tours are available with your admission to the museum. Choose from “Talk Story” at 11AM or “Highlights Tour” at 2pm. Registration required. More info: Tours | Honolulu Museum of Art
Friday-Saturday HoMA Nights
Every Friday and Saturday, HoMA remains open until 9pm with engaging ways to experience all the museum has to offer. Enjoy the museums galleries, live local music and entertainment, bar service with a selection of beverages and bites, interactive art experiences, and drop-in art making sessions. Activities are open to all, from keiki to kupuna, and free with admission. More info: HoMA Nights | Honolulu Museum of Art
Saturday evening guided sketching at HoMA
Sketch in galleries and courtyards with long-time favorite instructor Mark Norseth. These one-time Saturday evening workshops from 6–8pm explore objects in the galleries for inspiration and cover a range of drawing techniques. Students of all levels are welcome. Members receive $10 off any class. More info: Sketching in the Galleries | Honolulu Museum of Art
Family Sunday at HoMA
On the third Sunday of every month, HoMA offers free museum admission for kama‘āina (residents). Spend a relaxing day with ‘ohana as you explore the galleries and outdoor courtyard, participate in creative activities for keiki of all ages, listen to books read aloud during Storytime, enjoy brunch service in the Café, or stop by the open-air Coffee Bar in Palm Courtyard for kid-friendly menu items to-go. Advance reservation required. More info: Family Sunday | Honolulu Museum of Art
HoMA is requesting flower donations during the month of June at the HoMA School for “Awakening”, an immersive installation by artist Rebecca Louise Law, opening September 2022 – HoMA image
Selected film screenings at Doris Duke Theatre
Hawai‘i’s largest independent arthouse theatre screens independent, documentary, and international films, and hosts other programs that address relevant, impactful issues within our community. More info: Doris Duke Theatre | Honolulu Museum of Art
- Bollywood and South Asia Film Festival. Jan 5-20, 2023. Kick off the new year with a selection of vibrant and creative films from the South Asian diaspora that are guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, and dance! See four brand-new films alongside two classics. More info: Bollywood and South Asia Film Festival | Honolulu Museum of Art
Moemoeā – Maui artist Noah Harder’s fantasy & found materials
November 3, 2022 – July 23, 2023. Through fantasy and found materials, Maui-based Noah Harder’s first-ever museum exhibition Moemoeā roughly translates to “dream” or “fantasy”. The works reveal Harder’s technical skill in fabricating surrealist, haute-couture creations out of flowers, leaves, lobster shells, fish bones, and other found organic materials. Born and raised in Waikapū, Harder still lives and creates on land inhabited by his ancestors for hundreds of years. More info: Moemoeā | Honolulu Museum of Art
Immersive floral installation “Awakening” includes flora from Oʻahu
September 17 – September 10, 2023. An immersive floral installation by renowned British artist Rebecca Louise Law will be available for viewing for one year. Awakening is a contemplative space, inviting visitors to move through a monumental assemblage of preserved flowers from around the world, toward a greater environmental consciousness and deeper awareness of nature’s vulnerability. More info: Rebecca Louise Law: Awakening | Honolulu Museum of Art
Calendar of events at museums and other attractions
Listed below are events on our calendar at HoMA and other museums and attractions throughout Hawaiʻi.
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