Bishop Museum Celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the J. Watumull Planetarium

# Bishop Museum Celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the J. Watumull Planetarium

Free weekend Planetarium shows offered through the month of December, with additional, special activities scheduled for its 60th Anniversary weekend, December 11-12, 2021.

Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum is celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the J. Watumull Planetarium on December 12, 2021 with special activities that weekend on Saturday and Sunday, plus free in-person Planetarium shows every weekend in December.

Free In-person Planetarium Shows Every Weekend in December

*Excludes Saturday, December 18, 2021 due to a special activity in the Planetarium.

• Weekends-only expanded Planetarium Show Schedule:
  • 10 a.m. "Experience the Aurora"
  • 11:30 a.m. "Wayfinders"
  • 1 p.m. "Moons: Worlds of Mystery"
  • 2:30 p.m. "Wayfinders"
  • 4 p.m. "Experience the Aurora"
• Free Planetarium programs limited to two (2) per guest.
• Museum admission is required; tickets can be reserved at BishopMuseum.org/Tickets.
• In-person Planetarium show tickets are not available online and can be acquired at the Museum's Admissions and Hoʻokipa Desks.

J. Watumull Anniversary 60th Anniversary Weekend

• Saturday, December 11, 2021 and Sunday, December 12, 2021
• In addition to the above free in-person Planetarium shows, special activities this weekend include:
  • Solar Viewing with the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy
  • Talk with real astronomers and safely view the sun through telescopes with solar filters, weather permitting.
  • Walk the Solar System
  • Take a self-guided tour of the solar system on the Museum's Great Lawn.
  • Pocket Solar System
  • 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
  • Under the awning outside the Planetarium
  • Make your own scale model of the distances between the objects in our solar system to take home.

"The Bishop Museum Planetarium Team is extremely proud and excited to be celebrating our J. Watumull Planetarium's 60th Anniversary," said Tony Smith, Bishop Museum planetarium supervisor. "It's been an absolute pleasure welcoming in-person guests back to our Planetarium shows, while continuing to host guests from around the world through our online shows."

"Through December and into the New Year, we hope more guests will take part in our Planetarium activities and explore the connections between the Hawaiian night sky, and the cultural and historical displays and stories Bishop Museum has to offer, such as that of our show, 'Wayfinders,' and traditional Polynesian navigation," said Smith.

Bishop Museum's Jhamandas Watumull Planetarium opened its doors on December 12, 1961. Originally called the Kilolani Planetarium, in 2003 it was renamed the J. Watumull Planetarium and has served over six million visitors and students over 60 years of continuous operation.

The Planetarium was instrumental in the recovery of the nearly lost art and science of traditional, non-instrument navigation in Hawaiʻi. Nainoa Thompson of the Polynesian Voyaging Society spent countless hours in the Planetarium with Will Kyselka and other Planetarium staff in the late 1970s, learning how to read the night sky. Today, the Planetarium serves 70,000 people every year, focusing on programs about Hawaiʻi and blending live and prerecorded elements within each program, as well as providing online options for those around the world to enjoy.

The Planetarium is named in honor of Jhamandas Watumull, father of the late Gulab Watumull, whose family has a long history in the community and with the Museum. The Watumulls are active supporters of Bishop Museum through many decades, with Gulab serving on the Museum's Board of Directors from about 1999 until 2016. In addition to the Planetarium, the family's support is reflected in the "Gulab and Indru Watumull Atrium"; the Kapa case in Hawaiian Hall; and the Volcano Observatory in the Science Adventure Center.

To learn more about the J. Watumull Planetarium, please visit BishopMuseum.org/Planetarium.

Starting this Saturday, December 11 through Monday, January 31, 2022, the Museum's Hall of Discovery will be open to the public to view archival images of the J. Watumull Planetarium during regular Museum hours. The seven one-of-a-kind metallic prints have been produced and generously donated by local company Artifact Hawaii, and will be available for purchase. 100% of the proceeds will support Bishop Museum's J. Watumull Planetarium daily operations and educational programs. The images can also be viewed in the near future at BishopMuseumPress.org.

Bishop Museum Admission, Parking, and Hours

Timed General Admissions can be booked on the hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at BishopMuseum.org/Tickets.

Once a timed admission is booked, please arrive at any time during your check-in hour. Arriving after your hour reservation check-in window by more than 15 minutes may require entry on a space-available basis. All admissions once checked in, are welcome to stay until close of business.

If you currently hold a pre-purchased Admission ticket that is still valid, those tickets will be honored on a space-available basis on the day of attendance.

The safety and health of our visitors and employees remains our highest priority, and new measures have been enacted to keep the Museum a safe place to visit. Please visit our Health & Safety page.

Per the City & County of Honolulu's recent order*, effective Monday, September 13, 2021 all visitors to Bishop Museum age 12 and older must provide the following:

• Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, and a valid photo ID; or
• Proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours, and a valid photo ID

Proof of vaccination includes:

• A hardcopy of a Hawaiʻi State-approved vaccination card (photocopies and digital copies are acceptable); or
• A Hawaiʻi State-approved app confirming full vaccination status

A map of COVID-19 testing sites can be found on the City & County of Honolulu's OneOahu.org website. Not all sites offer free testing and their hours may fluctuate from day to day, so please call them to confirm their hours and pricing.

Please note that the negative test result required must be from an FDA approved, or FDA EUA approved, molecular or antigen test. The Museum is not able to accept any undated negative COVID-19 test results.

Prior to entering the Museum, guests will be asked to undergo a temperature check. Guests are also asked to wear face masks and practice social distancing, both indoors and outdoors, during their visit.

*Order 10, Sections A and B, of the City and County of Honolulu Emergency Order No. 2021-11 dated August 30, 2021. More information can be found here.

General Admission

Adults: $24.95 Seniors (65+): $21.95 Youth (4–17): $16.95 Children (3 and under): Free

Hawaiʻi Residents, Hawaiʻi College Students & Military with ID

Adults: $14.95 Seniors (65+): $12.95 Youth (4–17): $10.95 Children (3 and under): Free

Children age 16 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

Bishop Museum Annual Membership levels include free general admission and parking for 12 months. Learn more at BishopMuseum.org/Membership.

Parking Rates

Daytime Rate: 6 a.m.–5 p.m. $5.00 Evening Rate: 5 p.m.–10 p.m. $3.00

Hours

Open every day from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day

Bishop Museum Café by Highway Inn offers a limited menu of bowls, sandwiches, and snacks from 10:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. daily. Bishop Museum Members receive a 10% discount with their membership card.