Bishop Museum Invites ʻOhana and Guests to Enjoy the Holidays at #HawaiisMuseum

# Bishop Museum Invites ʻOhana and Guests to Enjoy the Holidays at #HawaiisMuseum

November and December events headlined by Lā Kūʻokoʻa, the Independence Day of the Hawaiian Kingdom on Nov. 28, and the family focused Winter Weekend on Dec. 16.

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi — Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum invites ʻohana and guests to spend the holidays at #HawaiisMuseum and enjoy a full lineup of December exhibitions, public programs, and events.

The Museum also asks for the community's support of its mission to inspire guests and audiences worldwide through the exploration, celebration, and perpetuation of the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

"The holidays instill warm feelings of home and family, and at Bishop Museum we welcome ʻohana and guests to our home, the Museum of Hawaiʻi," said Janet Bullard, Bishop Museum vice president of advancement and marketing communications, and acting director of government relations. "We invite everyone to come see our exhibits, take part in our public programs, and attend our events. There's something to experience and do for everyone, whether it's engaging with our cultural and natural science collections, or experiencing living culture presentations and enjoying live music."

"We also thank our community for their continued support of the Museum through their memberships, donations, sponsorships, and by participating in our partner programs. Their support is deeply appreciated and goes a long way to bolster the Museum's critical work and our hardworking, dedicated staff," added Bullard.

Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023 marks the 180th year of Lā Kūʻokoʻa, the Independence Day of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Lā Kūʻokoʻa commemorates the independence of the Hawaiian Nation, marking the date when the sovereignty of the Hawaiian Kingdom was formally recognized by England and France through the signing of the Anglo-French Proclamation, and through a verbal acknowledgement with the United States.

The public is invited to celebrate this day with mea ʻai (food), ʻawa, mele (Hawaiian songs and chants), tribute presentations, and conversation provoking a contemporary understanding of how Hawaiian Independence is lived and perpetuated today. The free event will be held from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and will also feature a Walkthrough Exhibition presented by Kanaeokana, t-shirt printmaking, and keiki activities.

Bishop Museum's popular Winter Weekend event returns on Saturday, Dec. 16 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and features a $10 discounted admission for Kamaʻāina and Military. Families can enjoy festive and keiki-friendly activities, crafts, and games, plus food and an expanded Planetarium schedule for the day. Guests are encouraged to dress up in their holiday best — ugly holiday sweaters included!

Other Public Programs and Daily Programs

Lāʻau Lapaʻau Featuring ʻUhaloa with Sean Kamakea Chun is a Living Culture Presentation and Workshop that provides an overview of traditional Hawaiian healing practices with a focus on lāʻau lapaʻau (healing through plants), highlighting the uses, preparation, and application of ʻuhaloa / hiʻaloa. Participants will learn plant identification, protocols for harvesting, pule, kino lau, the cleaning practices associated with ʻuhaloa, and how to process ʻuhaloa and use its various parts for teas and oils.

Bishop Museum's Daily Programs include English language tours of the Hawaiian Hall Complex at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays, as well as its Hot Spot Theater Shows on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays at Noon and 2:30 p.m., on the lower level of the volcano in the Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center.

The Museum's J. Watumull Planetarium offers multiple shows on Mondays, Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays and includes "The Hawaiian Sky Tonight," "Wayfinders: Waves, Winds, and Stars," and "Moons: Worlds of Mystery."

Signature Galleries and Current Exhibitions

Bishop Museum's Signature Galleries include historic Hawaiian Hall, Pacific Hall, the Picture Gallery, the Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kāhili Room, the Nā Ulu Kaiwiʻula Native Hawaiian Garden, the Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center, and the Museum's Campus Murals. The Signature Galleries are open during regular business hours, noting that the Museum only closes on Thanksgiving and on Christmas Day.

The Museum's current exhibitions include Playing With Light in the Castle Memorial Building and Project Banaba in the J. M. Long Gallery (first floor, Hawaiian Hall Complex). Lalo: Science and Conservation in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is featured on the lower level of the Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center, and a new case on the third floor of Hawaiian Hall celebrates King Kalākaua: Fifty Years of Life: ʻUmeke from King Kalākaua's Jubilee.

Ways to Support

Bishop Museum's Annual Fund Campaign, currently underway, strives to collect unrestricted gifts that support Museum collections, staff, research, education, and programming when and where it is determined to be of the greatest need and impact at any given time. For this year's Campaign, the Museum is featuring its Mau ka Leo project, an online storytelling space that highlights the Museum's incredible collections and the stories curated from the staff who care for them.

Bishop Museum Press is Hawaiʻi's oldest book publisher and one of the first scholarly publishers in the Western Hemisphere. Support of its Annual Holiday Sale, launching Nov. 24, supports the Museum and ensures that the Press can reprint its most valued titles.

A gift of a Bishop Museum Membership to a student or family provides 12 months of access to the Museum's unparalleled collections and research through its exhibitions and programming. Members also receive free or discounted registration to Planetarium evening shows and other public programming events, including the monthly Bishop Museum After Hours series.

Bishop Museum invites job searchers to start the New Year with a new career at #HawaiisMuseum. Join the Bishop Museum ʻOhana and experience firsthand the rewarding work they do protecting, preserving, and perpetuating the culture and natural environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. Learn about the Museum's employment, volunteer, and internship opportunities at BishopMuseum.org/Careers.

More information on Bishop Museum galleries, exhibitions, public programs, and events, as well as ways to support the Museum and its staff, can be found at BishopMuseum.org.