Announcements
Bishop Museum Launching Fall Annual Fund Campaign
From Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025, #HawaiisMuseum asks for the community's financial support of its staff and their critical work.
# Bishop Museum Launching Fall Annual Fund Campaign
From Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025, #HawaiisMuseum asks for the community's financial support of its staff and their critical work.
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi — Bishop Museum, the State of Hawai'i Museum of Natural and Cultural History, is launching its Fall Annual Fund Campaign. From Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025, #HawaiisMuseum asks for the community's financial support of its staff and their critical work: exploring, celebrating, and perpetuating the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.
Donations can be made online at BishopMuseum.org/AnnualFund; by mail; or in person at the Museum's Institutional Advancement office. Other ways to support include Donor Advised Funds, gifts of stock or securities, recurring gifts, and including the Museum in a will.
Dr. Kristofer Helgen, Bishop Museum president and CEO, shares his manaʻo (thoughts/insights) of his experience leading the Museum from August of this year.
"Since my arrival, I have been in a period of deep learning about our culture and the unique and fragile environment in which we live here in Hawai'i," shares Helgen. "I am listening and better understanding every day the important work we do at Bishop Museum to perpetuate the legacy of our ali'i (chiefs of the Hawaiian Islands), how everything we do is connected to 'āina (land), and how active research is critical to the understanding and preservation of our beautiful home."
"I am deeply humbled to serve this world-renowned institution with a tradition of leadership across the Pacific and a kuleana (responsibility) to preserve the legacy of our people and the preservation of our environment, so that the knowledge we hold is here for future generations," Helgen said. "I hold this responsibility deep in my heart and am committed to continuing, and building upon, the excellence demonstrated every day by our highly talented and dedicated staff.
"It is through the community's kōkua (help) that our programs and discoveries are made possible, and I ask that you please support this precious institution and the hard work we are doing. Mahalo nui loa."
The State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History
Bishop Museum is designated as the State Museum of Natural and Cultural History of Hawaiʻi, a recognition that underscores its deep commitment to preserving and showcasing the rich heritage of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region. This esteemed designation, established by Act 398 of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, affirms the Museum's role as a vital repository of artifacts and a center for educational research and cultural exchange. It not only celebrates the Museum's past contributions but also sets the path for its future endeavors in serving both its local community and scholars from around the globe. Bishop Museum's mission, guided by this legislative support, continues to inspire its staff to bring the history and culture of Hawaiʻi to life for all who visit.
About Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History
Bishop Museum’s mission is to inspire our community and visitors through the exploration, celebration, and perpetuation of the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. The Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in memory of his wife Bernice Pauahi Bishop, a royal descendant of King Kamehameha I. Today, the Museum thrives as an educational center for the community and is widely regarded as the world’s premier institution for Hawaiian and Pacific content.
Bishop Museum’s vast collections of more than 25 million objects and specimens represent nine disciplines and include more than 22 million biological specimens, over 2 million cultural objects, 115,000 historical publications, and 1 million photographs, films, works of art, audio recordings, and manuscripts. These collections tell the stories of the cultures and biodiversity of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific as well as the proud legacy of scholarly research spanning 130 years.
Bishop Museum proudly serves more than 200,000 visitors each year, including 20,000 children on school visits. Guests are encouraged to pre-plan their trip to #HawaiisMuseum with its free digital guide, available through Bloomberg Connects.
To learn more about the Museum’s research, collections, exhibits, and programs, visit BishopMuseum.org, follow @BishopMuseum on Facebook and Instagram, visit Bishop Museum’s YouTube channel, or call (808) 847-3511. Bishop Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Bishop Museum is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, and welcomes applicants from the military, veterans, and those with disabilities. Learn about careers at Bishop Museum at BishopMuseum.org/Careers and on its LinkedIn page.
Bishop Museum Press is Hawaiʻi’s oldest book publisher and one of the first scholarly publishers in the Western Hemisphere, and has published over 1,200 titles and distributed over 1 million books in 72 countries worldwide. Bishop Museum hosts a restaurant and gift shop on campus, Tūtū’s Place by Highway Inn and Shop Pacifica by Nā Mea Hawaiʻi.