Bishop Museum October 2024 Exhibitions, Public Programs, and Events

Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History, shares its October 2024 exhibitions, public programs, and events. A full and continually updated listing can be found on the Museum's website, BishopMuseum.org. For more information on any of the items listed herein, please contact Lance Aquino with Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations, Inc.

October sees the opening of the Museum's new exhibition, Kū a Lanakila! Expressions of Sovereignty in Early Territorial Hawaiʻi, 1900-1920, on Oct. 5, 2024 in the J. M. Long Gallery.

October 2024

• Opening Oct. 5, 2024 | ExhibitionKū a Lanakila! Expressions of Sovereignty in Early-Territorial Hawaiʻi, 1900-1920J. M. Long GalleryIncluded with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.Kū a Lanakila! Expressions of Sovereignty in Early-Territorial Hawaiʻi, 1900-1920 delves into the ways Kānaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian people) asserted their presence and sovereignty during Hawaiʻi's early territorial period through cultural and political expressions. Featuring a stunning array of artifacts, including ʻahu ʻula (capes), lei hulu (feather lei), banners, and political ephemera, the exhibit highlights how Native Hawaiians engaged in public ceremony, competitive sports, and political activism to maintain their identity and agency in a time of profound change.### Media Preview Opportunity on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, 1-4 p.m.Bishop Museum invites members of the media to attend an exclusive pre-opening, closed-door Media Preview of Kū a Lanakila! Expressions of Sovereignty in Early-Territorial Hawaiʻi, 1900-1920. Please RSVP with Lance Aquino via the contact information above.Interview opportunities include:
  • Bishop Museum Curator for Hawaiʻi and Pacific Cultural Resources Sarah Kuaiwa
  • Bishop Museum Director of Exhibits Brad Evans
• Ongoing | ExhibitLalo: Science and Conservation in the Northwestern Hawaiian IslandsScience Adventure CenterIncluded with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.Lalo: Science and Conservation in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands tells the cultural and scientific significance of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) as the kūpuna islands of Hawaiʻi. The exhibit features "The Ongoing Legacy of Coral Reef Exploration," "The Lalo Plastic Story," as well as 2D and 3D digital experiences that allow visitors to view terrestrial and underwater scenes and experience them as a series of immersive storylines about PMNM.
• Ongoing | ExhibitLele o Nā Manu: The Splendor and Loss of Hawaiʻi's BirdsScience Adventure CenterIncluded with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.Lele o Nā Manu: The Splendor and Loss of Hawaiʻi's Birds features 47 exquisite carvings of endemic manu nahele by master craftsman, Haruo Uchiyama. The complete set of historically known Hawaiian honeycreepers will be displayed atop an original mural painted by local artist, Patrick Ching. The exhibit also includes a mural by Dr. Julian Hume depicting prehistoric Kīpahulu Valley, Maui; fossils of extinct Hawaiian bird species; and an interactive game.The opening of Lele o Nā Manu coincides with Ka Makahiki o nā Manu Nahele, the Year of the Forest Birds, a campaign to celebrate and raise awareness around Hawaiʻi's native forest birds.
• Ongoing | InstallationFaith and Philanthropy: Queen Emma Kaleleonālani in EnglandHawaiian HallIncluded with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.Between 1865-1866, Queen Emma Kaleleonālani departed Hawaiʻi for a year-long journey to England, her first and only international voyage. Her journey had a specific mission: fundraising for the construction of St. Andrew's Cathedral, the seat of the Anglican Church in the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. Faith and Philanthropy: Queen Emma Kaleleonālani in England highlights research identifying items associated with Queen Emma's travel and fundraising strategies, utilizing objects from multiple Bishop Museum collections to demonstrate not only the richness of Emma's journey, but also the social, religious, and political spaces she navigated as a Hawaiian royal.
• Ongoing | InstallationsCampus MuralsThroughout the Museum campus.Included with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.Bishop Museum's outdoor murals provide an immersive art experience that bridges traditional culture, creative expression, and indigenous perspectives. The initial round of murals was completed in 2021 in conjunction with the special exhibit POW! WOW! The First Decade: From Hawaiʻi to the World, and was expanded in May 2023 during the Hawaiʻi Walls Mural Festival in Kalihi. The additional murals were inspired by the Kalihi community, local histories, and Bishop Museum's cultural and scientific collections and resources.
• Thursdays-TuesdaysPlanetarium ShowsJ. Watumull Planetarium$3 with General Admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.Join us in the J. Watumull Planetarium at Bishop Museum to connect with the environment and peoples of the Pacific region, the expanse of our universe, and the stories we pass on from generation to generation.2024 Fall Planetarium Shows:
  • "The Hawaiian Sky Tonight"
  • "Wayfinders: Waves, Winds, and Stars"
  • "3-2-1 Liftoff!"
  • "Eyes on Island Earth"
• October 2024 Sky Map | Online Resource (also attached to this release)Free downloads for personal use.You and your ʻohana can try your hand at backyard astronomy! The monthly Sky Maps from our J. Watumull Planetarium show the sky above Hawaiʻi from about 8-10 p.m. HST. Hold the Sky Map above your head to align all four directions and discover which stars and constellations are visible this month.
• Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, 5-9 p.m. | Public ProgramMuseum After HoursThroughout the Museum campus.$10 pre-sale, $15 at the door for General Admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.Come pau hana with us at Museum After Hours! Explore historic Hawaiian Hall, experience unique programs around our newest exhibiton, Kū a Lanakila! Expressions of Sovereignty in Early-Territorial Hawaiʻi, 1900-1920, and engage with Hawaiian cultural practitioners. This monthly evening event welcomes kamaʻāina and visitors to explore Hawaiʻi's unique and unparalleled cultural and natural history.
• Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, 10-11 a.m. | Public ProgramKanikapila ma KaiwiʻulaNā Ulu Kaiwiʻula Native Hawaiian GardenIncluded with Museum admission. Free for Bishop Museum Members.E hoʻokani pila pū kākou! Join members of the ʻUkulele Guild of Hawaiʻi in our Nā Ulu Kaiwiʻula Native Hawaiian Garden. Bring your ʻukulele or borrow one. Learn new techniques, share moʻolelo, or just enjoy the music as ʻUkulele Guild of Hawaiʻi leads guests through selections from "He Mele Aloha: A Hawaiian Songbook."
• Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, 4-8 p.m. | EventKaiwiʻula Night MarketVisitor Parking 2Free admission.Join us every third Wednesday for the Kaiwiʻula Night Market at Bishop Museum! Enjoy good eats and amazing crafts from our rotating list of local vendors.
• Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, 7-8 p.m. | EventThe Stars TonightJ. Watumull PlanetariumCapacity is limited, and registration is required. $10 General Adult, $7 General Youth. Children 3 and under are free but will be expected to share a seat with an adult or guardian. 50% discount for Bishop Museum Members.Come study the stars, travel across the Earth and into our solar system, and share stories with us in our J. Watumull Planetarium! Stargazing on the Great Lawn with the Hawaiian Astronomical Society, weather permitting.

Looking past October, Bishop Museum is also excited to preview the following upcoming exhibits and public programs in 2024:

• Nov. 9, 2024 | Kāhuli Festival 2024
• Fall/Winter 2024 | Updates to Science on a Sphere ("SOS") Rotunda exhibit

Bishop Museum also holds Daily Programs for all guests, as well as in-person J. Watumull Planetarium shows. Its Signature Galleries include Hawaiian Hall, Pacific Hall, Picture Gallery, Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kāhili Room, Nā Ulu o Kaiwiʻula Native Hawaiian Garden, Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center, and Campus Murals. For more information, please visit BishopMuseum.org.