Shangri La Makes Visiting Easier Through New Tour Offering

# Shangri La Makes Visiting Easier Through New Tour Offering

Partnership with Bishop Museum increases tour access for Kamaʻāina

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HONOLULU, HI (August 13, 2025) - Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design is proud to announce a new tour partnership with Bishop Museum, expanding access to one of Hawaiʻi's most unique cultural destinations. Beginning October 6th, Bishop Museum will host Saturday tours of Shangri La, joining the existing Thursday and Friday tours hosted by the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA). This expanded, multi-institution collaboration marks a significant step forward in Shangri La's commitment to sharing its diverse Islamic art collection, stunning architecture, and dynamic creative campus with a broader audience.

To further improve accessibility for kamaʻāina and better accommodate shorter planning windows for visitors, Shangri La adopted a new monthly ticket release model. Tickets will go on sale the first Thursday of every month at 10 a.m. HST beginning September 4, 2025, replacing the previous three-month advance system. Additionally, all tours can be booked through a centralized platform on the Shangri La website, streamlining the ticket-buying process. The refreshed ticketing system and new Saturday partnership with Bishop Museum will offer greater booking flexibility and increase availability.

As a center of the Doris Duke Foundation, Shangri La does not profit from the tour program. All net proceeds for over twenty years have directly supported the arts at HoMA and will now do so at Bishop Museum, helping to sustain two of Hawaiʻi's most important cultural institutions and reinvesting in local communities.

"Expanding tour access through Bishop Museum and adjusting our ticketing schedule reflects our kuleana to serve Hawai'i's communities more equitably," said Ben Weitz, executive director of Shangri La. "Proceeds from all tours directly support Bishop Museum and HoMA, strengthening Hawai'i's cultural network through a shared stewardship model to care for this place and advance education, preservation, and storytelling. Our entire staff hopes to see more locals at Shangri La."

"Bishop Museum is honored to join this partnership and provide additional opportunities for locals and visitors to explore and enjoy the museums of Hawaiʻi," said Brandon Bunag, Ed.D, vice president of public programs and interim director of education at Bishop Museum. "As co-hosts of the Shangri La program, Bishop Museum proudly extends our role as a gathering place for cultural learning and community connection."

This refreshed visitor experience continues Shangri La's long-standing relationship with HoMA. The current tour program, operating solely through HoMA, will continue through the end of August 2025.

"For more than twenty years, HoMA has partnered with Shangri La to create meaningful, transformative experiences through art, history, and natural beauty. It is a privilege to continue to do so while expanding the program's reach with Bishop Museum. Collaborations like this only strengthen Hawai'i's arts ecosystem," said Kim Hutchison, head of visitor engagement at HoMA.

Each 75-minute tour of Shangri La includes round-trip shuttle transportation originating from Bishop Museum or HoMA, semi-guided exploration of the galleries and grounds supported by tour staff, and same-day admission to the hosting partner institution.

Kamaʻāina tickets are $20 for Thursday/Friday tours hosted by HoMA and $25 for Saturday tours hosted by Bishop Museum. General admission is $45 for non-residents at both host institutions. While some pricing has increased to align with similar cultural experiences, kamaʻāina rates were held at previous pricing for the ongoing HoMA tours as a commitment to encourage local participation by Shangri La staff.

Tickets will be available for purchase beginning Thursday, September 4th at 10 a.m. HST. For more information, visit www.shangrilahawaii.org

ABOUT SHANGRI LA

Itself a work of art, Shangri La is a center of the Doris Duke Foundation that convenes conversations of local and global significance through its residencies, exhibitions, and community programs. Shangri La's approach to art reflects the organization's commitment to building a more creative, equitable, and sustainable future as ongoing active engagements are represented in all that we do. For more information, visit www.shangrilahawaii.org or @hi_shangrila on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

ABOUT HONOLULU MUSEUM OF ART (HoMA)

The Honolulu Museum of Art is Hawai'i's premier art institution, inspiring the community through transformative art experiences. The Museum is located in what is historically known as Kulaokahu'a Plains, part of the ahupua'a of Honolulu. Founded in 1927 by Anna Rice Cooke to reflect Hawai'i's multicultural makeup, today HoMA's extraordinary collection of more than 55,000 works of art from across the globe spans 5,000 years.

Through its collection, innovative exhibitions, and programs, HoMA is able to tell stories relevant to Hawai'i and the world at large. It serves as a gathering place of learning and discovery, where visitors can encounter new ideas, explore diverse perspectives, develop empathy, and contribute to their well-being through art. Home to an art school, Honolulu's last art house theater, two cafés, and a shop—just 10 minutes from Waikīkī in two iconic buildings—HoMA is a vital part of Hawai'iʻs cultural landscape committed to access for all. For more information, visit honolulumuseum.org or @honolulumuseum on social media.