Art & Culture

The Hawaiian culture has left its mark on History from the ancient traditions of the royal Hawaiian families to the ways of the Polynesians. You can celebrate the dance, fine art, music, and theater in Honolulu’s multi-cultural heritage. Oahu Island’s arts and culture are among the best in the country.

The Honolulu Academy of Arts, founded in 1927, is Hawaii’s only general art museum and is equally divided between Western and Asian art forms. The extensive collection now has over 34,000 pieces and offers many educational classes and gallery tours.

The Honolulu Symphony was founded in 1900 and is the oldest American orchestra located west of the Rocky Mountains. It has made it through financial crisis, both World Wars, the Great Depression, and many changing musical forms. The orchestra performs in the Blaisdell Center Concert Hall and is of the highest quality of symphony orchestras.

The United States Army Museum of Hawaii was once a fort used to protect Hawaii from invaders and is now a military museum that gives a most unique and unusual glimpse into the past. Helicopters, tanks, guns, vacant bunkers, photographs, and sound effects come together to tell a story of history and create a “you were there” experience.