Hawaii Maritime Center

The Hawaiian Islands are the most geographically remote lands in the world and sit in the largest body of water, the Pacific Ocean. Naturally, the ocean plays a huge impact in shaping the history of Hawaii and the lives of its people.

The Hawaii Maritime Center, located conveniently next to Aloha Tower, is a museum that traces Hawaii's colorful ocean legacy from the days of Polynesian voyagers discovery of the islands to the era of luxury liners in the 30's and 40's।

The museum is situated harbor side in a two-story building that is a replica of King Kalakaua's boathouse. The Falls of Clyde, an 1878 schooner is moored next to the building. It is listed on the national historical landmark as one of the last remaining four-masted full-rigged ships in the world. Also moored next to the museum is the Hokulea, or "Star of Gladness," a canoe in the 70's and 80's that retraced the voyage of Polynesians using the ancient navigational method of wayfinding.

The admission to the museum includes a 50-minute audio-cassette tour of the complex that begins on the second floor। This floor is dedicated to the discovery of Hawaii, both by Polynesians and Captain James Cook. Other exhibits recount the sandalwood and whaling trades of the 1800's. The Matson exhibit features the golden age of luxury liners that transported passengers between Hawaii and the United States.

Suspended from a ceiling is a rare (one of two in the world) humpback skeleton found washed up on the shores of Kahoolawe in 1986. The bottom floor of the museum displays ancient fishing methods used by Hawaiians. The Hokulea exhibit explains the art of wayfinding in which it shows how the Polynesians used the stars, ocean currents, and clouds to help them navigate throughout the Pacific Ocean. Call ahead to make arrangements for a tour (no sailing) and a hop aboard the Hokulea.

The newest addition in the museum is the Navigating Change exhibit. This educational exhibit is aimed at helping young children to understand and appreciate the values of conserving the earth's natural ecosystem. The exhibit uses the northwestern Hawaiian Islands as a model of our precious ecological region in need of protection.

Hawaii Maritime Center
Pier 7, Honolulu Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Tel: (808) 536-6373 • Daily 8:30-5 p.m. • Adults $7.50, children 6-17 $4.50 • http://holoholo.org/maritime/