Tripadvisor
1 / 21#21. Makawao History Project
- Rating: 4.1/5 (27 reviews)
- City: Makawao Maui
- Read more on Tripadvisor
Highest-rated specialty museums in Hawaii by visitors
In 1683, Elias Ashmole, an Oxford graduate and true polymath, founded the Ashmolean, the modern world's first public museum. Stocked with his private collection of artifacts, curios, and special scientific equipment, the goal of the museum was to create a center for practical research and the advancement of knowledge. This, Ashmole felt, was a goal "very necessary to humaine life, health [and] the conveniences thereof."
According to figures from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, there are more than 35,000 museums in the United States today. Their collections encompass everything from modern art, like at the MoMA in New York City, to mustard, like at the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, and everything in between.
Museums are anchors of our communities. The American Alliance of Museums reports that museums support more than 725,000 jobs and contribute upwards of $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Three-quarters of Americans agree that museums are an important part of our civil society and have an important role in promoting knowledge and civic engagement.
Beyond their educational and economic significance, museums are just plain fun. Whether you have a developed interest in natural history or just want to learn a little bit more about funerary history (the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston), there's sure to be a museum that strikes your interest. There's simply nothing else quite like spending an afternoon learning about famous figures, arts and crafts, military history, or what else you fancy.
Here, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated specialty museums in Hawaii on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 13, 2025. Keep reading to see what unique museums are in your home state. Then, make sure to plan a visit. With many museums facing funding cuts due to the current administration's efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, who's to say how much longer these treasure troves will be available to us?
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Tripadvisor
2 / 21#20. Laupahoehoe Train Museum
- Rating: 4.0/5 (36 reviews)
- City: Laupahoehoe Island of
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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3 / 21#19. Tropic Lightning Museum
- Rating: 4.2/5 (33 reviews)
- City: Wahiawa Oahu
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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4 / 21#18. Hawaii Plantation Museum
- Rating: 4.8/5 (48 reviews)
- City: Papaikou Island of
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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5 / 21#17. Kokee Natural History Museum
- Rating: 4.0/5 (104 reviews)
- City: Kekaha Kauai
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor
6 / 21#16. Lucoral Museum
- Rating: 4.2/5 (20 reviews)
- City: Honolulu Oahu
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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7 / 21#15. Waioli Mission House
- Rating: 4.5/5 (31 reviews)
- City: Kauai
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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8 / 21#14. Kona Historical Society
- Rating: 4.6/5 (63 reviews)
- City: Kealakekua Island of
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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9 / 21#13. Hale Hoʻikeʻike at the Bailey House
- Rating: 4.1/5 (155 reviews)
- City: Wailuku Maui
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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10 / 21#12. Honolulu's Police Department Museum
- Rating: 4.8/5 (118 reviews)
- City: Honolulu Oahu
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor
11 / 21#11. Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives
- Rating: 4.4/5 (129 reviews)
- City: Honolulu Oahu
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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12 / 21#10. Whale Center of the Pacific
- Rating: 4.6/5 (150 reviews)
- City: Lahaina Maui
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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13 / 21#9. Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum
- Rating: 3.9/5 (268 reviews)
- City: Puunene Maui
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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14 / 21#8. Grove Farm Sugar Plantation Museum
- Rating: 4.6/5 (155 reviews)
- City: Lihue Kauai
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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15 / 21#7. Pacific Tsunami Museum
- Rating: 4.3/5 (594 reviews)
- City: Hilo Island of
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor
16 / 21#6. Hawaii Plantation Village
- Rating: 4.4/5 (217 reviews)
- City: Waipahu Oahu
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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17 / 21#5. Lyman Museum
- Rating: 4.5/5 (327 reviews)
- City: Hilo Island of
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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18 / 21#4. Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
- Rating: 4.4/5 (2,393 reviews)
- City: Honolulu Oahu
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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19 / 21#3. USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park
- Rating: 4.6/5 (4,007 reviews)
- City: Honolulu Oahu
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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20 / 21#2. Bishop Museum
- Rating: 4.5/5 (2,935 reviews)
- City: Honolulu Oahu
- Read more on Tripadvisor
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Tripadvisor
21 / 21#1. Iolani Palace
- Rating: 4.6/5 (8,527 reviews)
- City: Honolulu Oahu
- Read more on Tripadvisor
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Madison Troyer, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.
