Hawaii Maritime Center

Navigate Through Nautical History

Description

As an island nation, Hawaii has a long maritime history, which is explained at this museum through educational exhibits, artifacts, and multimedia displays. Visitors will find fascinating exhibits here that cover everything from early Polynesian whalers, to European explorers, to the history of surfing. The museum even displays a complete skeleton of a massive humpback whale that was found washed on shore in 1986; it took eight months to put the skeleton together, and is a rare sight indeed as there are only a few complete humpback whale skeletons on display in the world. You'll also get to see centuries-old restored ships here, including a 1870s-era four-masted ship and a double-hulled Polynesian voyaging canoe. The museum is a fascinating place to explore, as well as one of the best places in the islands to learn about Hawaii's ongoing, integral relationship with the sea.