Press Release: Hilton Hawaiian Village
August 2, 2001
HONOLULU, HI -- Bishop Museum, the world-renowned treasure trove of Hawaiiana that is home to more than two million
artifacts, opened yesterday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa as the first full-scale museum
facility in a Hawaii resort. Conveniently accessible to Hawaii visitors and residents, Bishop Museum at Kalia offers
the most extensive collection of Hawaiiana in Waikiki.
Located in the resort's newly opened Kalia Tower(TM), Bishop Museum at Kalia shares the story of life in Waikiki
and ancient Hawai'i from two perspectives -- the Ali'i (ruling class) and their subjects. Visitors to the museum
can learn about ancient Hawaiian history with exhibits that begin with the story of Polynesian migration to Hawai'i
around 400 A.D. and culminate with Waikiki's modern history. A favorite playground of Hawaiians, Waikiki was popular
for its surf and beaches, and was also used for agriculture. The area history includes a film presentation of Waikiki
circa the early 1900s.
The collection at Kalia Tower showcases the best of Hawaiian artisan workmanship including warfare weapons made
from shark teeth, bowls crafted from native Hawaiian woods, kapa fabric created from the bark of mulberry trees,
stone tools, historic surfboards, exquisite feather lei and capes that were once prized possessions of Hawaiian
nobility and monarchs. With pieces dating back to the 1700s, artifacts include indigenous tools, ornamental jewelry
and other relics of the daily life of Ali'i and their subjects. Exhibits also share the story of Hawaii's monarchy,
which spanned from 1795 to 1893.
The museum is Waikiki's most comprehensive Hawaiian cultural center. ``We're honored to be home to Bishop Museum
at Kalia,'' said Peter Schall, senior vice president - Hawaii Region of Hilton Hotels Corporation, and managing
director - Hilton Hawaiian Village. ``Visitors and residents have a new haven of Hawaiiana, right in Waikiki, where
they can learn about Hawai'i's heritage.''
In addition to unusual and rare artifact exhibits, the museum presents cultural interpreters, chant, music, dance
and activities for an interactive educational experience.
Museum visitors can tour surrounding gardens where native plants and trees grow. Docents explain how these plants
were used for sustenance and medicinal purposes. Other activities include music and dance lessons, the making of
music and dance implements, flower and seed lei-making, creating cordage from coconut fibers, and making kapa (paper
mulberry bark fabric) used as clothing and bedding materials.
A highlight of the new center is Hawaiian Stars and Skies, a program, which shares the cultural and spiritual importance
of the skies to ancient Hawaiians, who used the skies for navigation, tracking seasons and agriculture.
Hawaiian Sounds is an interactive demonstration where guests can play the pahu (drum), ipu heke (double gourd drum),
'ohe hano ihu (nose flute) and 'uli 'uli (feathered gourd rattle). Guests can also learn the basic motions of the
traditional hula. Pineapple Tell & Treat demonstration and sampling shares the story of Hawai'i's pineapple
industry, which began in the early 1900s.
The new center includes a museum shop that offers Hawaiian hand-crafted products.
Bishop Museum at Kalia is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Cost for admission is as follows: $11.95 for adults;
$9.95 for children, ages 4 to 12; and free for children, ages 3 and younger. Discounts are available for Hawai'i
residents and military personnel. Private events can be hosted.
Bishop Museum at Kalia is supported in part by funds from the Hawai'i Tourism Authority and is an alliance of Bishop
Museum and Hilton Hawaiian Village. Bernice P. Bishop Museum, the State Museum of Cultural and Natural History,
was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop, in honor of his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last
direct descendant of the royal Kamehameha dynasty. Originally established to house the large collection of Hawaiian
artifacts and royal family heirlooms of the Princess, the museum has since expanded its treasures to include over
two million artifacts, documents and photographs of Hawai'i and other Pacific island cultures.
For information, visit www.hawaiianvillage.hilton.com or call
the resort directly at (808) 949-4321. For more information on Bishop Museum, visit www.bishopmuseum.org
or call Bishop Museum at Kalia at (808) 946-9478.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Hilton Hawaiian Village® Beach Resort & Spa is Waikiki's only
destination resort, offering the widest stretch of beach on Waikiki, a beachfront lagoon, waterfalls, pools, gardens,
art collections and exotic wildlife on 22 acres. More than 90 shops and 20 restaurants and lounges, the weekly
King's Jubilee celebration and fireworks, and nightly Hawaiian performances make Hilton Hawaiian Village® Waikiki's
finest dining, shopping, and entertainment center.
SOURCE: Hilton Hawaiian Village