THE HONOLULU ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SHANGRI-LA, OAHU
Not far from downtown, the Honolulu Academy of Arts has been sharing the arts with Hawaii since 1927. With a permanent collection of over 38,000 pieces, this is Hawaii's largest general fine-arts museum.
Stroll from gallery to gallery past open-air courtyards and ponds. Explore one of the finest collections of Asian art in the world as well as impressive collections of Western, European, and Polynesian art. If you feel like seeing a film, visit Doris Duke Theatre, which plays an impressive slate of foreign and independent films. After browsing the galleries, take a break and stop at the Pavilion café and have lunch in the beautifully landscaped courtyard.
From the Academy of Art you can also take a guided tour of Shangri-La, one of Hawaii's most architecturally significant homes. Overlooking Diamond Head, Shangri-La holds 3,500 objects of Islamic Art collected by worldly heiress Doris Duke. Tour richly decorated rooms that transport you to Morocco and Egypt, stunningly juxtaposed with magnificent outdoor views of palm trees and the Pacific. Your journey to another world begins at the Honolulu Academy of Arts.
