Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [225]
′Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii
′Imiloa (Map; 969-9700; www.imiloahawaii.org; 600 ′Imiloa Pl; adult/child 4-12 $17.50/9.50; 9am-4pm Tue-Sun) is a provocative exploration of two very different cultures: that of Native Hawaiians and 21st-century scientists. This odd juxtaposition embodies the complex story of Mauna Kea (Click here), and the museum does a classy, first-rate job presenting their distinct (and sometimes strikingly convergent) world views side by side, using all the whiz-bang, eye-popping immersive technology in the modern curator’S toolbox. With bilingual (English and Hawaiian) exhibits, it first tells two creation stories – the Hawaiian Kumulipo (chanted in Hawaiian) and science’S Big Bang theory. Then it describes two types of voyaging: the wayfinding of Polynesians, who used the stars to chart courses into the unknown, and the wayfinding of astronomers, who reach into the stars to divine the order of the cosmos.
Grab a seat in a ‘Cosmic Cab,’ listen to crewmembers describe sailing the Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hokule′a (Click here), watch live feeds from Mauna Kea observatories, learn about Hawaiian music and language, and hitch a ride into the night sky in the 120-seat planetarium (which presents shows at 11am, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm). Altogether, it makes an entertaining journey, rich with warmth and intelligence.
There is also a restaurant, a gift shop, a Hawaiian language center (call for weekend class schedules) and once-a-month astronomy presentations (call 969-9711 to make reservations).
Lyman Museum & Mission House
In admirably succinct fashion, this comprehensive museum (Map; 935-5021; www.lymanmuseum.org; 276 Haili St; adult/child 6-17 $10/3; 10am-4:30pm Mon-Sat) escorts you through almost the entire natural and cultural history of Hawaii. Geologic exhibits are a highlight, including a walk-through ‘lava tube’ and great examples of lava rocks (including such weirdness as lava bombs, pahoehoe toes, Pele’S tears, Pele’S hair). It also has world-class collections of seashells, gems and crystals.
Exhibits on ancient Hawaiian life are well done, describing everything from simple daily tasks – such as how adzes, feather lei, kapa (cloth made by pounding the bark of paper mulberry), and thatched homes were made – to ancient sports, religious worship and the mysteries of the kapu system. Exhibits also look at the immigrants who created Hawaii’S multiethnic society. If the old-fashioned cultural displays now feel like museum pieces themselves, don’t worry – mysterious but exciting plans are underway to completely redesign them to, as one curator told us, ‘tell the history in a whole new way.’
Adjacent to the museum (and included in the admission) is the Mission House, which was built by the Reverend David Lyman and his wife, Sarah, in 1839. The modest house reflects the missionaries themselves; it contains many original furnishings, including Sarah Lyman’S melodeon, rocking chair, china and quilts. Docents do a good job of evoking missionary life and the role the Lymans played on the Big Island; there are free tours several times daily.
Pacific Tsunami Museum
For heart-stopping drama and sheer emotion, it’S hard to top this tidy museum (Map; 935-0926; www.tsunami.org; 130 Kamehameha Ave; adult/child 6-17 $7/2; 9am-4pm Mon-Sat), which brings to life the destructive horror of a Pacific Ocean tsunami. Multimedia exhibits are excellent (including chilling computer simulations, videos, documentaries, dioramas and more), but it’S the first-person accounts by survivors that grab you. Some docents are Hilo tsunami survivors. Though focused on the tsunami, displays amount to a de facto history of Hilo; ask for the free tsunami sites walking-tour brochure.
Mokupapapa Discovery Center
The best, and surely the easiest, way to visit the long string of islands