Art Research Guide

The Honolulu Museum of Art opened in 1927 and has grown to hold one of the largest single collections of Asian and Pan-Pacific art in the United States.

The museum is open Wednesday - Sunday.

College students: Students currently enrolled at any Hawai‘i State University or College receive free admission upon presentation of a valid school ID. 

Every third Sunday of the month admission is free for kama'āina

For more information visit the Museum's website: https://honolulumuseum.org/

The Robert Allerton Art Library at HoMA is an invaluable resource with more than 40,000 holdings. The library collects books and periodicals that focus on the artists, art, and art movements represented in HoMA’s encyclopedic collection. Integral to HoMA’s mission and vision, the library plays a vital role in edifying the quest for knowledge, understanding, and beauty. You’ll find the library’s collection as well as special collections, such as the Richard Lane Collection, via the Online Library Catalog. You may also search the Museum collections.

For research or reference appointments outside of regular library hours, or questions you may have, please email library@honolulumuseum.org or visit the library website.

Library hours

Museum Collection Databases

Another place to find information about the object your researching are museum collections databases. For many objects they may be the only place that references your particular object. Mining museum databases for information about object's creator, period of creation, and related contextual information can be a great first step to finding keywords to use in your searching. Occasionally these databases even provide further reading.