Hawaii Maritime Center



The Hawai`i Maritime Center is now part of the Hawaii Pacific University's campus but was the principal maritime museum in the State of Hawai`i from 1988 until it closed in 2009. Located at Pier 7 of Honolulu Harbor east of Aloha Tower, the center was a campus of the Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum. The Hawai`i Maritime Center was built on what once was the private boathouse of King David Kalakaua and was home to the only four-masted, full-rigged ship in the world called the Falls of Clyde. The Falls of Clyde was built in 1878 for the oil industry and is a National Historic Landmark. Also docked at the Hawai`i Maritime Center was the voyaging canoe Hokule`a, a scientific research vessel of great importance to native Hawaiian culture.

Due to prevailing economic conditions, the Hawai'i Maritime Center was closed to the public effective May 1, 2009. In December 2017, the Bishop Museum transferred its lease between the Maritime Center and the State of Hawaii to a third party, and ceased operating the center. Plans for its future were unknown at that time. This third party would be known as the Hawaii Pacific University and in 2015, the facility was converted to be part of its campus.