The Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor is part of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Sites. Unlike the USS Arizona Memorial, which is free to visit, the museum charges admission and is only accessible via shuttle from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center (Ford Island is an active military base). The museum covers over 70 years of Pacific aviation history including more than 50 aircraft. Other attractions include WWII Hangar 37, which survived the December 7, 1941 attack, and Hangar 79, which was used as a maintenance and repair facility during the war, MiG Alley, historical videos and a documentary, ‘East Wind, Rain.’ 

All hangers in the Pacific Aviation Museum, as well as the shop and restaurant, are accessible.

Top Tip: For security reasons, visitors cannot bring bags onto the shuttle bus to Ford Island. There is a paid bag storage facility at the Bowfin Submarine Park shuttle bus stop.

Head out of Waikiki and explore island life through an interactive experience celebrating the people, arts and crafts of Polynesia at the Polynesian Cultural Center. The 42-acre Center includes six villages, each with its distinctive culture and history. Learn more about Tonga, Tahiti, Samoa, Aotearoa, Fiji and, of course, Hawaii, without leaving Oahu. There is also plenty of shopping, dining and entertainment as well as the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame to explore!

All major areas of the Polynesian Cultural Center, including the villages, dining venues, Hukilau Marketplace and the Laie Temple Visitors Center tours are accessible.

There are a limited number of wheelchairs and scooters available to rent at the Customer Service desk, which is located near the front entrance. To reserve, email or call 800-367-7060.

If you are using the Polynesian Cultural Center’s transportation and are unable to transfer into a bus seat, contact the PCC within 48 hours of your intended visit to make arrangements for a lift-equipped vehicle.

To enjoy the canoe tours, guests must transfer onto the boat while the wheelchair is folded and placed in the back of the boat. Electric scooters will be delivered to the opposite canoe landing.

Attendees at the "Ha: Breath of Life" evening show can either transfer to a reserved seat or be seated in the wheelchair row.

The Center provides ASL interpreters upon request. Contact the Guest Services & Reservations department at 1-844-572-2347 at least a week in advance.

Infrared assistive listening headsets and reflective captioning devices are available for the 14-minute 4D "Hawaiian Journey" movie.

Written transcripts are available for the "Ha: Breath of Life" show.

Parking: Accessible parking is available near the main entrance of the Center (government-issued permit required).

Find out more here.

Top Tip: Save 10 percent on the ticket price when you book online at least 10 days in advance. 

Get a sense of Hawaii of days gone by with a visit to the Iolani Palace, the only official royal residence in the U.S. Built in 1882 by King Kalakaua, it was the home of Hawaii’s last reigning monarchs and served as the official royal residence and the residence of the Kingdom’s political and social life until the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893. The restored palace (a National Historic Landmark since 1962) features original furnishings and artifacts. Make sure you also take some time to explore the sacred grounds surrounding the palace.

All public areas of Iolani Palace and Iolani Barracks are wheelchair accessible.

Motorized scooters and electric wheelchairs are not allowed in the Palace itself. There is a limited supply of complimentary wheelchairs available for use inside the Palace available on a first-come, first-served basis, free of charge.

A visual tour, complete with captioning, is being developed for instances when the lift is being serviced.

ASL interpreters can be arranged with prior notice. A printed version of the audio tour script can be requested on-site.

Touch tours can be arranged with prior notice.

Call 808-522-0832 to reserve a wheelchair or to arrange a tour or interpreter.

Parking: Limited metered parking on-site.

Public Transportation: Take one of the many buses that pass by South King Street and Punchbowl Street (1-minute walk).

Find out more here.

Top Tip: Book tickets online to save having to wait in line.

The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum was founded back in 1889 and has evolved into the largest museum in Hawaii. It also has the world’s largest collection of Polynesian cultural artifacts and natural history specimens. Don’t expect to be able to see everything in one visit. The museum houses a whopping 24 million items (nope, that isn’t a typo) and includes a planetarium, science adventure center that focuses on science connected to Hawaii’s natural environment and a space dedicated to the people of the Pacific.

The museum is wheelchair-accessible. Wheelchair seating is available throughout.

Written descriptions are provided for exhibit displays.

Multi-language audio tours (with text transcripts) are available free of charge.

Assisted verbal interpretation by a museum guide is available at no extra charge upon request. Reservations must be made at least 10 days in advance by calling the Director of Guest Experience at 808-847-8235.

Parking: Accessible spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the museum’s front and rear parking lots. Arrangements can be made for drop-off if the spaces are occupied by calling 808-847-8232.

Public Transportation: Bus #1L, #2, #2L or #13 to School Street and Kapalama Avenue (6-minute walk).

Find out more here.

Top Tip: Get a real taste of Hawaii in the museum’s café where you can sample a selection of traditional food.

Come and swim with the fishes (and the turtles and the corals) at Hanauma Bay Nature Park. This Nature Preserve and Marine Life Conservation District is one of the most popular sites on Oahu. Some 400 species of fish call the bay home, as do green sea turtles. All visitors to the site must watch a mandatory movie about protecting the sea life and corals before being allowed to hit the water.

All of the facilities at the Bay are designed to be fully accessible.

Complimentary beach wheelchairs are available from the Beach Information Kiosk from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. all year around.

The tram to and from the beach area has a ramp and can accommodate wheelchairs.

The theater has a separate screen that simultaneously shows a closed caption version of the introductory movie.

Parking: Paid parking on-site.

Public Transportation: Bus #22.

Find out more here.

Top Tip: This is one destination worth getting up at “crack of chicken” to visit. The parking lot fills up by 7:30 am (if not earlier).

Sure, Hawaii’s got beaches, pools, and shopping in abundance, but there’s also plenty of culture. Among the top destinations is the Honolulu Museum of Art, which houses a collection that includes Hokusai, van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet, Picasso and Warhol and traditional Asian and Hawaiian art. From an original collection of 4,500, when the museum opened its doors in 1927, the museum’s holdings have grown to over 50,000 objects that represent the major cultures of Hawaii and spans over 5,000 years.

The museum is wheelchair accessible. Wheelchairs are available free of charge on a first-come, first served basis from the front entrance checkroom and at Luce and Ward Gates.

The Doris Duke Theatre is equipped with the Easy Listener Hearing Assistance System. Receivers are available at the ticket counter.

Signage throughout the museum, such as gallery names, are in braille.

Parking: Three accessible spaces are available at the Luce Gate on Victoria Street and two spaces at the Ward Gate on Ward Avenue on a first-come, first served basis.

Public Transportation: Bus #1, #2, #1L or #2L (1-minute walk).

For any questions or to receive additional information about accessibility at the museum, email Kim Hutchison or call 808-532-1831.

Find out more here.

Top Tip: Entrance to the museum is free on the third Sunday of each month between 10:00 am-4:30 pm and on the first Wednesday of each month.

If you are traveling with kids, you have to visit the Honolulu Zoo. Located within the Queen Kapiolani Park, the 42,000-acre zoo houses its more than 1,230 residents into three main areas: African Savanna, Asian and American Tropical Forests and Pacific Islands. The zoo especially emphasizes the Pacific tropical island ecosystems. Don’t miss the chance to see some of Hawaii’s indigenous wildlife, including native forest birds and the Nene goose, which is Hawaii’s state bird.

The zoo is wheelchair accessible. Wheelchairs are available to rent from the gift shop at the zoo entrance on a first-come, first-served basis (refundable deposit required).

If you are accompanied by a service animal, check in with the zoo office to fill out the Honolulu Zoo’s Service Animal Admittance Policy Acknowledgement Form. There are some areas that are restricted to service animals. Find out more about the Service Animal policy here.

Parking: Paid on-site parking.

Find out more here.

Top Tip: Make a meal out of a visit. You can bring your own food and drink, including coolers, into the zoo.

Sea Life Park bills itself as “where the heart meets the sea.” More interactive experience than an amusement park, Sea Life Park allows visitors to connect closely with a variety of animals, including dolphins, sea lions, sharks and Hawaiian rays. This family friendly attraction has touch pools, trainer talks and interactive classrooms. If you want to take the experience a step further, you can book an animal “encounter” that will allow you to do everything from swimming with dolphins, rays and even sharks.

The park is accessible. Wheelchairs are available to rent.

Not all of the interactive experiences are accessible. Contact guest services at 808-259-2500 at least 48 hours before you visit to fill out a questionnaire, which will help the park (and you) determine which activities are most suitable.

Parking: Paid on-site parking.

Find out more here.

Top Tip: This isn’t a big park. Reservations are required for all the interactive programs. 

Anyone who travels with kids, even to a dream destination like Hawaii, knows that sometimes there is nothing better than a place where they can touch everything, try everything, and be kids without someone telling them off. Fortunately, Honolulu has its own child-oriented museum. The Center provides a “window to the world,” allowing little ones to explore the world through play. There’s a tot spot for children five years and younger; the Hawaiian Rainbows exhibit where kids can find out what makes living in Hawaii so special; Your Town, where they can be a grown up for the day, and Rainforest Adventures which teaches kids about the importance of rainforests all over the world.

The Center is wheelchair accessible. A ramp entrance is located on Cooke Street.

Parking: Free parking in the Kakaako Waterfront Park parking lot.

Public Transportation: Bus #19, #20, #42, #55, #56, #57, #57A, #65 and #88A to Ala Moana Boulevard and Koula Street (5-minute walk).

Find out more here.

Top Tip: There is no food or drink allowed in the Center. Get your hand stamped and head out to eat at one of the local restaurants or bring a picnic with you and eat in Kakaako Waterfront Park.