The main art museum in the Hawaiian capital, it was founded in 1927 by Anna Rice Cooke. The Academy has a superb, eclectic collection, including a few exquisite pieces. The mix of different cultures and time periods makes it easy to lose your bearings. 

The museum is renowned for its permanent European collection, including works by Matisse, Bonnard, Vlaminck, Monet, Modigliani, Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh and Picasso. Although small, the collection is very impressive, especially considering that it is in the middle of the Pacific.

The Academy also holds some fascinating depictions of Hawaii by visiting artists, such as Jacques Arago, who came to the islands at the end of the eighteenth century during a French scientific expedition.