Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 11, 1 November 1988 — Maritime Center Opens Museum At Pier 7 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Maritime Center Opens Museum At Pier 7

Opening on November 17 this month at Honolulu Harbor's Pier 7 near the Aloha Tower, is the Hawaii Maritime Center, a museum complex dedicated to the preservation of Hawaii's rich oeean heritage. Housed in the newly-completed Kalakaua Boat House on Pier 7, the museum houses 25,000 sq. ft. of marine and maritime exhibits, a multi-purpose room, restaurant and other public areas. Funding for the building's construction and its extensive exhibits was made possible through generaous donations of over $2.5 million from Hawaii's business community, foundations and individuals. The Hawaii Maritime Center is a private, nonprofit organization formed in 1984 to establish a lworld-class" maritime museum in Honolulu. It was merged with the Aloha Tower Maritime Center on the tower's ninth floor. The complex consists of five major components whieh make it a strong historical attraction: • The 100-year old Falls of Clyde, said to be the only full-rigged, four-masted ship left in the world, has a history all her own, and is permanently berthed at Pier 7 as a museum ship. • Pier 7, located a short walk from Aloha T ower, was the international steamship pier for turn-of-the-century Honolulu. The maritime center is developing Pier 7 into Hawaii's "historic ship" pier. • Aloha Tower, the tallest building in Honolulu when built in 1926, was a famous destination for arriving ships and cruise lines. Still a popular visitor attraction for its panoramic view of the harbor and downtown, it will eventually include a library and photo archives, maritime art gallery, curatorial room, and a mezzanine to view the famous tower eloek. • The Hokule'a, double-hulled voyaging eanoe owned by the Polynesian Voyaging Society, and world-famous for its Pacific voyages using tra-

ditional Polynesian way-finding (navigation), will be the flagship of the center's eanoe display. • The Kalakaua Boat House is designed in the style of the old Myrtle Boat Club, one of several boat houses at Honolulu Harbor in the 1800s.

Located at the foot of Punchbowl St., the clubwas a plaee where members eame for daily workouts, eanoe paddling and sculling. There were social functions and weekend races with rival clubs as well, including King Kalakaua's private boathouse nearby. Public hours to visit the Hawaii Maritime Center are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Admission. For more information, eall 523-6151.