Lab Salon

The Honolulu Academy of Arts was founded in 1922 and opened to the public on April 8, 1927. It was the vision of Anna Rice Cooke, a woman born into a prominent missionary family on O‘ahu in 1853. Growing up in a home that appreciated the arts, she went on to marry Charles Montague Cooke, also of a prominent missionary family, and the two settled in Honolulu. In 1882, they built a home on Beretania Street, on the site that would become home to the museum. In 1961, Thurston Twigg-Smith opened an art gallery—the Contemporary Art Center—within the Honolulu Advertiser building, which he owned. The gallery featured work from Twigg-Smith's collection and work by local artists. In 1988, the Twigg-Smith family donated Spalding House, which was built by Honolulu Academy of Arts founder Anna Rice Cooke, to create The Contemporary Museum, a private, nonprofit museum for contemporary art in Honolulu. In 2011, The Contemporary Museum gifted its assets and collection to the Honolulu Academy of Arts and in 2012, the combined museum changed its name to the Honolulu Museum of Art.

Dolphin Quest offers the public an unprecedented opportunity to experience the wonder and amazement of dolphins, with up-close swimming experiences in deep and shallow water. Dolphin Quest is truly a hands-on experience with marine mammals that is like no other. You'll start your day with specialized training. The dolphins will swim up for their first greeting and you'll get acclimated to the water and your new ocean friends. During your encounter, you'll feed the dolphins, touch them and play with them. You'll also swim alongside these beautiful creatures in shallow and deep water. Personalized photos and a video CD of your experience will preserve the moment forever. Besides offering dolphin encounters, Dolphin Quest also is devoted to conservation of marine wildlife through research, successful breeding programs and excellent animal health care.