The first Wednesday of each month is free for Hawai'i residents through a lottery process.
Admission to Shangri La is by guided tour and reservation only.
To become eligible to participate in our Free Kama’aina Wednesday,
Hawai'i residents are asked to complete the official lottery entry form and mail it to:
Honolulu Museum of Art
900 S. Beretania St.
Honolulu, HI 96814
Attn: Shangri La Reservation Office
You can download the entry form or pick one up from the Honolulu Museum of Art Visitor Information Center.
Entries will be randomly drawn on the first Monday of the month prior. Winners will be notified within 48 hours. All entries are discarded after the drawing. You must resubmit an entry form for the next drawing.
To receive free admission, residents need to show proof of local residency in the form of a Hawai'i Driver’s License or State Identification.
In addition, kama’aina must submit a credit card number when they receive their notification call; should they fail to show up for a booked free tour, they will be charged the regular kama‘aina tour fee of $20.
Dates are subject to change. Shangri La reserves the right to cancel tours due to inclement weather and unforeseen circumstances.
All other inquiries may be directed to shangrilatickets@honolulumuseum.org.
Tour information
Group tours of 12 people begin at the Honolulu Museum of Art with a viewing of the Arts of the Islamic World gallery
and a short video about Shangri La and Doris Duke.
Visitors then board minivans for the 15-minute drive to Shangri La.
Tours last approximately two and a half hours, with one and a half hours on site at Shangri La.
Tours feature the public rooms of the main house and portions of the grounds, including:
- Entry courtyard
- Foyer and stairway
- Central courtyard & powder room
- Living room
- Mihrab room and library
- Dining room and lanai (with view of Playhouse, sun pavilion, pool, and landscaping)
- Syrian room
- Mughal garden
- Damascus room
Pending future restoration work, the following area is not currently shown on the public tours: the Mughal Suite, a marble bedroom-and-bath suite that Duke commissioned in India in 1935. These areas can, however, be seen on the virtual tour at www.shangrilahawaii.org, in the video at the Museum and in the publication Doris Duke’s Shangri La, which is available in the Honolulu Museum of Art Shop. The Playhouse is used for special programs and events—check the Shangri La schedule for upcoming programs.
Visitor advisory
The house and grounds are built on several levels and visitors should be prepared to climb several flights of stairs. Wheelchair tours are available but require special arrangements. For more information on wheelchair accessibility, please see the Visitor Guidelines.
Shangri La is closed to the public
New Year’s Day
Fourth of July
August 15-18, 2012
Thanksgiving Day
December 8, 2012 - Kama'aina Christmas
Christmas Day
The entire month of September. This is when conservation work is conducted.
Directions + Parking
All tours of Shangri La originate at the Honolulu Museum of Art located at
900 S. Beretania Street between Victoria and Ward Streets in Honolulu.
Paid parking is available at:
- Honolulu Museum of Art School, located at the corner of Beretania and Victoria Streets. Entrances on Beretania and Young St. ($3 for up to 4 hours)
- Neal Blaisdell Center, located one block south from the Museum on King Street (special flat rate of $6, from 5:30am to 5pm, when you mention the Museum)
Public access to Shangri La by the Honolulu Museum of Art mini van only
Under the terms of Shangri La's use permit from the City and County of Honolulu, visitor access to Shangri La is limited to our mini vans, which originate at the Honolulu Museum of ARt. Visitors may NOT drive or park on-site at Shangri La or in the surrounding residential neighborhood.
Any visitors who arrive at Shangri La on their own will be turned away.
All visitors are required to return to the Honolulu Museum of Art at the end of their tour.
Public transportation
The bus provides service to the Honolulu Museum of Art. For bus information, call (808) 848-5555 or TTY (808) 848-4500.
Dining information
The Honolulu Museum of Art Cafe offers lunch service Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30am to 1:30pm in a delightful open-air courtyard setting. The menu features salads, pastas, sandwiches, desserts, wines and beverages served a la carte.
Advance reservationsare required. Please call (808) 532-8734 to make a lunch reservation.
