The promise of sun and beach time on famous shores may draw you to Oahu, Hawaii's most populous island, but a rainy day might call for different plans. Gloomy weather is more typical of Hawaii's rainy season, from November to March, which is ironically when the islands see the most visitors. Even then, showers rarely last more than three days in any given area. If it does rain while you're on Oahu, head to the island's indoor attractions, the highlights of which are museums and historic sites.
Learn About Local Marine Life
- Stay dry while observing the 3,500 or so water-dwelling creatures at the Waikiki Aquarium. Indoor exhibits include Hunters of the Reef, home to blacktip reef sharks and groupers, and Diversity and Adaptations, a tank devoted to some of the ocean's most distinctive creatures, including eels, seahorses and frogfish, masters of camouflage. Bring an umbrella or wait for a break in the clouds to check out the outdoor exhibits, which include a touch tank and Edge of the Reef, a display of several kinds of coral systems found around Hawaii.
Admire an Array of Art
- Spend a rainy day admiring the intricate Japanese woodblock prints, or ukiyo-e, at the Honolulu Museum of Art, where some of the masters of the tradition are represented. The museum's collection of 50,000 objects also includes Renaissance paintings, works that represent Hawaii in a variety of media and Roman, Greek and Egyptian objects from antiquity. One ticket allows you same-day admission to the Honolulu Museum of Art's second location, the Spalding House, formerly the Contemporary Museum. Here the must-see attraction is an installation of the sets and costumes David Hockney created for the Metropolitan Opera's 1981 production of "L'Enfant et les Sortileges."
Explore a Royal Palace
- Hawaii's last two monarchs, King David Kalakaua and his sister and successor, Queen Liliuokalani, surely spent more than one rainy day in their lavish abode, the four-story Iolani Palace in Honolulu, constructed in 1882. While you wait for the sun to emerge, explore the palace's first two floors on a guided docent tour or a self-led audio tour. On the first floor, you will find the public areas of the palace, such as the throne room. The monarch's suites are on the second floor, where you can also step into the room where Queen Liliuokalani was held under house arrest when her government was overthrown in 1893.
Relive History at Pearl Harbor
- Take time on Oahu to recall a key moment in American history: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which drew the U.S. into World War II. Your visit begins at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. Arrive early in the day for the best chance to score same-day tickets to visit the USS Arizona Memorial, accessible via ferry. The memorial rests above the wreckage of the battleship that sank on this very spot, taking more than a thousand sailors with it. In addition, or as an alternative, take the shuttle bus to Ford Island, where you can walk on the deck of the Battleship Missouri, where the Japanese signed their surrender agreement in 1945. Near the Visitor Center, visitors ages 4 and older can go inside the USS Bowfin, a World War II submarine. Children of all ages are allowed at the associated museum, which displays artifacts from the submarine.
