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Homeschool Discounts in Hawaii

Big-ticket Hawaii museums, aquariums, and cultural sites with homeschool field-trip rates — typically 30–50% off for kids, sometimes free.

✓ Programs verified June 2026 · 6 confirmed programs · 2 call-to-confirm

Hawaii's biggest museums and aquariums hand homeschool families some of the best field-trip values in the islands. On Oahu, the Bishop Museum — the State Museum of Natural and Cultural History — runs school and homeschool field trips at just $9 a student (versus a $34-plus gate), and the Honolulu Museum of Art welcomes homeschool groups for free, guided or self-guided. On Maui, the Maui Ocean Center, the aquarium of Hawaiʻi, drops to $5 a Hawaiʻi student with chaperones free.

The neighbor islands fill in. On the Big Island, Hilo's ʻImiloa Astronomy Center names home schools in its $10-per-participant kamaʻāina field-trip rate, and in Kona the Kona Coffee Living History Farm immerses students in 1930s plantation life from $5 for Hawaiʻi keiki. Back on Oahu, the hands-on Hawaiʻi Children's Discovery Center runs self-led group visits from $6 a person. For the Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo and the Waikīkī Aquarium in Honolulu, book a school visit ahead for a group rate.

Confirmed homeschool pricing

Published price on the venue's own homeschool page — most under $20 per child.

Recurring
Weekdays
By reservation
$9
per kid

Bishop Museum

Honolulu · Grades 1–12 · Request 3 weeks ahead; schoolgroups@bishopmuseum.org

The State Museum of Natural and Cultural History of Hawaiʻi holds the world's largest collection of Hawaiian and Pacific artifacts, plus a planetarium and a live volcano demonstration on a historic 15-acre campus. At $9 a student it is the flagship homeschool field trip in the islands.

Regular admission: $33.95+ adults / $25.95+ youth (dynamic gate) — $9 per student versus the $26-plus youth gate
Note: Field trips are $9 per student ($6 for Title 1 schools), plus $1 per student for facilitated programs, across the museum's Hawaiian Hall, planetarium, science, and native-garden experiences. Homeschool co-ops book as a student group; submit the field-trip request form at least three weeks ahead. Reduced Title 1 rates are grant-funded and first-come.
Homeschool page at bishopmuseum.org →
Recurring
One school per day
By reservation
$5
per kid

Maui Ocean Center

Maʻalaea · All grades · Book early; fanakalea@mauioceancenter.com

The Aquarium of Hawaiʻi at Maʻalaea on Maui showcases living coral reefs, sharks, rays, and sea turtles, plus a 3D humpback-whale sphere experience. The $5 Hawaiʻi-student field-trip rate makes one of the state's marquee attractions a genuine budget marine-science day.

Regular admission: ~$45 adults at the gate — $5 per Hawaiʻi student versus the ~$45 gate
Note: Hawaiʻi students visit for $5 each, with teachers and chaperones free at a 1:8 ratio (extra adults $10). The rate includes all exhibits and the Humpbacks of Hawaiʻi 3D Sphere. Only one school is booked per day, so dates fill fast — reserve early with the field-trip coordinator at fanakalea@mauioceancenter.com.
Homeschool page at mauioceancenter.com →
Recurring
Wed–Sat
By reservation
Free
per kid

Honolulu Museum of Art

Honolulu · Grades K–12 · Reserve 2 weeks ahead; schooltours@honolulumuseum.org

Hawaiʻi's premier art museum holds a renowned Asian, Pacific, and European collection around tranquil garden courtyards near downtown Honolulu. Free school and homeschool visits — guided or self-guided — make a world-class art field trip completely cost-free.

Regular admission: $25 adults / Free under 18 (gate) — free guided and self-guided visits for homeschool groups
Note: HoMA's guided school visits and self-guided visits for schools, homeschools, and universities are free of cost — homeschool groups are explicitly named. Book at least two weeks ahead. The free guided See Art Make Art tour pairs a gallery visit with a hands-on art activity (groups of 25–50); self-guided visits take up to 30 students.
Homeschool page at honolulumuseum.org →
Recurring
Weekdays
By reservation
$10
per kid

ʻImiloa Astronomy Center

Hilo · Preschool–12 · Reserve ahead; (808) 932-8921

A University of Hawaiʻi astronomy and culture center in Hilo with a full-dome planetarium and exhibits linking Polynesian wayfinding to modern Mauna Kea astronomy. Its $10 kamaʻāina field-trip rate, open to home schools by name, is the Big Island's standout STEM field trip.

Regular admission: $19 adults / $12 child (gate) — $10 per participant kamaʻāina field-trip rate
Note: Hawaiʻi public, charter, private, AND home schools (grades preschool–12) qualify for the $10-per-participant kamaʻāina field-trip rate — homeschools are named on the page. Each two-hour visit includes a 40-minute planetarium show and guided Exhibit Hall time. Big Island groups of 25+ paid admissions get a free bus. Reservations required.
Homeschool page at imiloahawaii.org →
Recurring
Tue & Fri
By reservation
$5
per kid

Kona Coffee Living History Farm

Captain Cook · Preschool–8 · Open Tue & Fri; audrey@konahistorical.org

A preserved 1920s–30s Japanese coffee homestead in the Kona coffee belt where costumed interpreters mill coffee, tend the farmhouse and gardens, and care for the Kona Nightingale donkeys. Hands-on living history at $5 for Hawaiʻi keiki makes an immersive social-studies field trip.

Regular admission: $20 adults / $10 student / $5 kamaʻāina (gate) — $5 Hawaiʻi keiki rate plus grade-level farm programs
Note: Hawaiʻi student admission is $5 (ages 7–17), and the Kona Historical Society offers grade-level field-trip programs — Journey of a Coffee Bean (K–2), A Day on the Farm (1st–8th), a farmhouse scavenger hunt, and donkey storytime. Homeschool groups are welcome; email audrey@konahistorical.org for materials and to book a visit.
Homeschool page at konahistorical.org →
Recurring
Tue–Fri
By reservation
$6
per kid

Hawaiʻi Children's Discovery Center

Honolulu · Preschool–8 · Group-visit form; 20-student min (or $10 Courtesy Call)

A hands-on children's museum at Kakaʻako Waterfront Park in Honolulu with five interactive exhibit galleries built around play-based learning. School and homeschool group visits are offered by reservation — confirm the field-trip rate when you book.

Regular admission: $15 / $12 kamaʻāina (gate) — $6–$8 per person group rate vs. the $15 gate
Note: Self-led group visits are $6 per person for Discovery 1 (90 minutes, 3 galleries) or $8 for Discovery 2 (120 minutes, 5 galleries); a guided Focus Visit is $8 per person. Regular bookings need a 20-student minimum (a homeschool co-op clears it), while smaller groups book a $10-per-person Courtesy Call; Title I schools get further discounts. Reserve through the group-visit form.
Homeschool page at discoverycenterhawaii.org →

Worth calling about

These venues run homeschool programs but don't publish pricing online. Call before you go.

When
Group visits
By reservation
Call
no public price

Pacific Tsunami Museum

Hilo · Grades 3–12 · Book a group visit ahead; 10–45 students

Housed in a 1930 former bank in downtown Hilo, the Pacific Tsunami Museum tells the story of the 1946 and 1960 tsunamis that devastated the city, through survivor accounts and hands-on science. School and homeschool groups can book a tailored presentation at the low $5 youth rate.

Regular admission: $15 adults / $5 youth 6–17 (gate)
How to reach them: Youth admission is just $5 (ages 6–17 and kamaʻāina), and the museum tailors a 30–45 minute group presentation — the science of tsunamis, Hilo history, or survivor accounts — for classes of 10 to 45 students, followed by self-guided exploration. Book ahead to arrange the program; (808) 935-0926.
Homeschool page at tsunami.org →
When
School programs
By reservation
Call
no public price

Waikīkī Aquarium

Honolulu · Grades K–college · Reserve 3 weeks ahead; (808) 440-9011

The second-oldest public aquarium in the US, on the Waikīkī shoreline and run by the University of Hawaiʻi, focuses on Hawaiian and South Pacific reef life, including chambered nautilus and Hawaiian monk seals. School programs and self-guided visits are bookable by reservation.

Regular admission: $12 adults / $5 junior 4–12 (gate)
How to reach them: The University of Hawaiʻi aquarium runs docent-guided school programs ($60 program fee) and one-hour self-guided tours by reservation for all grade levels; standard junior admission is $5 (ages 4–12). Homeschool eligibility and the best rate for your group size aren't posted — call (808) 440-9011 at least three weeks ahead.
Homeschool page at waikikiaquarium.org →

Gear up for your field trip

A few inexpensive things that turn a museum or nature day into a richer lesson — favorites from homeschooling families.

Kids' field journal
Sketch and note what they see at each stop
Shop on Amazon →
Compact binoculars for kids
Zoos, nature centers, living-history farms
Shop on Amazon →
Bug viewer & magnifier
Turn any nature trail into a science lesson
Shop on Amazon →
Kids' sketchbook
Art-museum and outdoor sketching days
Shop on Amazon →
Scavenger hunt cards
Keep little ones engaged on long visits
Shop on Amazon →
Junior ranger activity book
Pairs with park and museum trips
Shop on Amazon →

Homeschool resources we love

Homeschool curriculum Science experiment kits Kids' art supplies Educational workbooks

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Plus more free and cheap educational outings in Hawaii

Already on DiscoverCheapUS — free and low-cost Hawaii attractions homeschool families plan whole field-trip days around.

Hilo

7 free or cheap
  • Liliuokalani Park & GardensFree
  • Banyan DriveFree
  • Pacific Tsunami Museum$15 adults / $5 youth (6–17)
  • ʻImiloa Astronomy Center$19 adults / $12 children (5–12) / Free under 5
  • Mokupāpapa Discovery CenterFree
  • Big Island CandiesFree
  • Lyman Museum & Mission House~$10 adults / $2 children 6-17 / Kamaʻāina rates lower (museum + Mission House)
See all Hilo attractions →

Wailuku

5 free or cheap
  • Halekiʻi-Pihana Heiau State MonumentFree
  • Bailey House Museum (Hale Hōʻikeʻike)$10 adults / $4 youth (5-18) / Free under 5
  • Maui Nui Botanical Gardens$10 adults / Free under 12 / Free for Hawaii residents
  • Maui Arts & Cultural CenterFree gallery / Performances ticketed
  • Maui Ocean CenterKamaʻāina $15 adults / $10 keiki (weekends); general admission ~$45 adults
See all Wailuku attractions →

Lihue

5 free or cheap
  • Kauai Museum$15 adults / $12 seniors / $10 students 8-17 / Free under 7
  • Menehune Fishpond (Alekoko) LookoutFree
  • Kauai Coffee Company (Self-Guided Tour)Free (self-guided walking tour and tasting)
  • Kilohana PlantationFree (grounds, shops, and rum tasting)
  • Wailua River State ParkFree
See all Lihue attractions →

Honolulu

8 free or cheap
  • Diamond Head State MonumentFree for Hawaii residents / $5 per person + $10 per vehicle (non-resident)
  • Foster Botanical Garden$5 adults / $3 Hawaii residents / $1 ages 6-12 / Free under 6
  • Hoʻomaluhia Botanical GardenFree
  • Bishop Museum$33.95+ adults / $25.95+ youth 4-17 / Kamaʻāina from $19.95
  • Honolulu Museum of Art$25 adults / Free under 18 / $10 kamaʻāina (free 3rd-Sun Family Sundays)
  • Capitol Modern (Hawaiʻi State Art Museum)Free
  • ʻIolani PalacePalace grounds free / Guided & audio tours from ~$20 ($19.95 kamaʻāina)
  • Pearl Harbor National MemorialFree (USS Arizona; reserve timed tickets, $1 online fee)
See all Honolulu attractions →

Kailua-Kona

6 free or cheap
  • Kahaluʻu Beach ParkFree
  • Huliheʻe Palace~$10 adults / $1 children / $6 kamaʻāina (+$2 guided tour)
  • Mokuʻaikaua ChurchFree (donations welcome)
  • Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical ParkFree
  • Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park$20/vehicle / $10/person / Free under 16 (7-day pass)
  • Kona Coffee Living History Farm$20 adults / $10 students 7-17 / $5 kamaʻāina / Free under 7
See all Kailua-Kona attractions →

See all 49 Hawaii attractions on the directory →