About the Waikoloa Museum Walkway
The Experience
The Waikoloa Museum Walkway Experience at the Hilton Waikoloa Village resort uses the hotel's world famous collection of art and artifacts to present stories
THE CONCEPT AND A COLLECTION LIKE NO OTHER
The people who built this amazing collection never intended to create a world-class museum of fine art, but they wanted far more than an assembly of "hotel art." Multiple trips to Asia by developer Christopher B. Hemmeter and his son, Chris, produced a mixture of genuine art and artifacts from antiquity and pieces commissioned specially for the resort. Unlike the collections at other "art centered" hotels around the world, the Hemmeters wanted to create an immersive experience for their guests, a pathway through the resort that led visitors through different cultures from around Asia and the Pacific. At Hilton Waikoloa Village, that vision - and the collection - is still alive.
The result was more than merely an 1,800-piece collection of hotel art. The Waikoloa Museum Walkway Experience takes this collection and uses it to tell stories about the pieces, their origins, and the cultures that created, used, and sometimes worshipped them. Now, with the aid of modern technology, guests can learn, not just the stories behind a painting or a piece of sculpture, but also the people, culture, and traditions that produced them. From questions like, "I wonder where in the world this scene is from," to "Why does this figure look so fierce?" the WMWE gives answers and understanding, and we hope, a new appreciation for the wonderful collection of art at Hawai`i's most beautiful resort.
The people who built this amazing collection never intended to create a world-class museum of fine art, but they wanted far more than an assembly of "hotel art." Multiple trips to Asia by developer Christopher B. Hemmeter and his son, Chris, produced a mixture of genuine art and artifacts from antiquity and pieces commissioned specially for the resort. Unlike the collections at other "art centered" hotels around the world, the Hemmeters wanted to create an immersive experience for their guests, a pathway through the resort that led visitors through different cultures from around Asia and the Pacific. At Hilton Waikoloa Village, that vision - and the collection - is still alive.
The result was more than merely an 1,800-piece collection of hotel art. The Waikoloa Museum Walkway Experience takes this collection and uses it to tell stories about the pieces, their origins, and the cultures that created, used, and sometimes worshipped them. Now, with the aid of modern technology, guests can learn, not just the stories behind a painting or a piece of sculpture, but also the people, culture, and traditions that produced them. From questions like, "I wonder where in the world this scene is from," to "Why does this figure look so fierce?" the WMWE gives answers and understanding, and we hope, a new appreciation for the wonderful collection of art at Hawai`i's most beautiful resort.
Walkway facts and statistics
Much of WMWE's focus is on families and children, aimed at making the stay at the Hilton Waikoloa Village resort a warm childhood memory that young guests can carry with them for the rest of their lives. Although many of WMWE's programs are aimed at adult guests, visitors will always find at least as many that are designed for children and families with children. These are not the typical "art appreciation" type activities that might be presented at other museums, but activities that engage and immerse children in stories about the art and artifacts in the collection.
That said, parents will also see a warning in the introduction to each program that goes something like this: "Psst. Parents: Don't tell your keiki, but while this program is designed to entertain and engage your child, it is also an educational experience, an opportunity to learn about other cultures, other peoples, history, geography, religion, even animals, plants, and the natural world. We want everyone to have a good time, but take the opportunity to help your child learn the stories behind our stories."
Focus On Our Families