Shangri La Museum

Shangri La Museum is a museum for Islamic art in Black Point, Honolulu, Hawaii. The oceanfront estate covers five acres and displays more than 4,500 objects from Islamic cultures, including architectural elements, textiles, and decorative works from Morocco to India.

American philanthropist Doris Duke built this residence between 1936 and 1938 after visiting Hawaii on her honeymoon. Over the following decades, she expanded the property and transformed it into a place to house her growing collection of Islamic art.

The estate takes its name from a novel by James Hilton and reflects Duke's vision of creating a retreat where Islamic art forms would dialogue with the Hawaiian setting. The rooms are designed to evoke the feeling of Islamic palaces and gardens while opening to views of the Pacific Ocean.

Tours begin four times daily from Thursday through Saturday at the Honolulu Museum of Art and require advance reservations. The visit includes transportation to the estate and a guided tour through the rooms and gardens lasting roughly two and a half hours.

The property houses North America's only completed molded lusterware mihrab, a prayer niche from the 14th century that originally stood in an Iranian mosque. The niche was shipped in individual tiles and reassembled here, with each tile requiring careful hand placement.

Location: Hawaii

Inception: 2002

Founders: Doris Duke

Operator: Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art

Address: Papu Circle

Website: http://shangrilahawaii.org

GPS coordinates: 21.25670,-157.79500

Latest update: December 13, 2025 18:45