About us
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Loretta’s Legacy
The Children’s Discovery Center is “Hawaii’s Rainbow Connection to the world,” a legacy of love for the children and families of Hawaii. I hope you can find the time to come and play!
Loretta Luke Yajima
Founder, Children’s Discovery Center
Our Beginning
The Children’s Discovery Center was born from the vision and dedication of Loretta Luke Yajima, who believed deeply in the power of hands-on learning to inspire Hawaii’s children. Originally established as the Hawaii Children’s Museum of Arts, Culture, Science, and Technology, the Center first opened its doors in a modest 5,000-square-foot storefront at the Dole Pineapple Cannery in Iwilei.
What began as a bold idea quickly grew into a beloved community resource. The museum’s immediate success made it clear that Hawaii’s keiki needed and deserved a permanent space dedicated to learning through play. This early momentum laid the foundation for what the Children’s Discovery Center has become today: a vibrant, trusted place where children and families come to explore, discover, imagine and dream together.
Our Expansion
With the growing success of the Children’s Museum, it became clear that a larger, permanent home was needed to serve Hawaii’s keiki. Led by museum President, Loretta Luke Yajima, a capital campaign raised more than $12 million to transform a former city incinerator into a space dedicated to learning through play.
In 1998, the Center reopened as the Children’s Discovery Center in its new home in Kakaʻako. What was once an industrial site has since been reimagined into a welcoming, vibrant place for children and families.
Our Museum
Today, the Children’s Discovery Center is a vibrant, hands-on learning environment where children and families come together to explore, create, and discover. Through 5 galleries of interactive exhibits and engaging programs, the Center inspires curiosity, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning in children of all ages.
