Ukulele Unstrung: Delving into the Instrument’s Hawaiian Heritage

You can walk right up to a cigar box ukulele made by Frank Kamaka — one of only seven known to exist — and see it behind glass at the Hawai‘i State Archives. That instrument, along with more than 28,000 phonographic records and 650 others in the collection, tells a story most visitors never hear. The ukulele didn’t just appear in Hawaiian music; it reshaped American popular culture after Hawai‘i’s performances at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, where Hawaiian music outsold every other genre in the U.S. for a stretch. This guide covers where to see historic instruments, how the archive is making them accessible, and what that history means for anyone visiting O‘ahu with an interest in the islands’ official ‘auana (modern) musical instrument.

Understanding the archive and its ukulele collection

The Hawai‘i State Archives sits at 364 S. King St. in downtown Honolulu, a short walk from ‘Iolani Palace. It’s a working government archive, not a tourist attraction, which shapes what you can actually see and do there.

State Archivist Adam Jansen notes that the archive doesn’t know of any other repository in the islands that actively collects ukulele-related materials. That makes this collection singular, but it also means the protocols for public access are being built from scratch. The archive has vetted over three dozen instruments that have been inspected, restrung with traditional gut strings, and are ready to go — but the full public program isn’t live yet. What is available right now: more than 350 out-of-copyright songs you can download for free online, and the ability to listen to copyrighted recordings on-site. For a traveller, the real draw is the rotating display of unusual instruments, including the world’s smallest playable ukulele and that rare Frank Kamaka cigar box model.

I spent an afternoon there last year, and the thing that struck me wasn’t just the instruments — it was the sheet music. Thousands of pieces, many handwritten, documenting a period when Hawaiian music dominated American airwaves. The archive’s partnership with the ‘Ukulele Guild of Hawai‘i and the ‘Ukulele Hall of Fame has accelerated the collection’s growth, but the space itself remains modest. You won’t find a gift shop or guided tours. What you will find is a quiet room where you can request materials and sit with them.

Where to see historic ukuleles and hear their music

Hawai‘i State Archives — the core collection

The main display area inside the archives building features a rotating selection of instruments from the collection. On my visit, the Frank Kamaka cigar box ukulele was the centerpiece — a reminder that early ukuleles were often built from whatever materials were available. Kamaka went on to found Kamaka Hawai‘i, one of the most respected ukulele manufacturers in the world, but this early piece shows a different kind of craftsmanship. The archive also displays the world’s smallest playable ukulele, which is exactly what it sounds like: tiny, functional, and oddly compelling. The limitation here is access. Most of the 650 instruments are in storage, and you can’t just ask to see them. The archive plans to create 3D models of the instruments for more accurate measurements and comparisons, which will help researchers but won’t replace in-person viewing for most visitors.

Listening to the archive’s recordings

More than 28,000 phonographic records are part of the collection, covering Hawaiian music from the early 20th century through more recent recordings. Songs still under copyright can be listened to at the archive using their equipment. For out-of-copyright material, you can download tracks from the archive’s online portal — over 350 songs are available now, with more being digitized. This is where the ukulele’s influence on American music becomes audible. You can hear the transition from traditional Hawaiian chants to the ragtime-influenced styles that swept the mainland after the 1915 exposition. The archive’s plan to host historic concerts with vintage instruments and Hawaiian Kingdom-era music isn’t fully operational yet, but the groundwork is there.

Connecting to other Hawaiian music traditions

The ukulele didn’t develop in isolation. If you’re interested in the broader soundscape of old Hawai‘i, the archive’s collection pairs naturally with the history of slack key guitar, another distinctly Hawaiian musical tradition that emerged around the same period. Both instruments were shaped by the same cultural forces — the merging of Hawaiian vocal traditions with Western string instruments brought by Portuguese immigrants and Mexican vaqueros. The archive’s sheet music collection includes pieces written for both instruments, showing how they complemented each other in early 20th-century Hawaiian music.

Planning your visit to the archives

Timing matters more here than at most Honolulu attractions. The archive operates on a government schedule, and the ukulele-related programming is still in development.

Getting there and navigating the building

The archives are at 364 S. King St., directly across from the Hawai‘i State Capitol and a short walk from ‘Iolani Palace. Parking is limited — street meters and a small lot fill quickly. The building itself is straightforward: enter through the main doors, pass through security, and the public reading room is to the left. The display cases with instruments are in the lobby area, so you don’t need an appointment to see those. For research access to recordings or sheet music, you’ll want to contact the archive ahead of time. The reading room is quiet, and staff are knowledgeable but not set up for casual drop-in tours.

Best time to visit

Weekday mornings are the most reliable time. The archive is closed on weekends and state holidays. If you’re hoping to attend a pop-up event where you can see — or even play — some of the vintage instruments, follow the archive’s social media or check with the ‘Ukulele Guild of Hawai‘i for announcements. Jansen has mentioned plans to have more of these events, but they’re not on a fixed schedule yet. The 3D modeling project is also worth watching: once those models are published, researchers and enthusiasts will be able to examine instrument dimensions remotely, which is a significant step for comparative study.

On the ground — what to know before you go

Packing and preparation

The archives building is air-conditioned, so a light layer helps. You’ll need a photo ID to enter, and bags are subject to search. No food or drink in the reading room. If you plan to listen to recordings, bring your own headphones — the archive may have some available, but it’s not guaranteed. For downloading songs from the online portal, a tablet or laptop is useful; the archive’s public computers are available but limited. I brought a small notebook and a portable hard drive to save any files I downloaded on-site, which saved me from emailing large audio files to myself.

Local etiquette and cultural context

The ukulele is the official ‘auana (modern) musical instrument of Hawai‘i, a designation that reflects its role in contemporary Hawaiian music rather than ancient tradition. The instrument itself is an adaptation of the Portuguese machete, brought to the islands by immigrants in the late 19th century. Hawaiian musicians made it their own, and by the early 1900s it was central to the sound of the islands. When you’re at the archive, you’re in a government building where staff are working — keep voices low, handle materials carefully if you’re granted access, and respect that the collection is both a cultural resource and a working archive. If you’re interested in the broader context of Hawaiian cultural practices, the archive’s collection connects to traditions like Hawaiian storytelling through lei, where objects carry layered meanings beyond their surface function.

Questions about the ukulele and the Hawai‘i State Archives

Can you play the ukuleles at the Hawai‘i State Archives?

Not yet on a regular basis. The archive has vetted and restrung over three dozen instruments with traditional gut strings, and the plan is to allow supervised playing. But the protocols aren’t fully in place. Pop-up events occasionally offer this opportunity — check with the archive or the ‘Ukulele Guild of Hawai‘i for timing.

The tradeoff is that when access does open, you’ll be playing instruments that have been handled by researchers and archivists, not a hands-on demo station. It’s a careful, supervised process, not a strum-and-go experience.

How many ukuleles are in the state archives collection?

The collection holds 650 instruments, up from about 300 a few years ago. That growth came from donations and partnerships with groups like the ‘Ukulele Hall of Fame. Alongside the instruments, the archive holds more than 28,000 phonographic records and thousands of pieces of sheet music and method books.

Only a small fraction of the instruments are on public display at any given time. The rest are in storage, awaiting digitization, 3D modeling, or conservation work.

What is the rarest ukulele in the collection?

One of only seven known cigar box ukuleles made by Frank Kamaka is in the collection. Kamaka later founded Kamaka Hawai‘i, a brand still producing instruments today. The archive also holds the world’s smallest playable ukulele, which is exactly as unusual as it sounds.

Both pieces are part of the rotating lobby display, so you can see them without an appointment. The rarity of the Kamaka piece makes it a highlight for anyone interested in the instrument’s early manufacturing history.

Is the Hawai‘i State Archives free to visit?

Yes, entry is free. The public lobby area with the instrument display requires no appointment. If you want to access the reading room for recordings or sheet music, you’ll need a photo ID and should contact the archive ahead of time for research requests.

The limitation is that the archive is a working government facility, not a museum. There’s no gift shop, no guided tour, and the staff are archivists first, educators second. Come with specific questions or a clear interest in the collection.

How did the ukulele become so popular in the United States?

Hawai‘i’s participation in the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco included live music performances, and shortly after, Hawaiian music outsold every other genre in the U.S. The ukulele was central to that sound. As State Archivist Adam Jansen puts it, “The ‘ukulele was very influential in shaping music as we know it today, but most people don’t know that story.”

The archive’s collection documents that period directly — through sheet music, recordings, and the instruments themselves. It’s one of the few places where you can trace that arc from a Portuguese immigrant instrument to a mainland phenomenon.

A final note on what the archive offers

The Hawai‘i State Archives won’t give you a polished museum experience, and that’s partly the point. What it offers instead is access to a collection that documents a moment when a small instrument from a small island chain changed what the rest of the country listened to. The 3D models and digitized recordings are making that history more reachable, but the real value is in the physical objects — the cigar box ukulele, the handwritten sheet music, the records that still hold the sound of early 20th-century Hawai‘i. If you’re on O‘ahu and curious about how the ukulele became what it is, the archive is worth the walk from ‘Iolani Palace.

Sources and further reading

Hawai‘i State Archives Ukulele Collection. Honolulu Magazine, 2024.