Global Center
Shangri La
Located in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, Shangri La is a museum, cultural center and creative campus dedicated to fostering artistic expression, cross-cultural dialogue and social impact.
Where Art, Culture and Community Intersect
Shangri La is a museum, cultural and convening center in Hawai‘i where art, ideas and people come together. Founded by Doris Duke in the 1930s and home to the only U.S. museum dedicated to Islamic art, Shangri La supports residencies, fellowships, exhibitions, convenings and digital storytelling. Through immersive experiences and global collaboration, we foster connection across disciplines, perspectives and communities.
The idea for Shangri La was birthed by Duke’s extensive travels throughout North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, and its design reflects the artistic traditions of these regions. The product of a collaboration with Marion Sims Wyeth, a popular Gilded Age architect, the home also features interiors that Duke commissioned directly from contemporary artisans in India and the Middle East. Over the course of six decades, Duke continued to fill Shangri La with a world-class collection of 4,500 artworks, cultural resources and architectural designs curated from around the world.
As part of her lasting desire to promote the study and understanding of the art and cultures experienced during her travels, Duke directed in her will that Shangri La be “available to scholars, students and others interested in the furtherance and preservation of Islamic art and make the premises open to the public.”
In 2002, Shangri La opened as the only museum dedicated exclusively to Islamic art in the United States. Today this collection is not only preserved but activated, inspiring new perspectives and fostering meaningful connections through a range of programs, exhibitions and events.
Shangri La's campus features expansive outdoor spaces and architecture.
Interior spaces and galleries foster inspiration and creativity.
Featuring a world class collection of Islamic art.
Shangri La hosts artists in residence across multiple disciplines: performing, visual, culinary, scholars.
Shangri La cultivates transformative convenings and conversations of local and global significance.
Experience Shangri La, a cultural and convening center in Hawai‘i where art, ideas and people come together.
