Tiki Bars
Bikini Lounge
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Old dive of a tiki bar in Phoenix which opened in 1947, and has historically served beer but not tropical drinks. In recent years that's been changing, with a small selection of tropicals on offer. Since current owner Matt Tomb took over, he’s made an effort to preserve the bar’s history and bring in more tiki elements, including décor and custom mugs as well.
Kona Kai Apartments - San Gabriel
San Gabriel, California, United States
The Kona Kai apartments were built in 1962. The decor was outfitted by Oceanic Arts. There is an identical apartment building in Granada Hills, the Kona Pali. The building has a dramatic A-frame entrance, with a tile mosaic of the Hawaiian islands. There are carved tikis throughout the grounds.
Kahlua Apartments
San Gabriel, California, United States
Built in 1965.
These apartments, now apparently condos, are less than a mile north of the now-closed Bahooka.
In addition to architectural details, the grounds feature some standing tikis and a working waterfall feature.
There is also a kidney shaped pool on the grounds.
Mai Tiki Gallery
Cocoa Beach, Florida, United States (Closed)
Mai Tiki was the business of tiki carver Wayne Coombs, and his Mai Tiki Gallery opened in 1973. Wayne started carving tikis in 1967, and continued carving tikis for 45 years. He was the pioneer of what has become a distinctive style for tikis out of Florida. He did custom work not just in carving, but also painting, and other tiki decor. His showroom offered a variety of one-of-a-kind tikis and masks.
Wayne Coombs passed away of a heart attack in September 2012, and the gallery closed in November 2013.
Kapu Tiki Apartments
Pico Rivera, California, United States
This building was designed by Mayer Construction in 1961 and its working title was the "Lanikai", later changed to "Kapu Tiki". The decor was provided by Oceanic Arts.
This apartment building is in a row of three Polynesian-themed apartment buildings, the others being the Paradise Island Apartments and the Aloha Arms.
Facing them, from left to right, this would be the first location in the row.
Today, the Kapu Tiki looks quite different. First, the A-frame entrance was completely removed. Then, later, the tiki masks on either end were removed. There is a ghost of the "TIKI" lettering detectable on the front and the lava rock on either end is still there, however.
Paradise Island Apartments
Pico Rivera, California, United States
Built in 1962. This apartment building, formerly called the Samoa Apartments, is in a row of three Polynesian-themed apartment buildings, the others being the Kapu Tiki Apartments and the Aloha Arms.
Facing them, this would be the middle location in the row with the Kapu Tiki on the left and the Aloha Arms on the right.
Aloha Arms
Pico Rivera, California, United States
This apartment building is in a row of three Polynesian-themed buildings, the others being the Kapu Tiki Apartments and the Paradise Island Apartments.
Facing them, this would be the last of the three on the far right.
Aloha Cruz
Redondo Beach, California, United States (Closed)
Opened in 1996.
Aloha Cruz was a vintage Hawaiiana store with some tiki offerings. Vintage tiki mugs, tikis and other tiki collectibles were for sale, along with vintage aloha wear and rattan furniture.
Aloha Cruz used to be located in Hermosa Beach, but in April 2004 relocated to a smaller space in Redondo Beach.
The storefront has been closed, and the owner now sells items online only.
For 10 years (1998-2008), Aloha Cruz organized a large vintage Hawaiiana collectibles event, called "Da Show."
The Field Museum
Chicago, Illinois, United States
The Field Museum has a large collection of Oceanic artifacts, including an entire Maori meeting house.
The British Museum
London, United Kingdom
The British Museum has a large collection of Polynesian artifacts, including an actual moai from Easter Island, and one of three historic Heiau Ku carvings (the other two are at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA and the Bishop Museum in Honolulu). Call the museum ahead of time to ensure you will be able to see the exhibit.
Bishop Museum
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
The Bishop Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in tribute to his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, who was the last descendant of the Kamehamehas. The museum was built on the site of the Kamehameha School for Boys, which had been established by Princess Bernice. After her death, Charles Reed Bishop started the museum to showcase the Kamehameha family heirlooms and other Polynesian artifacts. The school eventually moved, allowing the Bishop Museum to expand, and it has grown over time so that it now houses a rather massive collection. One of the important pieces is a historic Heiau Ku carving - there are only two others, in the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA, and in the British Museum in London. In 2010, all three Ku tikis were put on display at the Bishop museum. The other two were shipped back to their respective museums three years later. The museum also features a section dedicated to what they call "Ku Kitsch," known to us as Polynesian Pop, with many fine examples of modern uses of the image of Ku, including a mug from Tiki Farm.
Peabody Essex Museum
Salem, Massachusetts, United States
The Peabody Essex Museum has a large Oceanic art collection, and features one of three historic Heiau Ku carvings, the other two are in the British Museum in London and the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. They also have some interesting pop culture exhibits, including a Gill-man prop head from The Revenge of the Creature, Universal Pictures (1955). A stunt man would wear this full-head latex mask made by Bud Westmore underwater while filming. They tend to rotate their exhibits, so call ahead if you want to check on what is available for viewing.