Founded in 1884, the Pitt Rivers Museum is housed within an atmospheric building holding more than 500,000 objects, photographs and manuscripts from all over the world, and from all periods of human existence. Within are exceptional objects of ritual significance, and objects made for tourists or trade.

Those interested in "Tiki" or Polynesian Pop have often been guided here to see the Maori display and the "Treatment of Dead Enemies" display (with its shrunken heads). Photos of both displays are shown below along with some close-ups.

Since the museum is not necessarily arranged by geographical area, but by type of item, there are often several cultures represented in some areas. There is much more than just these two displays to interest visitors.

It appears that since 2020, this museum (like many) has grappled with a call to repudiate or at least better contextualize their colonial past. For the Pitt Rivers, this means a modernization of their display tags and a retiring of some display pieces to storage. The shrunken head exhibit has been removed and that case has been wrapped with an explanation of the institution's efforts to not dehumanize colonized peoples or display human remains if possible. You can see some before and after photos below.

As with most museums, their collections are often updated and never meant to be a static or unchanging time capsule. However, the changes above have fueled quite a bit of debate.

Opened February 2022.

They tout themselves as being the first and only tiki bar in Colorado Springs, but Tommy Wong did have an Island Restaurant in Colorado Springs (not much evidence remains today). Still, for today's customers, this is definitely the only place in town.

Audriana Crane co-owns Shrunken Head Tiki in Colorado Springs along with local entrepreneur Joe Campana.

They were inspired by visiting Golden Tiki and Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas and wanted to bring something like that to Colorado Springs.

The main entrance is a door between Oskar Blues Grill & Brew and Bell Brothers Brewing entrances. There’s an elevator or stairs to take you down.

The focal point of the bar is a bubbling fountain with a fog machine and greenery.

The center bar has swings for seating and a whimsical Light Brite peg game.

The back bar has skulls embedded into the divider walls.

Drinks are served in an assortment of tiki mugs.

Opened October 15th, 2022.

There are two distinct Trader Vic's spaces at the Palm Jumeirah property including a Trader Vic’s restaurant and bar and a Tahitian Village beach club.

The Trader Vic's Restaurant is modern and sleek, lined with an impressive row of carved tikis upon entering and a massive bar with a huge chandelier overhead.

Unique features include a concrete wall in the dining area with hundreds of glass fish floats embedded in it and lit from the other side.

The Tahitian Village is an outdoor space overlooking the beach and features resort-style relaxed food and beverages including frozen Tiki Puka Pukas. Throughout the day guests have access to a fresh fruit bar and as the sun sets, the venue hosts international DJs and more.

Opened in 2008.

Like its sister location at Crystal Cove, this Beachcomber Cafe tried to capture the ambiance of a 1930's beach resort but on a slightly larger scale than the original.

Decor consisted of modest beach cottage style woodwork, chairs, and tables with hints of polished copper pans hung across the kitchen.

They also had a dedicated space, the Tonga Lei Room, which payed homage to the Tonga Lei that once existed nearby.

They utilized many of the same tiki mugs used at their sister location, made by Tiki Farm, and had a slightly more tikified offering of tropical drinks.

Chief amongst these was the "Tonga Lei" cocktail for two.

The Beachcomber Cafe at the Malibu Pier closed at the end of 2011. As of 2023 it is home to Malibu Farm restaurant.

In the years after the close of this more tikified Malibu location, it seems the Crystal Cove location's trend toward tiki has faded, but it is still a lovely venue to visit.

Opened in Summer 2006.

A converted cottage houses this beachside eatery serving California favorites, a popular breakfast, and cocktails.

Beside it is a small stand-alone Bootlegger Bar that is loosely connected and offers a slightly smaller menu of drinks.

There is both inside and outside seating.

To get here, however, you have to park on the other side of Pacific Coast Highway and take a shuttle from the lot.

This venue is unique in that it is built in an original beach cottage that friends and family of the Irvine family once leased. From the 30s to 50s, many such cottages were built up and down this stretch of land, and were a popular holiday location.

This area retains the scale and ambiance of a 1930's beach resort. It is also on Crystal Cove State Park land, a carefully conserved property interested in preserving this stretch of land.

This is not a tiki bar, but very tiki adjacent. They have issued several tiki mugs through Tiki Farm and offer tropical drinks. Additionally, there once was a Beachcomber Cafe sister location in Malibu (now closed) that had a dedicated tiki room and payed homage to the Tonga Lei that once existed nearby.

In the years after the close of this more tikified Malibu location, it seems their trend toward tiki has faded, but Crystal Cove is still a lovely venue to visit.

Make reservations if you can. It gets crowded.

This Chinese and Polynesian eatery appears to have opened in the 60s or 70s.

At some point, the very Polynesian interior (seen from an early postcard) was refurbished and all the bamboo and rattan and lauhala matting was stripped out, leaving only the amazing swag lamps to mark that this had been anything other than just a normal Chinese restaurant.

It was open at least through 2016 when these later photos were taken below.

Bali-Hai was one of the original classic Spanish "Hawaiian" bars. Opened @ 1960s.

According to reports, it was huge -- the biggest in Spain ever!

Photos below show dilapidated exterior sign years after close and a rare interior shot with a Spanish rendition of Mr. Bali Hai (with bone through nose) hanging from the ceiling.

Overlooking Halema‘uma‘u Crater at the summit of Kilauea, this casual hotel in a restored 1846 building is 2 miles from Thurston Lava Tube and 3 miles from the Jaggar Museum.

Cozy, basic rooms come with free Wi-Fi and desks; many rooms offer volcano views. Simple cabins with BBQ grills and shared bathrooms are available in Namakanipaio campground.

Amenities include a relaxed restaurant overlooking the crater and a cocktail lounge (Uncle George's Lounge) with a TV and regular live music. The property also offers loaner bikes and daily guided walking tours of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

They have a large gift shop as well.

HISTORY:

In 1846, the original Volcano House was built – a simple one room shelter made of grass and native Ohia wood.

In 1866, a four bedroom wooden structure replaced the original hotel. Notable guests included Mark Twain who recounted his stay in Roughing it: “Neat, roomy, well furnished well kept hotel. The surprise of finding a good hotel at such an outlandish spot startled me, considerable more than the volcano did.”

In 1904, George “Uncle George” Lycurgus purchased an interest in the Volcano House Company and managed the Volcano House until 1921 when he sold his interest. He subsequently regained the hotel in 1932 and remained the manager until his death in 1960. He was known as the dean of Hawaiian hospitality and died at the age of 101 after 45 years of direct involvement with the Volcano House.

Like many restaurants, they were temporarily closed due to the Covid pandemic, but have since re-opened.

Tommy Wong worked at the Chicago Don the Beachcomber and at the Aku Aku in Las Vegas before becoming a successful restaurateur in his own right.

In 1977 he purchased the Islands restaurant in Phoenix and re-branded it as Tommy Wong's Island Restaurant.

Wong expanded on this purchase and created a mini chain with this Island Restaurant in Denver (currently, as of 2025, a parking lot next to a kosher deli) and an Island Restaurant (or "Islands Restaurant" depending on the advertisement) in Colorado Springs (circa October 1975).

All of his Island restaurants in the chain went under in the 80s along with the first one in Phoenix. The Denver location closed in 1983.

*NOTE: This location is not to be confused with The Islander (formerly the Tiki Kai), which opened in 1971 about 11 minutes north of the Tommy Wong Island location and closed in 1975.

The Tropic Bowl began in 1955 at another location, across from Bilotti's Italian Village, at 309 3rd Street SW (where the Third Street Ramp is now).

The bowling alley was moved to 430 Fifth Ave. S.E., in 1963, and its lounge was dubbed "The Outrigger."

In 1978, Rochester had a huge flood, which filled the entire site with 4 feet of water. They opened 4 days later when the waters receded.

The Outrigger was eventually changed to a Country-themed bar (In Cahoots) in 1985.

Eventually, the city began a massive flood control project and this necessitated buying out the Tropic Bowl. In the end, the city paid $2 million for the Tropic Bowl, the In Cahoots lounge and the property around the businesses, plus some accrued interest. At the time, it was the largest single purchase the city made in connection with its flood control project.

The Tropic Bowl and the In Cahoots lounge closed its doors May 13, 1993. By the end of the month, the items from the alley and lounge were auctioned off, and the final ball was rolled down the lane.

Opened @2021.

This space was formerly RamaPong (ramen and ping pong) but switched it up during the pandemic and while they still served ramen, their theme became tropical/goth with a full menu of tiki cocktails (both traditional and originals) served in tiki mugs.

The decor was a bit minimalistic without the layers of Polynesian carvings and artwork you might see at older classical tiki bars, but it was dark and well-lit with mood lighting and they had lots of skeletons and fake foliage as well as some netting on the ceiling and some bamboo/reed fencing wrapped around the main bar.

Closed October 3rd, 2023.

The Palm Springs Hotel was one of the city's earliest hotels, although there is little information left about it today. It was located at 265 N. Palm Canyon Drive and appears to have been around since at least the 40s. Probably before.

Through the 1950s, it was known for its Coral Tree Restaurant, which featured French-inspired food, and whose interior featured coral-colored booths with lots of tropical plants and a leaf-patterned carpet.

The Luau Restaurant looks to have been a 1940s pre-tiki establishment that was replaced by the Coral Tree. Difficult to say. Only the occasional menu turns up but judging by The Luau prices, it was probably before the Coral Tree and perhaps there are some traces of the old Luau when looking at interior shots of the Coral Tree below.

Today, this space has been entirely rebuilt and nothing of the old venue remains. It is now home to the Hyatt Palm Springs (the half which also has public self-parking).

However, you can still walk across the street from the Hyatt to where the current Tonga Hut Palm Springs offers Pop Polynesian escape to today's customers.