Steel Guitar Hall of Fame announces new Honolulu facility

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Steel Guitar Hall of Fame is making its permanent home in Hawaii.

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The organization announced plans for a brick-and-mortar location in Honolulu during a gathering of steel guitar players in Austin, Texas in early October.

Hawaii State Archivist Adam Jansen joined Hall of Fame President Michael Scott onstage for the announcement.

“We are beyond thrilled to be the new home of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame,” Jansen said. “It’s fitting that an instrument whose locus began in the Hawaiian Islands would now also have its museum located in this same place.”

The steel guitar was invented in Hawaii in the late 19th century, shaping the future sounds of country music, blues, western swing, and numerous other genres. It became the first global music export from the islands.

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“For years, people have asked when the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame would have a permanent home,” Scott said. “We knew that wherever that home would be, it had to meet a very high bar—historically, culturally, educationally, and ethically. Honolulu met every one of those requirements.”

The vision for the facility includes a live performance stage, educational space, and climate-controlled storage for an extensive collection of images, recorded media, and instruments.

It will also host festivals and Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.

More details about the facility are expected to be announced in the coming months.

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