Elite Pacific Properties announced it is listing the Honolulu Museum of Art’s Spalding House for $15 million, bringing the storied Makiki Heights estate to market as the museum refocuses on its primary South Beretania Street campus.
The property at 2411 Makiki Heights Drive is being promoted as an opportunity for an art-minded buyer or luxury home seeker, with sweeping views of Lēʻahi and Honolulu’s skyline. It is scheduled to appear on the Multiple Listing Service on Dec. 11, according to the brokerage.
Elite Pacific agents Ruthie Kaminskas, Greg Burns and Jason Carey hold the listing. In a news release, Kaminskas called the estate “every art collector’s dream,” noting its rarity in today’s market.
According to the firm, Spalding House could continue operating as a museum, serve as a private collection venue, or be restored as a residence.
Spalding House for $15 million: history and provenance
The property, originally named Nuʻumealani, or Heavenly Terrace, was built in 1925 by Honolulu Academy of Arts founder Anna Rice Cooke as a private home. Her daughter, Alice Spalding, acquired it in 1934. In 1968, the Honolulu Academy of Arts, now the Honolulu Museum of Art, received the property through Spalding’s bequest.
It was later sold to Honolulu Advertiser publisher and philanthropist Thurston Twigg-Smith, who lived there with his family before gifting it in 1988 as The Contemporary Museum. The museum operated independently until it rejoined the academy, as a gift, in May 2011.
Estate details and amenities
Elite Pacific said the 3.4-acre estate sits above Honolulu and includes five gallery rooms outfitted with modern air, humidity and security systems. The 5,245-square-foot main residence and galleries are designated historic property, and the site is zoned for residential use.
Amenities include a pool, auxiliary office spaces, a director’s residence, a gift shop, a classroom and a studio apartment, along with mature gardens.
“This is a beloved property with a storied history in Hawaii,” said Allison Wong, deputy director of the Honolulu Museum of Art, adding that the museum believes the brokerage will help find the right steward for the site.
The museum announced this summer that its board voted to sell the Makiki Heights property to concentrate resources on its South Beretania campus. The decision follows broader conversations in Honolulu about land use and preservation, including efforts by organizations such as Makaliʻi Metrics soil lab to blend science and ʻike Hawaiʻi.
