The Polynesian Cultural Center is the first paid attraction in Hawaii and is considered a must-do for everyone visiting Hawaii. Located near Laie on the north shore of Oahu, about 65 miles from Honolulu, the Polynesian Cultural Center is a museum of ethnic culture on a large scale. Built in 1963 by Mormon Brigham Young University to preserve the history and cultural traditions of the Polynesian people, it is a museum of ethnic culture.