 BIG
ISLAND
HISTORY & CULTURE
Hawaii Island
has a broad spectrum of museums for those of you who enjoy
delving into the history and culture of a new location. Here’s
a brief description of most of them:
Lyman House Memorial Museum, Hilo
Take a look at what life in Hawaii was like during the missionary era by touring
the 1839 missionary home here. Also, browse thru the photo and library archives,
which provide an in-depth history of the Hulihee Palace, Kailua-Kona establishment
of the sugar industry, Hawaiian royalty, the immigrant experience and much
more. There is also a collection of artifacts of Hawaiian and other major
island ethnic groups. 935-5021 or www.lymanmuseum.org.
Pacific Tsunami Museum, Hilo
Tidal waves are fascinating and often deadly. Hawaii has had her share of experience
with them, and in addtion to scientific information pertaining to these dramatic
natural events, there is recorded first-hand testimony from survivors to
be found here. The museum is a memorial to those who lost their lives in
Hawaiian tsunamis and it hopes to educate people about them in preparation
for future occurances. 935-0926 or www.tsunami.org
Laupahoehoe Train Museum, Laupahoehoe
In the heyday of sugar plantations on the Big Island, the railway was the main
way of transporting the crop, and the Hamakua portion of the railway was
the most expensive section of railway in America at the time. The museum
is housed in the old Laupahoehoe Railway Station, and has photos, memorabilia
and tales of the times. It is marked by a RR Xing sign on Hwy. 19 on the
Hamakua Coast. 962-6300
Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, Mauna
Kea Visitor Center
This is a great place to stop on your way up to the Mauna Kea summit. A lot
of people stop here to acclimatize for a 1/2 hour or so before heading up to
the observatories on the peak (it cuts down on elevation sickness to do so).
There are videos and displays about the observatories, astronomy, and the geography
and ecology of the mountain. Often in the evenings there is a telescope set
up with a helpful ranger or two pointing out features in the night sky. It
can be chilly and windy, so we recommend that you take a hooded jacket with
you for stargazing. 961-2180 or www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis/
Parker Ranch Museum and Historic Homes, Waimea
Get introduced to the Hawaiian cowboy or paniolo, and one of the largest privately
owned cattle ranches in North America. Ranching tools of the trade, a ranch
history video, historic photos, and furnishings. One of the homes on site
was built in the mid-1800’s by Parker Ranch founder John Palmer Parker,
and features an interior made entirely of rare koa wood. The other home was
built by former ranch owner Richard Smart and houses his wonderful international
art collection. 885-7311 or www.parkerranch.com
Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center, Kona International
Airport
This is an educational facility dedicated to the memory of astronaut Ellison
Onizuka, who was born and raised on the Big Island, and who tragically perished
in the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster of 1986. It’s an interactive
museum, where visitors can learn about the forces of gravity, manned space
flight programs and more...there’s a moon rock, an astronaut suit, and
models of spacecraft. 329-3441.
 Hulihee
Palace, Kailua-Kona
The Palace was a hub of Kailua-Kona when Governor John Adams Kuakini built
it in 1838. Among the many things to see inside, there is a fascinating collection
of local artifacts, which includes some from the reign of Kamehameha the Great,
and some beautiful koa furniture. Outside on the lawn, near the royal fishpond,
you may well see hula lessons taking place. Tours are offered. 329-1877.
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FUN & Recreation |
Kona Coffee Living History Farm, Captain Cook
Also run by the Kona Historical Society, the coffee farm, also known as Uchida
Coffee Farm, is a working farm in the midst of a coffee plantation, and was
built by Japanese immigrants in 1925. Guides are dressed in clothes from
the early 20th century, and they show visitors the original farmhouse, the
Japanese (furo) bath house, the coffee processing mill and drying platforms,
and talk of the immigrant farmworker experience. To reserve a spot on a tour,
call 323-2005 or for more info. go to www.konahistorical.org/
Kona Historical Society Museum, Captain Cook
The historic Greenwell family store, a stone and coral mortar building built
in 1875 as a general merchandising store, post office and meeting place,
serves as the Museum. Ranching and coffee farming artifacts, photo exhibits,
and a book and gift shop featuring locally made crafts. On Hwy. 11, one quarter
mile south of Kealakekua. You can also arrange to participate in one of the
KHS’s historic walking tours of downtown Kailua-Kona by calling 323-3222,
or go to www.konahistorical.org/ Thomas A. Jaggar Museum, Hawaii Volcanoes National
Park
Besides an incredible view of Kilauea caldera, visitors can see displays of
different types of lava, videos of eruptions, seismographs, and some illustrated
Hawaiian legends, especially those relating to Pele, the goddess of the volcano.
The mural art was done by wonderful local artist Herb Kane. Located on Chain
of Craters Road. 808-985-6000 or www.nps.gov/havo/home.htm |
