Big Island Guide » Attractions & Activities » Museums
Big Island Attractions & ActivitiesMuseums
If you're a history buff, art aficionado, archaeology fiend, or dabbler in the sciences, our museum picks are perfect for a rainy day or afternoon excursion! Our selections center around notable collections of historical and cultural items. Many have excellent rotating displays in addition to exceptional permanent collections.
Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center
Address: Keahole-Kona International Airport, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
This informative facility is located just a few miles north of Kailua-Kona – at Keahole-Kona International Airport, to be exact. What the museum lacks in size, it more than makes up for in quality, and first-rate exhibits feature model rockets, moon orbitals, space shuttles, moon rocks, and a working gravity well. The...
Kona Historical Society Museum & Greenwell Store
Address: 81-6551 Mamalahoa Hwy, Kealakekua, HI 96750
Englishman Henry Nicholas Greenwell arrived on the Big Island around 1850 and, soon after, purchased a parcel of land in Kalukalu. On his farm, he raised cattle and grew everything from pumpkins and coffee to tobacco and corn. The only standing reminder of Greenwell's legacy is a stone-walled general store, which now...
Lyman Mission House and Museum
Address: 276 Haili St, Hilo, HI 96720
When David and Sarah Lyman finished their Big Island home in 1839, it was one of the island's most unique. The house's architecture is a masterpiece of juxtaposition – the Lymans used hand-hewn, local koa wood to build the New England-style home. (The tin for the roof, it should be noted, was imported from Great...
Address: 130 Kamehameha Ave, Hilo, HI 96720
On the east coast of the United States, hurricane season runs from June to November, and coastal residents keep track of weather systems while meteorologists chart low and high pressure systems. In Paradise, however, the seasonal threat of tsunamis is something islanders live with daily. In fact, the Big Island's...
