Museums on the Big Island of Hawaii

The Big Island of Hawaii offers many museums for the visitor and for locals alike. Here are some popular ones.

Hulihe’e Palace
75-5718 Ali’i Drive Kailua-Kona
(808) 329-1877
A Victorian style building built in 1838 for Hawaii’s first governor and was the vacation residence of Hawaiian royalty. The Palace contains period furnishings and artifacts. This building received some damage from the earthquake in 2006. You can read (pdf file) and see pictures of the damage here.

Hours: Tues – Sat 9 am – 4 pm & Sun 10 am – 4 pm
Note: Most of the museum is closed for repair due to the earthquake damage

Imiola Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii
600 Imiloa Palace
UH Hilo Science and Technology Park, Hilo
(808) 969-9700
Hawaiian Cultural Traditions mix with modern astronomical research with a planetarium and interactive exhibits.

Hours: Tues- Sat 9 am – 4 pm Planetarium shows at 11 am, 1 pm and 2:30 pm

Kona Historical Society

81-6551 Mamalahoa Highway Kealakekua
(808) 323-3222
The Kona Historical Society is a community-based, non-profit organization, whose mission is to collect, preserve, interpret and disseminate the history of the Kona districts. Featuring the Kona Coffee living history farm, Kailua Village tour and the Greenwell Store Museum.

Hours: Mon – Fri 8 am – 4 pm
Museum Hours: Mon – Fri 9 am – 3 pm

Lyman Mission House and Museum
276 Haili St. Downtown Hilo
(808) 935-5021
The Lyman Museum showcases the natural and cultural history of Hawaii in its exhibit halls and its 1839 historic missionary home. The museum also features collections of seashells and minerals from aroundthe world, showcases artists of Hawaii with changing special exhibitions. The Lyman Museum tells the story of Hawaii and it’s people.

Hours: Mon – Sat 9:30 am – 4:40 pm
Missionary House Tours: 10 am , 11 am, 1PM, 3 pm and 3 pm

Pacific Tsunami Museum
130 Kamehameha Ave Hilo
(808) 935-0926
Through an eclectic mixture of descriptive stories, survivor quotes and historic photographs, visitors and residents will have the opportunity to take a virtual trip back in time to the fateful morning of April 1st, 1946, and the deadly night of May 22nd, 1960. Companioned with a descriptive brochure and a greeting at tsunami sites by an educational sign, participants will experience with their own eyes the true legacy of a tsunami.

Hours: Mon – Sat 9 am – 4 pm

Parker Ranch Visitor Center
Parker Ranch Shopping Center Kamuela (Waimea)
(808) 885-7655
Parker Ranch was founded in 1847. It is one of the oldest and most historic ranches in the United States. Spreading across approximately 150,000 acres of the island, Parker Ranch is also among the country’s largest cattle ranches. Today, Parker Ranch offers opportunities for visitors to learn more about the history and culture of the Ranch by visiting the Parker Ranch Visitor Center and Museum as well as a self-guided tour to learn about the Hawaiian Cowboys (paniolo).

Hours: Mon – Sat 9 am – 5 pm

Thomas A. Jagger Museum
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
(808) 985-6049
Learn about volcanoes, in particular Kilauea and Mauna Loa. The museum offers earth science displays, seismographs that measure tremors and earthquakes. Look down into the Kilauea caldera and learn about the Hawaiian fire Goddess Pele.

Hours: Daily 8:30 am – 5 pm