What To Do On A Rainy Day – Kauai Museum – Kauai, Hawaii
I know, you want to be on a beach, but what happens when you wake up to a rainy day on Kauai? How about a visit to our Kauai Museum. The two buildings are situated in Lihue, just down the street from the airport, and they are filled with artifacts of Kauai’s history and culture. Knowledgeable docents may even fill your ears with stories and legends representing the indigenous people and immigrants who have lived on the Garden Island for centuries.
Kauai Museum’s Mission Statement:
To inspire and promote in the community, an appreciation and respect for the indigenous and immigrant people of Kaua′i and Ni′ihau, and their cultural heritage by working in active cooperation with the indigenous and immigrant people to help sustain their perspective cultures in the contemporary world; developing and preserving outstanding collections which reflect the heritage and artistic achievements of the indigenous and immigrant peoples; creating appropriate exhibits, publication and educational programs which serve the indigenous and immigrant peoples and the general public; offers access to archives artifacts for research; and providing an opportunity for artist to exhibit their creations which may be the artifact of tomorrow.
If you are lucky enough to be on island during May, do not miss the Lei Day competition. Lei makers from all over the island submit their beautiful creations for judging. It is a real treat. Here are some entries from the 2017 competition. Enjoy the amazing use of foliage while listening to one of our favorite musicians.
Both Yelp and TripAdvisor give Kauai Museum 4.5 stars.
“I’ve been to Kauai multiple times and somehow have never taken in the museum until now. It was fantastic. I originally went for the bookstore, but the entire experience was great. I found the pre-contact and ship artifacts more interesting than the post-contact area, but my kids much preferred the post-contact building, so to each their own! Staff is so welcoming and helpful. I wanted to go back another day without the kiddos, but the beach was calling! Next time for sure (your entry allows you to return anytime for 7 days!). And the bookstore was amazing – lots of books that are unavailable or hard to find in other places.”
February 28, 2018
“My wife and I visited the Kauai Museum on the morning of our last day on the island on our most recent trip. I think the highlight of the visit was the chance to interact with the docent who was there that day, James, a former high school history teacher who was born in a plantation camp on Kauai. He gave a great introduction to Kauai’s history, particularly the more recent times from the plantation era to the present. The museum is small but has some nice exhibits with older native Hawaiian materials in building one and information about waves of migration and the plantation era in building two. It is a nice little museum, and the gift shop has a great collection of locally made items. If you are looking for souvenirs, you can visit the gift shop without paying the admission fee to the museum.
February 22, 2018
Kauai Museum is an easy stop if you are going to the south or west shore. If you are checking out early and have a late flight, consider spending a couple of hours here before having dinner in Lihue.
Kauai Museum is located at 4428 Rice Street, Lihue.
Phone: (808) 245-6931
Hours:
Monday – Saturday
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, closed on Sundays
The Kaua‘i Museum will be CLOSED for the following holidays:
- Memorial Day – Monday, May 29th, 2018
- Independence Day – Wednesday, July 4th, 2018
- Labor Day – Monday, September 3rd, 2018
- Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, November 22nd, 2018
- Christmas Day – Tuesday, December 25th, 2018
For more information about the Kauai Museum, visit their website.
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