Maui's Largest Collection Of Hawaiian Artifacts Is Found At The Unique Bailey House Museum
By Megan Shute|Published January 06, 2020
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Megan Shute
Author
With more than 10 years of experience as a professional writer, Megan holds a degree in Mass Media from her home state of Minnesota. After college, she chose to trade in her winter boots for slippahs and moved to the beautiful island of Oahu, where she has been living for more than five years. She lives on the west side but is constantly taking mini-road trips across the island and visits the neighboring islands whenever she can getaway. She loves hiking, snorkeling, locally-grown coffee, and finding the best acai bowl on Oahu.
From the first Europeans visiting the islands in 1778 and the establishment of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1795 to Hawaii’s admittance to the United States of America in 1959, the Hawaiian Islands are steeped in history. If you love learning about Hawaii’s fascinating history, culture, traditions, and more, you’ll want to plan a visit to this unique museum where you will discover Maui’s largest collection of Hawaiian artifacts.
Tucked away in Wailuku at the mouth of the famous Iao Valley on the island of Maui, Hale Hōʻikeʻike, also known as the Bailey House Museum, was built in 1833 and is now a unique museum full of cultural artifacts and remnants of Hawaii’s history.
Owned and operated by the Maui Historical Society, the Bailey House is not only on the National Register of Historic Place but was one of the first western-style houses in Wailuku. It was also built on what was then the royal compound of Kahekili, the last ruling chief of Maui.
Originally intended to serve as a mission for adults and children, the Bailey House has had many purposes throughout its history: from the site for the Wailuku Female Seminary to a part of the Wailuku sugarcane plantation.
The home was purchased by the Bailey family in 1850, and today, the Bailey House is a museum of Hawaiian history and art with one of the largest collections of Hawaiian artifacts in the state.
Exhibits include utensils, tools, and weapons that pre-date Hawaii’s contact with Europe, breathtaking oil paintings by Edward Bailey, a model of the Hokulea — a modern-day replica of an ancient Polynesian-style sailing vessel — a wooden statue of the Hawaiian demi-god Kamapua’a, and so many more unique finds.
When you head upstairs, you will find two distinct rooms: the Monarchy Room, which gives guests a glimpse into the Kingdom of Hawaii through information and artifacts and the Koa Room, which features a large, four-poster bed and other furnishings made entirely from Koa wood.
Outside, you’ll discover a small shelter displaying Duke Kahanamoku’s 1919 redwood surfboard as well as a 33-foot, 1900s-era outrigger canoe once used for fishing that was carved from a single koa log. It is one of the last koa fishing canoes made in Hawaii.
The museum’s gardens display native Hawaiian plants, including endangered species found only in Hawaii, and a gift shop on premise features locally made artisan items.
The Bailey House Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, head to their website. Have you ever been to this unique museum before? If so, share your experience with us in the comments below.
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