Been many years since visiting Lyman Museum and was happy to see the very modern display and very…read moreclean interior. This museum has probably on of the best mineral displays in the whole country. I was kind of shocked to see some minerals I've never ever heard of. The Hawaiian display was also good, with a brief history about the Hawaiian nation and how it came about. Also shows how the sugar plantation life and when immigrant workers started coming to Hawaii . A great place for locals to revisit and spend some time and energy to look back into the early days and the hard lives they lived. All staff were very friendly and very welcoming and informative when some questions were asked . A great place for visiting tourist to visit at a small cost to them.

After experiencing the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens (please reference my review if…read moreinterested), we made the 18 minute drive to Lyman Museum. I must admit, when Google Maps announced our arrival, I was skeptical of the museum based on the appearance of the building. However, that feeling dissipated when we entered the building and were greeted by a friendly employee at the front counter. After paying the very small admission fee, another friendly employee gave us a brief overview of how to navigate the exhibits. The first exhibit was centered on one of my favorite childhood interests...volcanoes! I was taking a walk down memory lane as I relearned the root cause of volcanic eruptions and the history of Hawaii's active volcanoes. Afterwards, we learned about the various habitat types, mammals, and birds. The next following exhibits were focused on Hawaii's complicated (in my opinion) history. Although all of the content was interesting to some capacity; the following three topics stood out: sugar plantations, the educational system, and the annexation of Hawaii by the United States. Although the information is presented in an unbiased form, it shaped my opinion of how native Hawaiians (along with other ethnic groups) were mistreated, the United States' role in attempting to completely sanitize the Hawaiian education system (i.e., being punished for speaking their native language in school), and the events that led to the Hawaiian government being overthrown by the United States. As most museums, I walked away with mixed feelings. I learned a lot about Hawaiian culture, but also felt torn in my decision to visit (support) a place that has been essentially cleansed of its true culture and taken over by Americans (yes I know that there are other places that have been similarly impacted). I highly recommend that visitors take the time out of their vacation to visit this museum and enlighten themselves with Hawaiian history.

10/14/2024 Pacific…read moreTsunami Museum 130 Kamehameha Ave Hilo, HI 96720 I went there on Columbus Day, so it was open (closed Mondays)! Street parking is available on Kalakaua Street and Kamehameha Avenue. If you are a Hilo resident or a Baby Boomer from Hilo, I highly recommend a visit. There are rooms for the history of Hilo Tsunamis and the 1960 Tsunami which I experienced. The other displays were interesting, educational and informative. The 1975 local Tsunami display was especially relevant to me because one of the fatalities was my brother's doctor. The other rooms feature displays for other Pacific Tsunamis and Tsunami science. The staff was knowledgeable, helpful and friendly I won't repeat until we have another future Tsunami for display.

This is only open on the weekends! It is well worth the visit. There is so much history with…read moretsunamis in Hawaii.

So glad we gave this place another try! We first came a couple years ago when they must have just…read morebeen opening or moving into this location (Waikoloa Village), and it felt pretty limited at the time. But when we visited again last year, the improvements and additions were awesome. It ended up being such a great stop for my daughter. After being on the island for 4-5 days with only the small number of toys we could pack compared to her normal home and preschool routine, this was the perfect place for her to get some sensory and imaginative play in. She spent the entire time exploring everything and had an absolute blast. Bonus: she crashed for a great nap right after! The only downside is that it can get a little pricey since both parents have to pay admission as well, but overall it was still worth the visit for us. We'll definitely make this a stop every time we come back.

This place was sooooo fun, we came back twice during our visit to Hawaii :) The staff was so kind…read moreand welcoming. There is so much to do, we couldn't get it done in one visit! From giant legos, to sensory water play, to fun ramps for cars, a little house and play kitchen, boat, and so much more. It was very clean! We were talking about how it was my son's bday the next day and they gave him a little birthday surprise which was so unexpected and sweet! I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a little break from the sun and sand

Small home packed full of history of sugarcane and the railroad in area, including the end of both…read more Short film adds to the experience, as there was no guided tour. Plenty of photos, historical items, and news clips to look at. Caboose and model railroaddisplay. Small gift shop and helpful friendly host (mr cupcake the welcome dog) Limited hours, check website

My son really enjoyed the Train Museum. He is a train maniac so even the smallest sight of trains…read moreexcites him. That's a good thing because the train museum is small. It's essentially one building with lots of newspaper clippings and older items related to the train history on the big island. If you're interested in the history there's a lot of things to read and old photos to enjoy. If your children don't have a good attention span and just want to see little trains it might be a quick visit. They have one older layout that doesn't run and they have a wooden table outside on the patio for kids to play with. The gift shop is tiny but my son still found a small train and shirt that he loved. You can go inside their caboose to check it out. It's been refurbished although not in the most authentic way. Still, my kiddos enjoyed it tremendously. Nice 30 minute stop, especially for train lovers.

Would you pay $99 for AYCE prime rib dinner for two? Yes, but how about if you had to attend a…read moretimeshare sales presentation? 48 Hilton guests took the $99 offer, and came up a packed bus 20 miles from Hilton Waikoloa Village. Gathered in a large dining room sitting around six tables to hear the host give a long talk on the cultural history of the Ranch. Everyone attentive until the singer started playing Hawaiian songs, at which point everyone started talking to the others around the table. Had to talk really loud to be heard across the large table, due to the large amount of background noise. Dinner buffet self serve by table in multiple courses, including unlimited wine and lemonade. Fabulous mixed salad, so good that everyone finished their salad, even those that don't like vegetables. Main course included broccoli, potatoes, fish, and prime rib. I got a double portion of prime rib, while everyone else got a 12 oz to start off with. Thought the outside portion was way too salty and tough. Not for someone to chew with a temporary crown. Center portion was tender and juicy. Threw out a good portion of the outside and fat and gristle. Meal topped off with a dessert of cheesecake covered with sweet mango sauce. Met the host outside. Turned out we were both UC Berkeley graduates, me of class of 1975, and he of class of 1963. Oh, by the way line outside the mens bathroom, as the urinal was out of order. Those people who didn't show up for the Hilton timeshare presentation would be assessed the full $390 price of the event for two!

Fabulous opportunity to come up to Anna Ranch for a dinner with Chef Ipi via a special weekly…read morecultural event managed by the Hilton Grand Vacation folks. We were treated to oral history of the area, music, and an impromptu Hula. Truly honored to be part of this event. Oh, the food? Locally made ricotta in a crostini, mixed green salad with toasted sesame dressing, local shrimp, beef, zucchini, potatoes, and a lava cake with strawberry ice cream.

I really enjoy artsy and quirky things. This town is super cute and visiting the museum is…read moresomething to do:)

This is a cute little museum. It's very casual with a kind of laid back/hippy vibe. They sell local…read moreart and jewelry. They have delicious ice cream made in hilo. The kids loved the mango and my mom loved the kona coffee. I had a shake with lilikoi that was very good. It's in the middle of the town center and there's parking behind the building. You can swing in and take 15/20 minutes for the museum (which runs on donations), then grab some ice cream and mosey down the town center. A very laid back way to explore.

Located in Captain Cook, the Royal Kona Coffee Company is a quaint roadside stop that, while not a…read moremust-see, was mildly engaging. First off, there is plenty of parking and there are also several clean bathrooms. As you meander up the ramp into the Reddish wooden building, you can see the ocean. As you walk further up into the building, there is a coffee sample station with many coffees and teas to try. 100% Kona Dark-Medium roast is delish. There's a small gift shop and coffee museum as well. The gift shop was underwhelming and the museum is small but informative. The folks working here are pleasant. The coolest part of this stop is the Lava Tube that you can walk through. You just need to walk down the stairs from the visitor center and follow the signs for the Lava Tube. It's a little bit of a hilly walk, so be prepared. The tube itself is short, but it is neat to see. There is no cost to visit this place which is a plus. So, if you're in the area, definitely stop by, but I wouldn't make a long trip or go out of your way to visit this place. Mahalo.

Loved this place on my recent trip to the Big Island. They've got tons of merch from clothes to a…read morevariety of different coffees and teas. If you're interest, they offer samples of everything before you buy to even include the rare peaberry Kona Coffee. If that's not enough, they've got a coffee bar inside that served one of the best blended drinks I've ever had from a coffee joint. On the off chance you're looking at more than just the store, this location also has a small museum with amazing views of their coffee mill. It's also home to a small lava tube that is free to view. I highly recommend giving this place a shot.

Very informative and fun tour. Worth your time. Included Kona Water information, time with the…read moreoctopus tanks and tour of Kona Abalone. Yes seeing grapes growing in Hawaii was one of the amazing high lights. This foundation gives alot of local programs and companies a chance to grow their business and research. Support local. Many other companies are on the grounds such as Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm, BioAstin vitamins, the lobster place to grab lunch and more.

If you are in to renewable energy and ocean science and technology, this is the place. It is the…read moreonly place in the world you can find out out OTEC or ocean thermal energy conversion. There is a presentation in the morning from 10AM then you get to take a tour of a working abalone farm that grows all of its own food using cold deep seawater pumped from 3000 ft. They have this cool display that is growing Chardonnay grapes using the cold seawater and they even get 3 crops per year! Fun if you are interested in cool things and science. Little kids might get bored, although the volunteer lady who checked me in brought coloring books and crayons to some kids that started looking bored.

I didn't get to see this facility. The hours are highly limited (M, T, Th) from 10-2. I'm a…read morehistorical buff and my trip was short (F-Su). Really wish I could have seen it.

The smell of coffee and the Portuguese breads, need I say more…read more Every Thursday at 1 pm, bread is available to buy. The sweet bread sells quickly. I've tried both and they were delicious. But I do prefer the sweet bread. Freshly baked, soft and yummy. My husband and I have yet to bake the bread. One day....

Absolutely a must visit to see, feel and understand Hawaiian history…read more It was sad that the volunteers were not even faintly familiar with anything. Names, events and even basic royal history questions were not answered...only empty smiles with oh- there is so much history here...sadly they didn't know hardly any of it. I even asked about the hula group that teaches there, again no idea. They need to train the volunteers to actually know something about the place where they are volunteering.

Hulihe'e Palace is a beautiful piece of Hawaii history museum that sits in downtown Kailua-Kona…read more This palace was built in 1838 for Hawaiian royalty stayed here, in 1973 it was place on the national register of historic places, it was originally built out of lava rocks, the lava rocks fance today still secure the palace. The museum has lot's of priceless artifacts like furiture photos quilts and other cultural Items. I was sad because it was close on the day we dock there, a good reason to come back to Kona.