Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives
About This Museum
It's easy to imagine the Hawaiian Mission Houses as just a quaint historic site, but its archives hold the first books ever printed in the Hawaiian language, a testament to a profound cultural exchange. You'll find a quiet, shaded complex right in the heart of bustling Honolulu that feels like stepping into a different century. The site preserves the original homes where missionary families lived, worked, and grappled with an entirely new world. Walking through them, you get a tangible sense of the immense challenges and complex relationships that shaped modern Hawaii.
Collection Highlights
Look for the Mission Press, a replica of the original that produced those first Hawaiian-language publications. Inside the houses, you'll see everything from lauhala mats and koa wood furniture to the missionaries' own handwritten letters and personal belongings.
Visitor Information
It's tucked away on South King Street, so keep an eye out for the sign. Booking one of their guided tours is really the way to go—the stories behind these buildings are what make them come alive.
Architecture & Building
The buildings are classic examples of New England-style architecture, with their stark white clapboard siding and simple lines, which must have looked so foreign against the Hawaiian landscape when they were built.
Contact & Location
Address: Hawaii Mission Houses Museum, 553, South King Street, Downtown, Hawaii Capital Historic District, Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii, 96813, United States
Phone: +1 808-447-3910
Website: Visit Website
