DK Travel : Maui : History & Culture

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Alexander & Baldwin

Samuel Alexander and Henry P. Baldwin’s historic 1869 sugar plantation partnership grew into one of Hawai’i’s largest companies.
Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum

The sugar mill in Pu’unēnē is one of the last still operating in Hawai’i. Across the street from the mill stands the awardwinning museum, housed in the plantation superintendent’s residence of the early 20th century. Inside, the museum interestingly and informatively documents the history of Maui’s sugar industry. Photographs, clothing, models, and artifacts illustrate what daily plantation life was like for the owners and the immigrants who worked the fields and mills.
Bailey House Museum

Bailey House is a missionaryera home built on an ancient royal Hawaiian site. The building was first used as a mission school and then as the home of missionary and artist Edward Bailey. Today, it houses the largest collection of precontact Hawaiian artifacts on public display on Maui, along with various missionary-era memorabilia, Bailey’s original paintings, and fascinating historical photographs. (see Bailey House Museum)
Bellstone

This large volcanic rock, sitting on the side of the road just before Mile Marker 16 on the road past Kapalua, is so named because it sounds like a bell when struck in exactly the right spot. Use another rock or stick to gently strike the stone – it will probably take several attempts to find the right spot. By way of a hint, if you hit the rock on the side facing the mountain, it should resound with a metallic clank.
Canoe Building

As in all Hawaiian cultural practices, there is much ritual surrounding the building of a canoe, another of the men’s arts. Traditionally, canoes are made of koa and always from one log, carefully selected by the boat builder. The craft is still very much alive today.
Contemporary Lei

From silk and ribbon to yarn, currency, and even candy, contemporary lei are made for every occasion.
Featherwork

Cloaks, lei , headware, and kāhili (standards) for the ali’i (chief) were all once fashioned from feathers. The birds were trapped so that specific feathers could be plucked, and then the creatures were released. Yellow, red, and black were the colors most often used. Today, artisans still craft lei of feathers from pheasant and other introduced species.
Fishing Nets

Olonā fiber, derived from a native shrub, was commonly used in the old days to make fishing nets (a practice performed by men only). Strong and durable though it was, manmade materials such as nylon replaced olonā in the 20th century.
Formation of the Islands

Each of the islands in the Hawaiian archipelago is actually the top of an underwater volcano. The oldest of the seven major islands (formed some 70 million years ago) is Kaua’i; the youngest Hawai’i, where the active Kīlauea volcano adds more landmass daily. A new island, Lō’ihi, is forming far below the ocean’s surface, southeast of Hawai’i.
Front Street

This oceanfront thoroughfare is Lahaina’s main street. Lined with all the trappings of a vacation town, from souvenir shops and activity reservation outlets to a plethora of bars and restaurants, Front Street bustles day and night. It is the site of major festivals throughout the year (A Taste of Lahaina in September, Halloween’s Mardi Gras of the Pacific in October, the International Festival of Canoes in May) and a continual stream of smaller events, including the weekly Friday Night is Art Night. (see Front Street, Lahaina)

Pioneer Inn, Front Street