Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives

Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives Located in 553 S. King Street Honolulu, Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives (HMH), is an active site for Hawaii’s history since 1820. It is also a National Historic Landmark (listed in 1965). This one-acre site in the Historic Capital district in downtown Honolulu, HMH preserves Hawai‘i’s oldest Western-style house, the 1821 Mission House, as well as the 1831 Chamberlain House, the 1841 Bedroom Annex, a cemetery, a collections storage vault, a gift shop, and multi-purpose space. The library, which holds both English and Hawaiian archival material, over 80,000 digital pieces and is home to one of the largest collections of Hawaiian language books in the world. Reserve tickets at least 24 hours in advance. General admission is $20.

Since I visited Sunday it was closed but I was still able to access the yard from the back gate and walk around. It has 3 outstanding interpretive signs. Well worth the visit to understand this important aspect and impact on traditional Hawaiian culture. Historic buildings amazingly restored. Oldest wooden building in HI, shipped from Boston pre-cut lumber in 1821.

The most beautiful museum in Honolulu and Amazing Gift Shop supporting local artists , the selection of Hawaiian items is absolutely fabulous, the staff is amazing professionals and kind the best customer service and knowledgeable about Hawaii a real jewel and the History of Hawaii. It is awesome to be in the place where the fist house in Hawaii was built in 1821 , Thank you and Mahalo, Nui Loa.

In addition to the museum, locals and visitors should consider going to the Oahu Cemetery Pupu Theater which is organized by the amazing staff at the Mission Houses where there will be historical reenactments of legendary figures in Hawaii every summer. It is definitely an interesting experience you can consider!

Interesting museum and mostly good docent tour though it would have been better without the docent's comment about the Hawaiian royal family knowing that they needed to appear to be civilized in order to have a better position at the bargaining table with European colonialists.

Well maintained, charming site with interesting cultural activities from time to time. It’s a bunch of historic houses. Regardless of one’s opinion of them having been there in the first place, they are a part of our islands’ history, and deserve respect

Enjoyed strolling the grounds of Museum, being transported back to a more peaceful way of being and time. Will definitely return to learn more with a tour. The gift shop is beautifully arranged with books and by local artists.. Simply Amazing, and i tell you what .. 'The North Shore Goodies' Original Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter is absolutely delectable. Highly recommend grabbing a couple jars to take home. Will have to get the Banana MacNut Peanut Butter, next time!

Cool place with lots of history about the missionaries and their life in Hawaii. They have a printing press which was great for the kids and adults to see in action. The old missionary house is the original house from the 1800s.

Admittedly, over the past 20 years, we've visited these historic structures at least once a year during Kawaiaha'o Church's annual pre-Christmas craft fair. As there are only 3 historic structures on this property, this museum is small but worth seeing if you're interested in learning about the impact of these missionaries on the native Hawaiian culture during the reign of King Kamehameha II, Kamehameha III and Queen Kaahumanu in the 19th Century. We were walking in the area when we noticed the banner which announced a Family Day Open House (FREE admission, tours and activities) this past Saturday so we made it a point to check it out. The Hawaiian Mission Houses Historical Site and Archives (HMHHSA) is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00AM to 4:00PM. General admission is $10 with discounts for Military, Seniors and Students. Tours are guided with very knowledgeable docents or you can take a self-guided tour. So, what are the Hawaiian Mission Houses? Basically there are 3 main, restored, structures dating back to the early 19th Century. But, there's MORE to just looking at these structures. In 1819, the "First Company" of missionaries (7 couples and 5 children plus 4 native Hawaiian boys) set sail from Boston to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) and were given direction to "raise the native peoples to an elevated state of Christian civilization" which included the teachings of the Bible and abilities to literacy. They were NOT to meddle in political affairs or other secular matters that were not directly related to religion. This direction was a mixed message and until today, the roles of the missionaries are regarded as somewhat controversial. -1821 Mission House (Ka Hale Lāau) The First Company came with pre-cut lumber and Western living essentials and erected the structure. It was built in typical New England-style, housed the missionaries and became a site where the exchange between Native Hawaiian culture and language and Western cultures and language "began". Native Hawaiians were taught the English language and became literate while the missionaries learned the Hawaiian language and culture. The American missionaries introduced Western medicine, agriculture, laws and democracy and reinforced political and economic ties with the United States. This house originally housed the 7 members of the Daniel Chamberlain family, 5 other missionary families and occasionally ailing sailors and orphans. -1831 The Chamberlain House was built using local coral blocks, lumber from salvaged ships and locally procured supplies. This larger, 2-story structure served as home, gathering place and supply center. It had an attic and cellar like most New England homes have but if you live in or have visited Hawaiian homes built in the late 19th C and 20th C, youd rarely find these features. -1841 Printing House (Ka Hale Pai) Built next to the Mission House out of coral blocks and now adapting to the local climate, the missionaries added this structure originally as an extra bedroom or living quarters. It was soon converted into housing the first printing press which was originally set up in a grass house. The Mission's Print House produced the first materials printed in the Hawaiian language and showed how the native Hawaiians and missionaries worked together. While strolling the grounds of these mission houses and Kawaiaha'o Church, I could feel history come alive and see how much life has changed in Hawaii.

We strolled over to check out this landmark since we never explored this side of Downtown. We first went to the gift shop, practically window shopped, circled around yet no one spoke to us so then we started the tour on our own. A couple of tour guides were outside the shop chatting a bit but we didn't seem to phase them so we started on our own.. We walked along the grounds but there were tree cutters so we couldn't galavant much. It's $10 admission for a guided tour on the hour. (11am-3pm.) This is definitely not a self guided tour. There aren't any signs to explain or an audio set to take you back in time.. Supposedly there are documents and artifacts from the mission period but I'm not sure where those were located. I'll have to actually bug a tour guide the next time I'm there..

Enjoyed this tour of Mission Houses so much that I might take same again! Great guide (Julie Chang). This is a MUST Do if you want to learn about history of Hawai'i!

Absolutely a must-visit. Make sure to book the your online ahead of time. We took the history buff tour led by Mike Smola and it's really fantastic -- Mike is incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic and thoughtful and passionate. He toggled effortlessly between diving deep into topics where we had questions, and providing a broad overview of Hawaiian history and the role the missions played in it. It's rare to learn so much so fast fun so enthusiastic a teacher. One member of our party is a professional historian and enjoyed it as much as us lay people did.

Every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the Mission Houses have a Christmas craft and gift faire. The vendors always offer beautiful artwork, ornaments, and unique pieces you don't see elsewhere. It goes from 8-3pm, and only happens this one day a year. Definitely check it out!

Pros: location Easy access with public transportation Beautiful Cons: odd hours

The 4th graders went on a field trip here last Friday. I was disappointed because we were rushed through the tour. We had about 10 - 15 min at each "station". In addition, there was one station where the students drew pictures on paper plates to resemble the olden day plates, but only had enough for about 6 students out of about 30 or so. They said they "ran out". That's no excuse!!! It's not like the the tour was free. The "educational director" wasn't really friendly either. Aside from that, I think it's a great place for students to learn about how the olden days were spent here in Hawaii.

To go inside the houses, you must go on a tour which only runs every hour or so. But you may walk around and peek through the windows for free, which is what we did. I don't know if I am interested enough to pay for a tour, but the gift shop is GREAT. They have really good oil paintings by local artists, high-quality matted art prints, chocolates & honey; jewelry by local artists; and other really nice souvenirs. If I were visiting Hawaii I would stop here to get my gifts for people if they were artsy types. I actually bought a cyanotype printing kit for the kids; it makes blue & white photo prints with the sun.

It was like a trip back in time in old Hawaii before the overthrow. Being in this place felt so surreal, it's pretty neat. The Mission Houses Museum offers vistors to its place of wonderment and history. This piece of history is in downtown Honolulu, kept away from the hustle and bustle of urban living. I was pleasantly surprised that this place was very well kept up. Admission/Tours to this place is not cheap, but its good to experience it just once. General admission is $10, but kama'aina rate is $8. Tours are conducted every hour, and last tour begins promptly at 3pm. You can walk around the grounds and it's free. I paid my $8 and got a shot of knowledge on how it was back in the old days. There's only street parking, but if you are like me, the public buses run nearby and you just walk to the museum grounds. This place is really educational and one of the places you'd probably say wow to.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the guided tour by Docent Rose Hansen through the Mission House buildings on the Kamaaina discount Sat, even though the weather was very rainy. Her attention to detail in sharing the history of the early missionaries in Hawaii, their lifestyle and challenges throughout their time here, their artifacts, and the contributions and influences the missionaries made to our Hawaiian culture and history thru the printing press, music, fashion, construction, and of course in religion, were most enlightening, and even different from our early understandings. We highly recommend this tour, or even a revisit, to visitors and kamaaina alike. Mahalo to Curator Mike and Gift Shop assistant Grace for a very memorable experience.

It has been years since I've gone on a tour here, so I took advantage of the Kamaaina special which is the last Saturday of each month, Kamaaina's get half off the the regular admission. If you are driving, only street parking is available. But I had no problems finding parking, just remember to bring coins for the meter. When I arrived, the lawn and patio area was occupied with patron for "tea time"... I wish I had planned my visit out better, I would have loved to invited my girlfriend and her daughters for this trip. I'm always interested in learning about cultures and rich histories, especially of a place where I grew up and love. The tour is very educational and there is a lot of information to take in within an hour. It is a walking tour, which you'd walk around the property, but it's not too bad. There is some stair climbing, and some opportunity to sit during the tour. Last tour is given at 3 pm, which I had just made it in time for. Overall, it has been a great experience. If you are well-loved by mosquitoes like me, cover up or protect yourself, but I only got 2 bites. I do recommend bringing kids on this tour. There is a bit of walking and stairs, so if you're lazy or in need of physical assistance - this might not be a tour for you.

Went to their Family Day today, free tours a few games, candle making, calligraphy table and stamping table lots of crafts. Our tour guide was great very informative. Tour ran bout an hr. We spent almost 3 hrs there, played some games, went on the tour, made a candle, did some stamping and calligraphy. They have family days in April and sept check their site for more info on events and parking free and paid. They also have kama'aina Saturday's for us locals. military and student discounts as well. There's a small gift shop. The staff/volunteers here are all super friendly. If you want to spend a hr or two learning something new bout when the 1st missionaries arrived and Hawaiian printing house I recommend dropping by and paying them a visit.

Hawaiian Mission Houses I know many people will say that it is a small small small tiny small museum. OK, that is fair but if it is a complaint, could you please instead do something bigger and better. Like many museums in HI, it is small, but that just means that it can be more informational when you do go there. For a museum in the heart of a capital city you could do so much worse.... In Chicago there is the Dusable and the Spertus museums' and even those are teaming with kids on field trips during the week and heavily trafficked on the weekends. Not here in HI, you can be by yourself and have a tour, I mean you can have a tour by yourself by just talking to one person one on one. It won't happen all the time, but it is such a small museum and not on the radar or the tourists in general that you can still talk story with someone about the missionary era here in HI as long as you want. There are some great events- they have some small plays on special event nights every now and then but not at all very often. The gift shop is the nicest place I have ever seen as a gift shop. Not your typical ABC store, more of your 'this is what gramma made for the family in HI' kind of stuff. There is a small music section which is again small, and not a rack like in Walmart, more like this will fit the CDs. Different museums are popping up in different areas- trying to help kids and adults learn more and more about the past. This is a good one. Wonderful docents that can answer tons and tons of questions. Beautiful grounds and some street parking that is usually open for a car or two. A few moments of solitude in the center of the city.... Priceless.

My goal on vacation is always to try and visit museums, even during a beachy getaway to Hawaii. The Mission House Museum made that possible! This is located near Iolani Palace, so you could see both in one day and get the cultural/educational portion of your trip safely out of the way. If you just want to stroll around the pretty, well-maintained grounds and check out the buildings, it's free, but a docent-led tour is pretty inexpensive and is the only way to peek inside. We were the only people in our group, so we were able to ask as many questions about the parts that interested us as we wanted. When we went, they were working on a remodel of one of the houses, so some of the exhibits were not on display. I liked getting to walk around the restored missionaries' house and looking at the furniture and household items that were typical of the era. The printing press is also nifty for typography nerds. The tour is about an hour long, and for $10, it seemed worthwhile. But if you're pressed for time or don't feel like paying that much, at least stop by and walk through the grounds. There's also a nice gift shop with local art, notecards, jewelry, and gifts if you're looking for souvenirs.

Very informative little tour. You need to be able to climb stairs, not for the elderly/walker/wheelchair set since the houses are wonderfully ancient. I enjoyed learning about this wonderful little gem and visiting the gift shop. I took a star off for not offering anything to compensate for our $25 gift certificate. We were supposed to receive 2 tours (check), $10 in the café AND a gift shop item worth over $20. Why not offer something else since the cafe is now closed and the gift shop items that were ear marked for this deal were gone? Did they over sell the deals?? GC was good until Jan 2013 -- Disappointed.

This was an amazing tour detailing the history of the missionaries that came to Oahu in the 1800's and their relationships and interactions with the Hawaiian royalty. Our tour guide was very passionate about the topic which made it very enjoyable. This was the only tourist attraction open after the downgrade of Hurricane Lane. I highly recommend this tour to everyone.

Mahalo nui to the staff of Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives for being so welcoming to our family today. HMH was one of the few places open after Hurricane Lane became a tropical storm. The executive director, development director, and volunteer and program coordinator instantly recognized that two dads with a very active eight-year-old daughter were relieved to be out and about after we rode out the storm in our home for the past two days. They took time to talk with all three of us about this beautifully maintained place that is such a significant part of Hawaii's history. I am grateful for their generosity, for their kindness, and for their inspiring us to come back and become members of HMH.

Ok, there are establishments I frequent and activities I indulge in that don't involve the consumption of copious amonts of alcohol. My friends and I also enjoy partaking in experiences in which one need not comport themsleves like a complete neanderthal...really. I also like to think I have a well rounded, adventurous, intellectual, renaissance man side (like the Dos Equis guy). My visit to the Hawaiian Mission Houses was just the type of avant garde, refined activities I occassionally enjoy . The museum hosts summer Shakespeare in the Park productions, which my friends discovered and we recently got together to watch a performance of "The Tempest". Now, I've lived on Oahu about six years and have probably driven past this place a hundred times without ever realizing it was there. This is a small, (and I emphasize, as with anything else in Hawaii, small) area consisting of three restored 19th century houses, (two of which are the oldest houses in Hawai'i), and are easily lost by the surrounding city scape. While I may not have gotten to enjoy the experience of entering the homes and viewing some artifacts the grounds were interesting and piqued enough of my curiosity to warrant a return. The mission houses however do contain a very well maintained grassy outdoor stage fringed in lava rocks. There is also a small cafe with a modest selection on items. Given the performance was in the early evening, this may have not been the cafe's peak period, hence the selection. The staff, which may have consisted of a mix of museum and production personnel were very friendly and accomodating. The experience was good overall and I will undoubtedly return to explore get the full experience of a few things I missed.

Can't say that I'd be interested in doing any of the actual house tours, but it was nice to stop by the grounds and just look around and peek through the windows.

Loved this museum - such an important part of Oahu history -- it was hot inside upstairs so dress cool to enjoy it

Standing exhibit of missionary's houses, they also feature rotating artists in various houses. Worth the stop, but small and very hard to park. They offer different pay packages, you could just see one part of the museum, or wander the grounds, pleasant either way. Not a place to spend the whole day, but great for a tour of galleries.

step back into time and head over to the mission house museum. i was pleasantly surprised to step into this idyllic and quiet property in the middle of downtown. i was recommended to come here from a friend to learn about hawaiian history through the missionaries perspective. i found it to be very educational and for me to learn, or rather unlearn the things i thought about missionaries. as for the business, you pay admission to go on a guided tour which gives you access inside the buildings. my tour guide was very knowledgeable and was able to tell us a lot about Hawaiian history. what the museum has been able to preserve and share is amazing. they have the oldest house of all of the hawaiian islands on the property which was actually shipped from Boston. there is also a gift shop that sells many hawaiian products and a cafe on site. next door is the historical Kawaiaha'o Church which is also worth a look. plus down the street is iolani palace. so i made the trip of going to Mission House Museum, Kawaiaho'o Church and then Iolani Palace to learn more about missionaries, church, and the Royal Family.

After being inside for 2 days on Oahu because of Hurricane Lane, we were going stir crazy. So on Saturday, we went to the movies and on our way home decided to stop at the Hawaiian Mission Houses on So King Street. They were one of the few places opened while most stores were still closed because of the Hurricane. Take the tour with a tour guide, they are very knowledgable and you will get so much more out of the experience. Also go across the street and stroll through the small cemetery where many missionaries are buried.

I really enjoyed this tour. I've lived on Oahu my entire life and although I am familiar with Hawaiian history I still learned a lot of interesting things! The tour was about an hour long and we went on the last one of the day at 3pm. I guess the lady was tired or something but she started without even introducing herself which was kind of weird. And whenever we had any questions she kind of just continued her story and didn't really answer us. Just tell us you don't know geez lol. But overall she did a good job, was very knowledgable, and a decent tour guide. It was very cool to walk through the house and imagine what it was like to live there back in the day. Lots of cool artifacts too.

We went on a tour today and loved it learned about our history how they lived and ate and enjoy their lives. If you are ever are in Hawaii stop there and found out how they lived.

My favorite craft fair ,Never miss it. The best,friendly place to buy items for Christmas and your self

I went to the mission house museum today not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised! i went with my two younger sisters (ages 5 and 10), and we ended up having a great time. one of the cons, though, is that much of the museum is hot and stuffy on summer days. we came on a cooler, slightly rainy day, so it was enjoyable. A good place to come in the winter! Parking isn't great. It's on the street, if you can find any, with meters. The grounds are lovely, with lots of grass and trees and plants, and they have a tiny outdoor cafe and gift shop. We tried the acai bowl at the cafe, and it wasn't bad. they also have things like sandwiches and tea and plate lunches. They don't charge for kids 5 and under. Adults are $10 (unless you're a kamaaina, senior or military, which would be $8) and students are $6. You can walk the grounds free, but you can't go into the houses (which is pretty much the whole point) without a paying tour. i've had some bad tour experiences so i wasn't too hot on the idea of a tour, but it turned out to be great! Our guide Mike was friendly and made the tour quite interesting and answered all our questions. Our tour group had only about eight people in it. if you like history, like several of the elderly tourists in our group, you'll probably find it even more interesting. He took us through some of the exhibits and explained some of the history, then into the largest mission house. we were able to see the kitchen, doctor's office, several bedrooms, basement, printing press, children's room among others. he even gave a short demonstration of the printing press. the house is hundreds of years old, but the architecture is really nice ( but the stairs are very narrow and steep). the windows are cute and all are original! we were allowed to touch some of the things like the bed mattress and sit at the long table. my 5-year-old sister got a bit fidgety at times but overall i think she enjoyed it. we would come back! it might not be the best place for young kids, but most older kids and adults would enjoy it.

Things are happening at this place. Visited this week and got talking with a staff person on the lanai. I really enjoyed the Flag Quilt Exhibit that is closing Saturday. They have a number of FREE programs like their monthly lunchtime lecture series and the children's story hour that is led by a retired children's librarian. They also have activity packs for families that you can check out - all of these programs are FREE!!! Tours of the site happen three times a day and are very interesting - these cost but have depth of info. Great gift store and a good cafe. Grounds are even lovely. Staff was very friendly and welcoming to me...

school field trip review....my preschool children enjoyed the tour, dress up, printmaking, and games. it was hard for them to comprehend everything with the weather being all muggy this day but we can't do anything about that (no electricity/ac back in the day haha). volunteers were very knowledgeable and accommodating for this age group..will come back next year :)

A wonderful place to take keiki, and a super spot for visitors and locals alike. Be sure to plan for at least 2 hours for a visit to ensure you see all that this place has to offer. Friendly and knowledgeable visitor services. A Honolulu gem!