Kona Coffee Living History Farm

This was one of the highlights of our trip. Informative and fun.

This was a great stop for our family on the way to see the volcano. When we stopped, there was a farmer, a home maker, and a person who we would describe as the Bob Ross of children’s games. We learned a lot about traditional life on a Kona coffee farm, and a lot about different cultures. Everyone here was very kind and patient. This is definitely worth a stop and was a very different experience than what we expected.

As museums go, this is a rather laid back affair, with limited hours. Essentially there are two subject matter experts--a homemaker and a farmer, describing the life of an ethnically Japanese tenant coffee farmer. The Greenwell farm coffee tour (free) up the hill gives the other side of the history. The absolute highlight is that a daughter of a (different, contemporary) Japanese tenant coffee farmer gives the household tour. It is personal, accurate, detailed, and totally fascinating. This all takes place in a preserved/restored small house where a family actually lived, including sequel generations up to the 1990's. Frankly, someone should professionally video the tour before it disappears as it is hard to imagine a subsequent guide being able to bring the same personal quality to the lifestyle description. Imagine you hear a description of going to school, and then can ask where the school was, what the teachers were like, or whatever other details you are curious about, or look at the pot of rice she has cooked that morning over the fire and ask how she knows when it is done.... Having lived in a similar climate zone also with Japanese influence, the authenticity was palpable.

The lovely lady in the house (sorry, didn't get your name) had such passion as she explained life for the family on the farm. Jim has a lot of knowledge about the farm equipment and kindly let us enter the washing platform. Roosters everywhere! :) There is a $20 for adults to enter.

We loved our visit and tour here. We learned a lot about the growing and processing of coffee beans. We also learned about the lives of an early Japanese family on the island, their experience from 1913, through WWII and beyond.

What a fun, informative experience! The interpreters made me feel very welcome and I had fun learning about the farm, historical agricultural practices, and playing games. I would definitely recommend a visit!

This is more of an encounter, than a "museum"... And I mean that in a good way. It's easy to find and to park (which is free). You can clearly see the people working here love this farm and are dedicated to teaching visitors about the history of this coffee farm and the amazing immigrants from Japan who established it. It was interesting to me to learn about the difference in the method of harvesting and processing coffee beans that is used in Hawaii as opposed to in South America. This is a great place for visitors of all ages... Young children will find it engaging. It's also a beautiful location and they offer free samples of their Kona coffee, which is delicious, and expensive, but you might not be able to resist the temptation of indulging in a purchase.

Loved our tour here at the history farm. Just the loveliest guides, Jim and Pauline (sorry I didn’t get the name of the hostess at the front), plentiful with stories and knowledge about coffee and history on the island. A very self sufficient farm with a glimpse of the past of how Japanese people used to live on the island. Even got to pick our own orange off the tree and crack open fresh macadamia nuts to eat. Would most definitely come back here! Thanks very much

We had a wonderful experience. We got to feed 2 donkeys ti leaves & we learned so much about the farm & the Uchida family. The tour guides were friendly & great storytellers. She even showed us how to make rice balls in the working kitchen from almost 100 years ago. We spent about an hour there. I wish we arrived earlier so we would have more time to explore before closing. They have many sweet navel orange trees where we can pick & take home. They are only open Tues & Fri from 10a-2p, I highly recommend stopping by this place.

My fiancée and I really enjoyed our self-guided tour of the farm. We were able to join in on a coffee roasting experience and see a pan roasting, we met a nice guide in the farmhouse who talked story about what it was like to grow up as a fourth generation Japanese coffee farmer, and met another kind gentleman who showed us some of the more unique plants on the farm (including bananas growing on the banana tree!). It was really rewarding to hear each of their stories, how they became involved in coffee in Kona, and how that common thread eventually brought them to the same place at the historical society. Also, the donkeys were pretty cute.

If you're looking for something to do to kill time this place is a must! The employees are super informative. We learned so much while we were there. We even got to pick our own oranges and eat them which was delicious!

This was one of our unplanned destinations while visiting the Big Island during New Years and it ended up being one of my favorite places. The grounds were gorgeous, but what capture my attention as the living museum of the Uchida Farm House. It was a step back in time. The docent even prepared a meal in the fully functional ,period, kitchen. She was marvelous. There was a great demonstration of the coffee preparation process too. I will never forget that pointy eared, scene stealing, 4-legged Shizu.

Our family was looking for a 'coffee experience' to learn more about coffee, and my daughter found the Kona Coffee Living History Farm. We arrived as it opened and listened to Barry as he told folks about the history of coffee and how it was introduced to Hawaii in general and Kona specifically. Barry is a wonderful orator and was great at telling us fascinating stories about what it was like to farm coffee in Kona. I truly enjoyed Barry's story telling style, and his willingness to answer questions for the group. The whole experience was entertaining, but Barry made the day special for us. I'm the one person in my family that does not drink coffee, but I may have enjoyed our visit the most. The history of growing coffee came alive through wonderful stories and demonstrations of what it was like to farm coffee in Kona. Thank you again for a wonderful vacation experience

What an amazing place! Great history pieces and a short film to enjoy.. my husband enjoyed the coffee bar and ending up buying two different kinds! The espresso with ice cream is a must! Spent lots of money in the gift shop as well... lots of good gifts to take home!!! Gorgeous setting and friendly staff! A definite must stop when we come back!

Tour is a walk through a working coffee plantation for $15 per person. Parking is free. Upon arrival we were greeted by the hostess Dona who explained the tour and its relationship to Kona Historical Society. She was amazing, and invited us to participate like it was an invitation to be an honored guest. We were greeted by docent Barry, who is a living history interpreter, with many years experience buying coffee for twenty years. Barry had extensive knowledge of the coffee industry as well as a detailed history. His first question was: What do you know about coffee? We said we drink coffee. He oriented us to the history and environmental of coffee farms. There are ten stops on the walking tour beginning with the young donkey near the parking area, and ending with the tenant farmers house ruins. There was a Japanese woman doing calligraphy classes every fifteen minutes on this day. Please don't miss the Kona Coffee Living History Museum. We were there for two hours.

Amazing place to slow down and take in the past and present agricultural life of the Big Island. It's well organized with docents who are happy to tell stories and give information about the farm and the family who lived there. They were extremely generous in showing us how to crack open fresh macadamia nuts and sample some of the fruits growing on the farm. I was most intrigued with the kukui nut tree. I had learned that kukui nuts were used for oil lamps and have medicinal purposes for skin conditions, especially sunburn. And most people know them as the big black nutshells used for necklaces. Worth spending a couple hours to tour around, participate in a group craft/activity and sample the fruit-- super fun for all ages!

Good for coffee history buff. The $20 per person entrance fee was not worth it. Wish there was more to see and do but you pretty much learn about roasting and how the family of that farm lived. The volunteers who manage the farm were very nice and knowledgeable.

This is such a cute little farm with lots of history. It was a working farm and house by the Uchida Family. The staff explains extensive history and lifestyle of the area and the family during your self guided tour. I saw the tofu making in a hut and learned Japanese American's lifestyle in The big island as immigrants. Although you get free coffee plantation tours in other farms, this particular farm has different perspectives of Kona and coffee culture. I highly recommend to visit here.

We have done so many of the things you can do on this island on our previous 3 visits, so we decided to do stuff that we have not. This was our first stop. The place is very charming, all the staff is friendly, nice and knowledgeable. We not only learned a lot about coffee and coffee making, but also about papayas and other vegetables and the Kona coffee generations in general. The farmhouse shows how the Uchida family lived there from 1925 to 1994. Next to the family house, they had the Kuriba (the mill) and the Hoshidana (drying platforms). We were able to see the coffee cherries on the vine. We did not even know what coffee beans looked like before today. We were allowed to squash them and see the two beans inside. It was fascinating to learn how these little slimy green beans turn into the dark, black coffee beans that we grind. We also learned that there were three different types of papaya trees: male, female and hermaphrodite, which is the one we can eat. Coffee farmers used to grow their own vegetables and fruits so they had a small vegetable garden as well. Each station had a staff member who told you all you needed to about the family, their traditions, the history of immigrants to Hawaii and coffee making and trading. They were patient and answered all the question we had. I will definitely recommend everyone to visit this treasure of Hawaiian history.

This little bit of local history is a delightful way to spend a couple hours! We were warmly welcomed and given a brief overview of the layout of the farm and it's buildings. It was suggested we start at the family house. Pauline was our docent and she shared her experiences growing up and living on a coffee farm and described the daily routine of the women and children of the farm. Barry, our second docent, told the story of the men and workers on the farm. He gave an overview of the process of getting the beans from the trees to the market and talked of his experiences running a farm. Both Pauline and Barry did an excellent job of painting a picture of life on an early coffee farm. As an added bonus, the oranges on the trees the family used to feed themselves were ripe and we were invited to take what we wanted. They were delicious!!

A wonderful learning experience. Our daughter hung out in the kitchen and helped to make a bento. Very cool. My mother grew up on a farm in somewhat similar circumstances so it was interesting to see the similarities. Definitely worth a stop.

This is a fascinating stop about early Japanese coffee farmers in Hawaii. By some small miracle, an entire school bus of children was leaving, just as we were arriving. We were warmly greeted, entered the grounds and we started with the docent in the Japanese built house. Our guide lived and worked on these coffee farms and she was loaded with information and stories. She knew exactly how to lead a tour by providing a wealth of information, without boring you with too much detail. After leaving the first docent, we met with a second docent who talked about the agriculture of coffee growing. This is a highly recommended visit for those interested in history.

It looked very interesting online...however, they are closed for the month of June---just a heads up for anyone planning to visit.

Amazing experience!!!! We are local to Oahu and had such an amazing time. The richness of the history preserved was incredible. The tour that Pauline gave of the Uchidas families home and the historical events behind Kona coffee gave us a greater appreciation of its origin. We walked the farm and was taken back in time. The scenery was amazing and all the fruit trees and farm animals reminded us of Old Hawaii. Highly recommend!!!!! Well be back!!!

The Kona Coffee Living History Farm offers both a farm tour and a farmhouse tour. It's a small area with a clear map, easy to navigate in 1-2 hours. It was well-staffed with a number of docents, all of whom were eager to share their knowledge about the land. We never had to ask questions or prompt anyone to explain what we were looking at. Upon us stepping near, all the staff launched into informative overviews of their areas/exhibits. The farmhouse, which was used as a primary residence all the way until the 1990s, is staffed by a woman who was actually a neighbor of the original owners. Her firsthand testament to the area and its history was very interesting. I preferred her perspective as a primary source to just learning from someone who studied local history. I recommend buying gifts here because it had some of the nicest items I saw in my entire stay on the Big Island! Definitely look through their gift shop to avoid having to select some tourist trash plastic keychain later on!

We spent a very pleasant afternoon touring the farm, talking to the very informative guides, and enjoying the fresh Kona coffee and macadamia nuts the farm grows. What an unexpected treat. We highly recommend this little detour off the well-worn tourist rut.

This tour was really spectacular, it was hands on, interactive and felt very personable. I really liked it because it was concise and it was really just listening to someone's own life story and you could really feel the history come alive. It was magical. Special shoutout to: Pauline & Jim

An amazing place to learn about the history of Kona coffee. Beautiful park site. The staff are very knowledgeable and personable with great education programs. Nice programs on what life was like on a coffee plantation in the 1930's with costumed living history staff. You can see a wide variety of fruit and vegetables that are grown on the island of Hawai'i. Small gift shop with nice assortment of Kona cofffee. The Mele Estate grown coffee is outstanding. Definitely worth a stop.

Great visit on our last day before flying out. Wonderful informative volunteers. Good for an hour or two visit, provided a good look into history.

Everyone was really nice and knowledgeable, but maybe we were there on a day when there wasn't much going on. Entrance is $15 per person and it's a self guided tour through the coffee farm with a map and short historical descriptions. If you are not a history buff, it may not be very interesting. We were able to complete the tour in 15 min. We did get lots of mosquito bites, so make sure to bring bug spray. The only restroom on the premises is a portapotty, so you may want to plan accordingly.

We were in search of a typical coffee farm factory tour and we found so much more! Through interpretative talks brought by people well either lived the experience or were very passionate about communicating the story, we found ourselves living back in the early 20th century as Japanese immigrants, former "indentured servants" trying to survive producing a new crop in a new place that they called home. With true innovation using the experiences they brought from Japan they succeeded in developing a coffee with few peers. As a mainland Japanese American visiting with my parents who were contemporaries of the children of the families it helped me to appreciate the experiences my parents and grandparents faced as we found that so much of the Japanese culture that came to Hawaii was found similarly on the mainland though with a different backdrop, a different context. It was neat to to see how coffee is produced asset a base level and the amount of care and labor it takes to produce a good crop. All the people there genuinely and deeply cared about what they were sharing and that made all the difference I the world in drawing us, even my teenage kids, into the story. This place gets an a++++. It also helps that there is free kona coffee in the process.

After we maxed out on snorkeling and ocean exploration, we spent a half day at the two Kona Coffee History Museums. Most of the coffee farms have some kind of tour, but it tends to be a quick lead up to the store to sell you beans. No objections, but the Museums are run by the non-profit Kona Historical Society that are the real deal if you want to learn more about Kona's history. We went to the Kona Coffee Living History Farm at 10 am when Barry opened the gates. After we paid admission ($15 for adults, $5 for kids, free for Keiki under 5), we were greeted by Farmer Jim. He taught the girls to feed grass to the chickens, find ripe coffee beans, and look for banana, papaya and pineapple plants, and check for eggs. Farmer Jim even cut some sugar cane to suck on! Then we made our way to the Uchida house, which three generations of Uchida's lived in until the 1990's. Auntie Pauline greeted us and told us about how immigrant Japanese Hawaiian families made rice over fire stoves and she shaped it into Onigiri before our hungry eyes. She showed us all the things that moms would make out of re-used rice bag cloth - dresses, underwear, comforter covers, house insulation, water filters. We ground coffee by hand and saw how the kids were resourceful- no toys? Make dolls and toys from coffee beans and leaves and twigs! Our 4-year old niece was enamored with Farmer Jim and kept asking where he was when he popped his head in to called her over to see what the wild chicken had left. We walked over and she found an egg- still warm! He showed us the how to separate the beans from their pods - grinding them into a pail of water. The floaters are bad! All in all, it was a wonderful morning. And a little cup of coffee for the road. We would have stayed longer but we had to rush to the other Kona Coffee Museum (81-6551 Mamalahoa) site just down the road by Greenwell Farms for the fresh baked bread made in a Portuguese stone oven - it's Thursday you know!!! Tip-get there by 10 am to help make the bread, by 12 if you want the garlic bread. Three types - sweet white bread, wheat, and garlic - $8 a loaf but sooooo worth it. There were picnic benches. We packed a little jelly and sandwich meat and were in heaven! Second tip- spray mosquito repellent for sure for both locations. Third tip: the Museum has super clean bathrooms!

Me and my husband had the most amazing time here , it was literally the highlight of our trip we can't wait to come back with our kids

My whole family really enjoyed our time here. There are a free free sample you can try before going in or before you leave. A small gift shop. And there are people working in the house and on the farm ready to tell you stories about the history of the place. It was a lovely experience. I especially liked being able to eat an orange that had just been picked from the trees on the farm. The farmer even offered to slice it open for me!

We loved our time at the farm. Pauline was delightful and taught us so much about life there. It was especially poignant since she was raised on a coffee farm just like this one. I would highly recommend visiting. I also felt the admission price went to a good cause.

What a hidden gem! Very knowledgeable docents teaching us about Japanese history in Kona. Worth the trip!

We kept seeing signs saying Kona Historical Society and wondered if there was a museum about Hawaiian history or life on the Big Island. A friend living here for many years suggested the Kona Coffee Living History Farm and it was well-worth the 1.5 hours we spent there on the way back from snorkeling at Capt Cook Bay. We got to see how Japanese people who left the oppressive sugar cane industry moved to start their own coffee farms and ultimately became more than half the island's inhabitants. That was more about Japanese culture and lifestyle in the 19th century as the home is one of the rare authentic old Japanese homes still standing anywhere, including Japan! Jane and Brandy were our guides through the house and coffee making section, while Micky, a 92 year old Japanese 2nd generation Hawaiian demonstrated roasting beans outdoors and preparing them for the mill. All in all it was fascinating and the $13 pp felt like a proper donation for a cause than an entrance fee. The way they cooked, conserved water, and used the two-hole outhouse alone were worth the stop. And a similarly worthwhile stop about 1/2 mile north is the Historical Society's General Store from 1880's to 1950 - takes you back in time. No charge, check hours, usually 10-3p. Thursdays are "bread making days" 9:45 to noonish, and you're invited to join the staff in making it and having some. We are leaving Thursday but from every other experience, I'd guess its great! Gavin is the administrator and runs a wonderful historical site. If you are a family with kids, any age, its a great visit, but especially for kids in school - they'll learn a lot about a subject that will fascinate them and encourage an interest in history and people different from themselves. If you're Japanese, the farm is a must!

I got to learn about local history and coffee production. The place is beautiful and folks there were very willing to take tons of time for questions.

You start at the kiosk with the opportunity of cracking your own macadamia nuts on an antique nutcracker. SO fresh! The docent at the main house was extremely competent & knowledgeable about the Uchida family who lived there since the1920's. We loved hearing the details of simple daily life routines for this family. Well worth your time and the fee. You can get a $2 off coupon at the historical Greenwell store tour. You can pick fresh oranges from their many trees for a quick snack afterwards too

The workers here, Barry, Kia (hope I got the spelling right) and Pauline add so much to the experience. They are so gracious and knowledgeable. I really enjoy learning anything coffee-related but I think this would be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in how people lived. And Kia gave me great advice on where to get some food at a reasonable price!

This place was amazing! It was great to see history come alive on this coffee farm. Great staff, delicious coffee! well worth $15.

A true living history experience. Only downside was we got there when they were only open another 45 minutes. If we had longer I'm sure we would have been even more enthralled with the additional stories we would have heard. Great for teenagers to see how life used to be before all the technology and advances of the modern era. A real wake up call!

A great place to gain a deep perspective on coffee farming history of Hawaii. The tour doesn't really cover the aspect of roasting but focuses on the lifestyle of the immigrant farmer. I like that the tour is mostly self paced so you can focus on areas that you would prefer to spend more time in. There is an admission fee, but it is to help support the place as well as the Kona Historical Society.

I had no idea I would love the Kona Coffee Living History Farm so much. It was amazing. Everyone is friendly as soon as you arrive. There is this adorable donkey in a pasture next to the entrance kiosk. The old processing factory was fascinating. The house that the original Japanese family lived in was like walking back in time to the 30s. You just felt you were there, then. It was educational (I learned a lot about making coffee) but it was historical, too. Above all, it was fascinating. There were papaya trees, orange trees, macadamia tress, banana trees, Hawaiian hot peppers (which looked identical to a Mexican pepper that almost killed me years ago). The tour is self-guided so you can stay as long or as briefly as you like. We stayed over two hours and had no idea that much time had passed. Truly enjoyable as well as educational. I'm grateful the Kona Historical Society for restoring and maintaining this essential piece of Hawaiian history. Good job!

Not your typical tourist stop but an awesome experience and fascinating stop. My wife and I appreciate history, farms, coffee and found it very interesting and well worth the time. Give yourself plenty of time to look around. Only downside is probably the hours of operation but otherwise it's a great stop. Do it.

Very cool place and they let you taste fresh macadamias nuts!

My family and I visited in June and it was an awesome experience. We really enjoyed learning about the daily life of the family. The people who work on farm were very knowledgeable and had a lot to tell about the farm. Well worth the admission price!

Today we went to the Kona Coffee Living History Farm. We were expecting the usual "tourist" rendition of here is the plant, here is how it's grown, here is how we harvest..blah blah blah...Instead what we got was an extraordinary experience learning about sustainable living and gardening, everything used, nothing wasted. We learned about the life of the Uchida family who toiled away the land and live modestly but were rich in the bounty of their harvest. The kids got to pick and process the beans, they got to plant the carrots (the gardener is sending us a email in a few weeks to let us know how their carrots are doing). My daughter got to make bento box lunch for the farm hand, our got to harvest beets. We had an amazing learning experience, I would recommend it to anyone who comes to Kona. The people who work here are salt of the earth people who are passionate about their work and committed the sustainable practices, and it shows in how they welcomed us like we were their own.