Kauai Historical Society

OUR MISSION

At the Kaua‘i Historical Society, we're bringing history to life. Our mission is to collect, preserve, and disseminate the oral, written and pictorial history of Kaua‘i County; to protect and preserve historic sites; and to educate ourselves and the public about the history and cultures of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau.

The Society's vast collection, available by appointment for use, is located in its home at the centrally located historic Kaua‘i County Building in Lihu‘e.

The collection includes 4,000-plus photographs; 3,200 maps; plantation records; The Garden Island newspaper, 1911 to present; 25 cabinet drawers of subject files; 4,500 books; personal papers from local families and organizations; and the Guslander Coco Palms Museum collection. We're digitizing the collection to make it easier for you to use.

Kaua‘i is visually stunning and rich in history from ancient to modern times. Stone works and taro terraces tell its history and you’ll also find it in letters among missionary families, in milling stones saved from early sugar plantation days, and in the first-hand accounts of Kauaians who recall defensive barbed-wire fences strung on beaches during World War II.