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Preserving Kona's Stories
 
 

Saturday July 26, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Please join the Kona Historical Society and The Kona Beekeeper Legacy Project for Hanohano 'O Kona 2025 at the Greenwell Store Museum at Kalukalu.

This event is free, family friendly, and open to the public.

Colony Collapse in 2025: What It Means for Hawai‘i & the World

Join us for light refreshments and a talk story on what's happening to bees globally, and how Hawai'i plays a role in their future with a panel discussion featuring exhibit creator Leandra Rouse, retired Queen Bee Producer from Kona Gus Rouse, and state and local experts on invasive pests.

This will also be the last Saturday to enjoy the Bee Exhibit at Kalukalu before the exhibit closes on July 31. 

 
 

Our Mission:

ENRICH · INSPIRE · INFORM

The Kona Historical Society will preserve the history of Kona to enrich, inspire, and inform our community and visitors. We will do this through collecting, preserving, researching, interpreting, and disseminating the history of Kona.

 
 
 
 

The Kona Beekeeper Legacy Project

Open Tuesday - Saturday

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

 
 
 

The Kona Historical Society relies on support from donors like you to help us serve our mission

FROM THE LIPS OF ONE GENERATION…

…TO THE EARS OF THE NEXT

 

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Our Programs

The Kona Historical Society fulfills our mission to collect, preserve, and share Kona’s stories and unique sense of place through our many programs, both online and in-person. Many of these programs are free to visitors and students, thanks to our thriving community of members. Membership is one of the best ways you can support the Kona Historical Society and bring the history of Kona alive for more people.

 

Collections

Our rich archives help tell the stories of Kona’s past through collections of historical photographs, unpublished diaries, journals, letters, family records and memorabilia, land documents, and selected Kona newspapers and articles.

Education

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kona Historical Society designed a series of virtual field trips, free of charge, to all Hawaiʻi schools. However, we are beginning to offer on-site field trips as well. Check out our field trip page for details.

Programs

During the pandemic, Kona Historical Society moved many programs online so visitors and students could participate virtually. Resources such as Mondays with Maile, Story Time with the Kona Nightingales, and so much more are still available.

Historic Sites

Visit us at the only living history coffee farm in the nation, help make traditional Portuguese bread in our stone oven, or explore the collections at the Jean Greenwell Library. Our historic sites are perfect for wandering back in time!

 
 

“

KONAWAENA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

It was truly valuable and provided a real-time glimpse into the past that they would not have gotten anywhere else….The thoughts about past and present provided a great springboard for more wonderings and to reflect on history and the progress made from needs that people recognized.

Pattie Kunitomo / Virtual Field Trip

 

 
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Get Involved

The Kona Historical Society depends on a strong community of volunteers, members, visitors, and lifelong learners. If you’re looking to learn more about the history of Kona or want to support our mission, there are several ways you connect with us!

 

Virtual Classroom

To accommodate the changing circumstances of education in the face of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we’ve designed a series of virtual field trips, free of charge, to all Hawaiʻi schools.

We hope you will find something useful for your students in these engaging programs, whether that is a guided educational activity or simply a chance to try something new in your virtual classrooms.

Volunteer opportunities

Volunteering with Kona Historical Society is a great opportunity to let a few hours of your time turn into a history of new experiences to share with others.

KHS’ volunteer program is flexible and we have opportunities for both individuals and groups. We always have need for a variety of skills and experiences, so you don’t need to be a historian or an expert to apply!

Make a Donation

None of our programs and resources would be available without generous gifts from our donors and member community. Membership is one of the best ways you can support the Kona Historical Society’s mission of collecting, preserving, and sharing Kona’s stories and unique sense of place.

We also have sponsor opportunities for local businesses who want to get involved!