welcome to the Kona Historical Society
Visit the Kona Historical Society
Join us for History Explorations, where you’ll be immersed in a vivid and unforgettable story of Hawaii’s colorful past.
From the Collection
Join us for our new virtual program, From the Collection, a series highlighting Kona Historical Society’s archives, historic sites, and people, places and things in our community.
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Our rich archives help tell the stories of Kona’s past through collections of historical photographs, unpublished diaries, journals, letters, family records and memorabilia, land documents, and selected Kona newspapers and articles.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
To accommodate the changing circumstances of education in the face of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Kona Historical Society has designed a series of virtual field trips, free of charge, to all Hawai’i schools.
Programs
In the past year, the Kona Historical Society has moved many of our programs online so that visitors and students can participate virtually. Spend your Mondays with Maile, join the Kona Nightingales for story time and so much more!
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 and Archives. Our historic sites are perfect for wandering back in time!
“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 // Konawaena Elementary School // Virtual Field Trip Experience
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 can connect with us!
Get Involved
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 Hawai’i 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.
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!
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.
Our 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!