“Lyman Mission House” by Brew
Located in the town of Hilo on the east side of Hawaii’s Big Island, the Lyman museum is a great place for groups to go to learn more about the history of the Aloha State from the islands’ formation to present.
The museum’s Earth Heritage Gallery features excellent exhibits about the natural history of Hawaii and its present-day volcanoes, including a three-dimensional map of the islands, a realistic, walk-through magma chamber, and an impressive display of rocks and minerals. There is also an extensive collection of seashells included in the exhibit on Hawaii’s flora and fauna. In the Island Heritage gallery, you will find examples of early Hawaiian tools, clothing, and jewelry, and learn about the Hawaiian royalty. In this gallery, you can also learn about the five major immigrant groups who came to Hawaii in the 19th century and their lives on the sugar plantations. The Lyman is also home to the Shipman Collection of Chinese art, as well as many traveling exhibits. Past rotating exhibits have included early photographs of Hawaii, artworks featuring Hawaii’s volcanoes, model canoes, feather art, and a walk-through replica of a 1930s Korean house.
Next to the museum, you can visit the Lyman Mission House, former home of New England missionaries David and Sarah Lyman, who came to Hawaii in 1832. During their time in Hilo, the Lymans hosted many famous visitors to this house, including Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, and members of Hawaii’s royal family. On your tour of the Mission House, you will see the furniture, tools, and clothing used by the Lymans and their seven children, and learn about the missionaries’ impact on Hilo and their relationship with the native Hawaiians.
After a visit to the Lyman museum, your group will come away with a much greater understanding of Hawaii’s natural and cultural history than they ever had before.
