The buzz of activity on Front Street often overshadows the fact that Lahaina is a town of major historical significance. Once the first capitol of the Kingdom of Hawaii, a busy whaling port, and a plantation settlement, you can still walk in the footsteps of Lahaina’s past today.
The Ala Moolelo O Lahaina, or Lahaina Historic Trail, is a self-guided tour throughout Lahaina’s historic districts. Look for the informative bronze plaques around and about Front Street pointing out dozens of important sites.
Walk the trail and you’ll see a fascinating blend of influences covering Hawaiian history, the whaling era, the missionaries, and immigrant plantation workers. The Baldwin Home was the two-story house of Protestant missionaries in the mid-1830’s. Hale Paahao (stuck-in-irons house) was a jail for rowdy sailors in the 1850’s. Anachronistic structures like the Wo Hing Temple and the Lahaina Jodo Mission highlight the influences of Chinese and Japanese immigrants in Maui.
To get a historical walking guide, visit the Lahaina Visitor Center in the Lahaina Courthouse located between the Banyan Tree and the sea—both sites are also on the historic trail.
