Visit this former mission post to learn about the culture and artistic legacy of Hawai‘i through paintings and music, plants, clothing and furnishings.
The Bailey House Museum is a historic house and museum that showcases Hawaiian art and culture. Find exhibits of oil paintings and snails, period furniture and utensils, as well as a garden displaying native Hawaiian plants. Built in the 1830s as a mission for adults and children, the house was used as a female boarding school and private residence before becoming a museum.
Step inside the house to admire the collection of oil paintings by Edward Bailey. Bailey, a self-taught painter, and his wife originally came to Maui in 1847 to work as missionary teachers. The collection includes more than 100 paintings depicting the 19th-century landscapes, valleys, harbors and homes of Maui.
Check out the Hawaiian snail collection of David Dwight Baldwin, who was the son of a missionary family. The entire collection consists of more than 1,000 snails, some of which are on display at the museum. Among these are land snails, marine snails and freshwater snails. Go to the museum’s upper floor to see rooms showing examples of 19th-century Hawaiian furniture, decorations and utensils. Look for ornaments made from bone and feathers, bedding made from pounded tree bark and stone tools.
Take time to explore the museum’s garden, which displays native and endangered plants. The bark of the puhala tree was used for weaving mats. You’ll also find historic artifacts, such as an ancient grinding stone and a canoe carved from the trunk of a koa tree that is a full 33 feet (10 metres) in length.
Throughout the year you can enjoy various events at the museum, such as weaving classes, ukulele lessons and moonlit concerts. Find an event schedule and prices on the museum’s official website.
You’ll find the Bailey House Museum in the centre of Wailuku. Free on-site parking is available. The museum is open from Monday to Saturday, except for selected public holidays. Visit the museum’s official website for a complete list of opening times.
