Lahaina Historic District

Lahaina Historic District is a historic district centered on the old town, stretching from Puuona Point to Makila Point. It contains dozens of preserved buildings, maritime landmarks, and religious structures from different periods that together form the historic character of the place.

The town became the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom under King Kamehameha III, who chose it as his preferred seat of government from 1820 to 1845. After this period, the area developed into one of the most important whaling ports in the Pacific.

The old town became a center for early Christian missionary work, where residents experienced rapid spiritual transformation. The cemeteries and churches visible today reflect how this religious shift shaped daily community life.

The district spreads over a compact area that you can explore on foot, with key landmarks marked along the main streets. The best time to visit is early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is less intense and the area feels more relaxed.

In the 1850s, hundreds of whaling ships anchored in the waters off the town, briefly making Lahaina one of the busiest ports in the world. This period of rapid commercial growth left deep marks in the architecture and stories told locally today.