The 3 Best Museums Around the Maui Area

Museums play an important role in how Maui preserves stories, protects cultural resources and helps residents and visitors understand the island through history, art and science. In the Best of Maui readers’ choice contest, locals highlighted museums that make learning immersive and accessible. These selections show how much depth there is to explore when it comes to Maui’s natural and cultural heritage.

Maui Ocean Center, The Aquarium of Hawaii offers an in-depth look at the marine life that surrounds the Hawaiian Islands, with exhibits that highlight sharks, rays, turtles, corals and other native species. Its interpretive materials emphasize cultural connections to the ocean, including perspectives rooted in Hawaiian tradition. The center also features immersive environments such as its walk-through tunnel and open-ocean exhibit, which give visitors a sense of being within the marine ecosystem. Its programming blends education, conservation and cultural understanding.

Maui Historical Society maintains the Bailey House Museum in Wailuku, where it preserves artifacts, photographs, and documents that tell the story of Maui’s past. Its collection includes Hawaiian cultural items and materials related to the island’s missionary era, along with paintings by Edward Bailey that depict 19th-century Maui. The organization also offers educational programs and guided experiences that help visitors understand how the island has changed over time. Its grounds, native plants and historic structure all add context to the story it presents.

Oni Foundation – Wonderful World of Aloha Cultural Activity Center focuses on cultural activities that highlight Hawaiian history, storytelling and traditional arts. Its programs offer interactive experiences designed to help participants engage with practices rooted in island culture. Through demonstrations, performances and hands-on opportunities, the foundation uses its space as a hub for community connection and cultural learning. Its approach encourages visitors to see history as something lived and shared rather than observed at a distance.

Thanks, ChatGPT.