Kamuela Museum (closed)

This Kamuela Museum contains the collection of one family which served Hawaiian royalty and to this day attends the estate sales of long-time residents to pick up collections which reflect the fashions and interests of Hawaiians over the years.

While the main part of the collection concentrates on Hawaiian artifacts, other items range from glass and china, European and oriental furniture, mounted birds and animals, military memorabilia, and souvenirs of local residents who made their grand tours of the South Pacific and the United states picking up objects which range from art to kitsch.

The ranch house which contains the museum is crammed and reminds one of a time when museums were a random collection of oddities. Nothing is left out because it fails to follow the smooth story lines taken by modern curators. However, great effort is made using hand written cards to explain the source and significance of most items. The museum is chaos but charming.