Maui Historical Society / Hale Hō'ikeʻike at the Bailey House

The Maui Historical Society was founded in 1951 and incorporated in 1956. A museum was established on July 6, 1957 in the old Wailuku Female Seminary and former residence of Edward and Caroline Bailey. The museum currently named Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House and their mission is to collect, preserve, study, interpret and share the history and heritage of Maui.

The museum is situated on an ʻili (traditional land subdivision) named Pōhakuokauhi, one of the largest and most significant 'ili in the ahupuaʻa of Wailuku near the opening of the sacred 'Īao Valley. The area was also known to have been a royal compound of Kahekili, an ali'i nui (high chief) of Maui. In 1832, the Kingdom of Hawai'i leased the land to the American Board of Commissioners For Foreign Missionaries to be used as a female seminary and boarding school for Hawaiian girls. Following its closure in 1849, Edward and Caroline Bailey, former teachers of at the Seminary purchased the lands from the Kingdom for continued education and agricultural use until the early 1900s. Wailuku Sugar Company than utilized the lands and leased the structures to the Maui Historical Society for use as a museum in the 1950s. The Maui community came together to restore and protect this site, and was recognized under the State and National Registers of Historical Places in the 1970s. The property was then donated to the organization by Maui philanthropist, Masaru "Pundy" Yokouchi, in 1992.

The museum is a special place in which Maui's history and rich cultural heritage is honored. We feature the largest collection of pre-western contact Hawaiian artifacts, missionary-era furnishings, photos, documents, and maps in Maui County. We also feature a museum shop with "Made on Maui" products, special workshops and educational presentations, an ethnobotanical garden tour, and garden rentals for parties, weddings, and other outdoor events.