Great little museum that tells the story and history of the sugar plantations in Hawaii. You wind your way through several rooms full of artifacts, some from over 100 years ago. There are photos of the immigrants that came to work in the fields back then as well as the native people that worked there recently. The artifacts and photos had accurate and clear descriptions and were displayed in chronological order in most cases. There is large machinery and farm implements located on the grounds outside that can be examined.The giftshop had postcards, t-shirts and other items to choose from. The employees were courteous and helpful. read more

This little sugar museum is super convenient, close to OGG Airport, Costco, food trucks, Whole Foods, Foodland, Walmart, and Target. Perfect for a quick stop when you first arrive in Maui or before heading out. *Hours: Mon-Thu 10:00am-2:00pm (they really won't let you in after 1pm) *Admission: $10 We arrived close to closing, so we only got to explore the outdoor area. Still, it was fun to see early sugarcane plantation machinery, including: * 1898 Nordberg steam engine * Cleveland J36 trencher * 1920s outdoor Portuguese oven * 11-foot Bull Gear sugarcane transport wagon * Vintage Caterpillar tractors * Caterpillar 660 sugarcane transport cab It reminded us of similar sugar museum exhibits in Taiwan (Wanhua Longshan Temple area and Hualien), giving a glimpse into local agricultural history. This is definitely a niche spot. If you're curious about sugar mills, it's worth checking the official website first to decide if it's worth the admission fee. Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum 3957 Hansen Rd, Kahului, HI 96732 read more

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It's a nice little self walk through with displays and information. The sugar museum talks about the history and heritage of the sugar industry & plantation. It's a great informative way to learn about the history if you don't know anything about it. I loved learning how the different cultures influenced parts of Hawaiian culture. They have machine pieces outside on display from the mechanic parts of the sugar industry. Admission is $10 for adults and took about an hour to tour. Parking- has their own parking lot read more

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Small museum but very informative. Didn't realize there were European immigrants workforce for the sugar canes & that the workforce cam from so many different regions of the world. Little artifacts inside the museum was interesting to look at along with the descriptions, & there is a 12 minute video if you are interested. We watched it and enjoyed the information packed into a short video. The stop at the museum on the way to the airport was just enough to fill in an hour or two, then we grabbed lunch before we boarded the plane around 2:30. Friendly & helpful staff. Outside, there are old machineries to look at if you don't have enough time to spend inside. read more

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Great throwback to the sugar plantation days of Maui across the street from the abandoned factory. read more

Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum - Sugar processing machinery - Museums Near Me - Puunene, Hawaii

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It's been a while since our last visit. The Plantation Festival was the perfect reason to go back. So much history. The museum is wonderful. If you haven't been in a while or it's your first time. It's a must-see. read more

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This is a small museum but is filled with lots of pictures and information about the history and people of sugar cane on Maui.. Adults are $10. There is alot of old mill equipment in the yard outside you can visit for free. Across the street is the old mill the ladt working mill in Hawaii closed in 2016, you aren't allowed in but was just sold so maybe in the future you'll be able to go inside an explore it. read more

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Nice place to spend a few minutes and learn about the history of Maui. Not totally worth the entry fee in my humble opinion, but if you have kids, then maybe it's more worth it. I probably spent around 30-45 minutes here, as the museum is quite small. There's lots to read within the exhibits so if you take your time to really read everything carefully, then maybe you could spend more time here. I personally thought that the museum was more depressing than it was an enjoyable educational experience. A lot of the exhibits dive into how the Japanese were misled into chasing the "American dream" by immigrating but were instead forced to do hard labor by working in the sugarcane fields for menial pay, poor treatment, and little to no food. But if you find this type of history interesting, then maybe you'll enjoy it. There's bathrooms and a gift shop inside the museum and some (only a few) hands on exhibits. They also give you a packet of sugar at the end before you leave lols! read more

Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum - Museums Near Me - Puunene, Hawaii

This place strikes me as an alumni museum, established and run with loving care by the folks who used to work at the empty remains of the sugar refinery across the street. My basis for saying that is my only 30-year experience as a Oil Company employee with such a museum next door, of which I'm an alumni member. Sugar fields and Refineries were both a significant physical and cultural presence in Hawaii, and over the years, a lot of "stuff" is generated. That's what you see here at the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum. That includes a well curated inside walking through various historical and operational aspects, and lots of heavy equipment outside. As fun as it was to walk around and see it all, I was equally intrigued by the old Sugar Refinery across the street. And as an Environmental professional, I couldn't help but run through my list of shutdown-related issues that must remain. read more

Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum - Museums Near Me - Puunene, Hawaii

This is a no frills museum. It is located near the airport, so may be worth a stop if you have some time to kill. They have a lot of history about the Hawaii sugar market. They have artifacts and photos of the history of sugar in Hawaii. It is a relatively small museum and will take about 45 minutes to go through. They also have some heavy equipment outside that you can see and a private lot that you can park for free. They have a small gift shop that you can buy sugar cane. While I was there someone came just to get so,e of the sugar cane. The museum is reasonably priced, at $7 and the staff is very friendly. This museum would probably be better appreciated as a time filler, or add on stop to another attraction and not as a main attraction. read more

I been here many of times on field trips with the keiki. I always enjoy my time here, our leader Janis was awesome very knowledgeable and kind. You learn alot about the sugar mill and how it was back in the day. If you're ever free please come and check this place out. In the field trip the kids do different activities that keep then busy and they sure do have fun. read more

Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum - Museums Near Me - Puunene, Hawaii

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Interesting place for a bit of Hawaii history. 19th century industry was not kind to workers and the Japanese contract workers who labored on Maui's sugar plantation were no exception. Sugar is no longer an industry in Hawaii. Museum staff stated it became "uneconomical". Museum staff were friendly and answered all my questions. This museum is not particularly interesting unless you are a history buff. read more

Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum - This is the millwork. You can see it from the highway. This is as close as you can get. - Museums Near Me - Puunene, Hawaii

Pretty low key. Mostly reading and watching a movie about the factory. It had some good history and photographs. read more

Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum - Sample of one of the rooms - Museums Near Me - Puunene, Hawaii

Bottom Line: Located in a historic home and tells the story of the sugar industry in Hawaii. This is a cute little museum that holds a lot of information if you take the time to review the artifacts, pictures and signs. The museum starts with how sugar cane first came to Hawaii and then talks about building irrigation, life on the plantations, the immigrant workers and their cultures and the process of growing, harvesting and refining sugar. It's neat that the museum structure has survived and that it's located in the overseers old house. In the yard there ad pieces of old machinery used in the defunct Maui sugar industry. read more

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Lovely and so informative. Adhered to Covid measures for safety. We were able to your outside and look at the machinery that was used. Great exhibits and a nice gift shop. I now have a better understanding of the sugar cane industry! Well worth the $7.00 admission price! read more

Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum - Entrance to the museum - Museums Near Me - Puunene, Hawaii

To learn about Hawaii's sugar history on Maui, this is a really good museum to learn the background and history of how Hawaii got it's start through plantation life. This is great for adults and kid. It isn't big, yet it isn't small. You don't need much time there, maybe an hour or so, but it is well worth the stop. The property has some large farm machinery which would be fun for the kids to see and gives you a nice stroll around the surrounding lot of this old building across the street from the now shut down sugar mill. Once you get inside, you will find multiple rooms with lots large pictures and objects from past with excellent descriptions to immerse yourself in the history of this important part of Hawaii's development. They do offer a Kamaina discount if you are local, but it is very inexpensive anyways. Being near the airport, it might be a good last minute activity before departing the island. That is what we did. The airport is actually less then 10 minutes away for this attraction. Whether you are an adult or have kids, I do recommend stopping by this place and learn about Hawaii's past. read more

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This was one of the the cheaper activities I found visiting Maui. I definitely felt like I got my $8 worth. The whole museum took about 45 minutes for me to get through. I left the museum feeling educated about Maui and Hawaii's history. I thought it was impressive that museum building used to be the sugar plantation supervisor's home. There are also large equipment used in the sugar plantations displayed outside. The museum is definitely a fun, quick activity. I also appreciated how the museum attendants weren't monitoring my every move, like some museums. The gift shop is super fun too! I got unique souvenirs and gifts that were affordable. I recommend picking up one of their curated recipe books that include recipes from local families. read more

I have to say this was a very interesting place to visit. I felt I got more out it than I expected. It's a small quaint place exhibiting the sugar and cultural aspect of the era. I do everyone take a little break and spend a couple hours here. Kinda slow the pace a bit, a little beather if you will to appreciate where the community has come from. There are several machines to look at. All looking heavy, hard and still ready to work if they could. The pictures seem to capture an innocence of the people who did hard labor and knew nothing else. It was the way of life, the belief. We lost the Onizuka museum on the Big Island. We are about lose this one too. Sad. read more

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Well worth the stop so you can understand how sugar cane was harvested and processed. There were so many different immigrants who came to work the sugar cane fields way way back. They were paid $12.50 a month and you could purchase a home for $47.00. Seniors pay $5.00 for admission. There is a 10 minute video which goes through the whole process of explaining from A~Z washing, cutting, pulverizing liquid sugar from the stalks. It's rather interesting the end product of CH sugar. The last sugar mill stopped its operation in 2016. read more

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The Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum is a very low-stress, low-maintenance, and low-keyed tour of how the sugar industry was created by Alexander & Baldwain. The tour is set up in a little plantation house, which takes you through about four rooms. The displays are very informative, and are supplemented with vintage sepia photos and replicas of old-fashioned machines used to make sugar. My favorite part of the tour was looking at how the people in the 1800's and early 1900's dressed and established communities around a certain common interest. The tour is very informative and they have a fun 10 minute video about how sugar was made. Fun to have wood bench seating for 10 people (about 3 people a bench). You can be in and out of this tour in about 30-60 minutes. The tour ends with the gift shop (typical!). There are lots of fun history books, children books, local Maui artisan produces like towels, shirts, seasonings, soaps, etc. Fun to look around! Adult admission is $7. Children 5 and under are free. Don't forget to take a sample bag of the raw Maui cane sugar when you leave! read more

Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum - Welcome sign - Museums Near Me - Puunene, Hawaii

What invention deep sixed the Hawaiian sugar business? Read on. We were on our way back from visiting Haleakala crater, and saw this sugar plantation house which had been converted into a sugar museum. Outside were various pieces of sugar harvesting field machinery, an orange crane on metal treads with a grabbing device for picking up piles of cut sugar cane, a giant green white tractor type truck with tires as tall as a man for pulling truck loads of cut cane, and a tractor for digging trenches, with an endless digger. The museum has about 4 or 5 rooms, and has a large number of exhibits, pictures and films showing the history of sugar cane in Hawaii from the late 1800s through the 1950s. Lots of black and whites, under the Alexander and Baldwin sugar company Hawaiian sugar, which became C & H Sugar . Many of the products and captains of the sugar industry are listed. Also shown are the immigrant workers that these companies exploited. Hawaii imported thousands of Chinese and Japanese workers to toil in the very labor intensive sugar harvesting industry. One exhibit shows a fully clad Japanese lady immigrant dressed head to toe with protective clothing from the centipedes, scarf to keep out the dust, with long sleeved padded pants and shirts, ready to harvest the sharp spikes of the sugar cane plants, and hat to protect from tropical sun. Very hard labor work under difficult conditions, before mechanization in the 1950s. Not a job many Americans would do today! No photography allowed inside the building. At the end of the self audio tour they have a gift shop so they can sell you postcards of items you can't take pictures of. Expensive sample packets of raw sugar with your admission. $7 adults, $5 seniors -hey we only have so many good years left-, $2 kids, place closes at 430pm sharp. You can find this place easily as it is across the street from the only remaining sugar processing plant in Maui, a giant factory with two 10 story tall smoke stacks bellowing tons of smoke and steam into the air, visible for miles from the highway to the airport. Before the late 1950s, only the limited capacity, 300 mph cruising, 4 engine propeller Lockheed Constellation and Douglas DC-6s lumbering for 10 hours, could reach the islands from the mainland. The invention of the high capacity 600 mph cruising 4 engine jet passenger airliner, specifically the Boeing 707, that could fly nonstop from the west coast to Hawaii in 5.5 hours, spelled the beginning of the booming tourist industry in 1959 in Hawaii, and the end of the Hawaiian sugar business. read more

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Had a great time especially for history nut. The stories and photos of the "mill" allowed a better understanding of the lives that changed not only Hawaii but the world. For the $5 bucks a person could learn some fascinating facts it's a must! Had fun thank you read more

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Excellent history lesson. You never really realize how you get food until you know the history of it. I was amazed how the sugar processing system was. Its right across the street from the mill that was just closed 2 years ago. The offer military discount. Behind the museum is tractors and trucks that were used in the transportation. I recommend stopping and checking it out. read more

Loved this museum especially with HC&S shutting down. We still can't believe it. So sad! My sweetie's grandparents lived in Haole Camp right behind this museum. He shared with me his memories. I learned so much from this museum. When you walk through this museum, the history is laid out in chronological order. There are pictures and exhibits from all aspects of HC&S. At the end of your visit at the museum you get a free gift. It is a must see stop. I hope they keep this museum open forever. read more

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A perfect quick stop for a brief history of Hawaii sugar industry. Small exhibit you could do it in a half hour, interesting exhibits and the director of the museum will go out of her way to answer your questions. The were updating some of the exhibits when we were there but there was plenty of history to see. read more

Honestly, to my husband and I, nothing is worth to see. All old useless stuffs. May be too others are motivated owning it. Wasting $12/ person. No being use. Wasteful! read more

This sleepy and easy museum makes for a nice visit. Basics: $7 per person, self-guided tour, good for about an hour or so The thing about A&B sugar museum is that it doesn't delve into any one subject (like technology, immigration of workers, manufacturing process, etc) to a fully satisfying depth, but it does at least touch on most of what you might be curious about. It's not a place to research a PhD on Hawaiian sugar history but honestly, on vacation, would you want it to be? What it lacks in depth is made up by a quiet places that offers the opportunity to relax. If you try a little, the building being the old factory superintendent's house and the relics can make you feel like you went back a little in time. I was here with a friend that's from Hawaii, and she recognized a lot of the families/brands mentioned in the museum as names that have impacted Hawaii to this day. So even though yelpers have been a little mean to this place, check it out. read more

Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum - Museums Near Me - Puunene, Hawaii

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It was okay but a tad bit boring for me. There's a $5 fee to enter. The museum is housed in a 1902 former mill superintendent's residence, across the way from the factory which has been producing sugar since 1902. Did you know that Maui was born of the sugar industry? It's true...Maui was once almost entirely covered with cane fields. By 1932 Maui was kicking out over a million tons of sugar! read more

Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum - Museums Near Me - Puunene, Hawaii

I guess I've never visited a museum that I didn't like. This is a small museum that can be covered in about an hour. Here you will learn in detail how sugar is made from sugar cane, and how this industry shaped Maui's ethnic culture, economy, and even its landscape. There are exhibits, films, and a cool little working model of a sugar cane processing machine. "Sugar-In-The-Raw", or turbinado sugar, a product you can buy at your local supermarket, is made on Maui. The industry is in decline, but still continues. In fact, the last operational sugar mill on the island is right across the road from the museum, which is located in Pu'unene, near the post office. read more

I love history! Whether it's war, cultural, industrial, whatever it is, I love learning about the past. I really enjoyed the self guided tour with the pictures and short written history explaining the story behind each picture. If you enjoy history, you'll enjoy this place. read more

This was a well done small museum. There are both outdoor and indoor exhibits. Fascinating to learn about all the immigrants who came to work the sugar cane fields and what they endured as progress slowly made their jobs easier. The gift shop is a gem in itself for Hawaii souvenirs I think. There were some decent deals there - such as handmade woven baskets to hold sugar packets for $7. My boyfriend got a t-shirt for $13 or so. read more

Well worth the time! In fact, I highly recommend you do this museum early on in your vacation as the island will make more sense to you once you understand the history. Even my wife agrees! read more

We were lucky to visit the museum in February before the everything came to a standstill. Often we travel to Maui and have always wondered about the giant sugar mill that you could see from one of the main highways. Just out of curiosity we decided to drive up to the mill and by luck found the museum. My husband can tell you that I am an old school museum buff, a fun time includes interesting artifacts and unique information to go with it. This place doesn't disappoint! Is it filled with lots of interactive, light up exhibits? No. Will your children be running from room to room screaming in delight? No (I hope not, this place is tiny with lots of unique pieces). Will you learn all about how the sugar mill molded the history of the area? Yes. I enjoyed myself immensely reading and learning. Our 8 year old also joined us in the visit and the stamp collecting was fun (think ink pad with paper at various stations). He zipped right through the place and was done in 15 minutes. If you have children that are a bit fidgety the outside yard is a great place to explore and stretch your legs. He had more fun outside looking at the giant machinery and being close enough to touch and feel the cold steel. Overall the adults enjoyed learning about the surrounding history and the kid enjoyed the big machines and running with the chickens. If you need a place to just relax and enjoy and hour or two of land activity, pack a lunch and head over to the sugar museum. P.S. Check website for open times. read more

If you're into history or just generally enjoy museums when you travel, this is well worth the admission price of $7pp. The museum does a great job of not only explaining how sugar is grown and processed but more interestingly the human impact. It was fascinating to learn how immigrants came to Maui under labor contracts to work the fields and factory. Good collection of artifacts depicting life in the fields and in the housing communities over the last century. Combined with photographs, scale models, video and retired equipment - I left feeling more informed and impressed by the people who made sugar companies successful for so long. read more

As we traveled on the road to get to Haleakala National Park, we saw an old mill in the distance. As we pulled up to it, we learned that it was an old sugar mill. I am an avid viewer of Queen Sugar on the OWN network so I was instantly intrigued. We paid a small admission fee to tour the small museum. There is a huge map that details the origins of Hawaiian's Melting pot. The museum also has films, diagrams and replicas of machines that show the process used to harvest the sugar cane. It provided insight as to what life was like for the residents and workers during this time. Great place to visit if you have a few minutes. read more

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$7 will get you entry into a small museum. You can learn more about the days when there were sugar plantations.

For those who've come to Maui for more than just beaches and surfing, this super close to the airport museum is a great introduction to one of the most significant elements in modern Maui history: sugarcane. While 30 minutes will suffice, the friendly volunteer staff, thoughtful exhibits, and well presented explanations leave impressions that last much longer. I felt that my visit to this museum, along with what I learned from it, gave me a much more well rounded, satisfying Maui experience that I would have had otherwise. Furthermore, I left with admiration for the diverse people of Maui and all they have accomplished despite considerable hardship. read more

Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum - Museums Near Me - Puunene, Hawaii

Interesting little place! My husband is a history fanatic and museums always are a part of vacations. This one was decent...not too big, not too small. The history of sugar and Hawaii is actually interesting to me. A nice combo of reading, looking, and hearing at each section. If you have kids it looked like they had something for them to do as there was a stamp at each section for kids. read more

This museum appears to be on life support sustained by some very dedicated volunteers. Clearly the Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company hasn't spent a cent on the museum in many years. The story of unbridled exploitation that led to sugar cane as a commercial venture on Hawaii is perhaps not a message they want widely broadcast. The most fascinating object in the museum is an operational scale model of the cane processing conveyor belt. The story of the man who built it is inspirational. As previous reviewers have mentioned, the museum could use more examples of actual sugar cane processing. The smell and exhibits reminded me of school field trips of yesteryear. Probably worth a visit if you have an hour (and $7) to spare and happen to be in the area. read more

Great display of historical artifacts! Loved reading the history of all the different immigrants who migrated to the islands. The video on how sugar was harvested and processed was very interesting. The grounds are very nice and have cool retired harvesting equipment. Really neat place. read more

Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum - Museums Near Me - Puunene, Hawaii