Maui's Sugar Museum

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

21 May 2006 08:00 PM

Maui is known world wide as an unforgettable honeymoon destination complete with incredible beaches and fabulous golf courses. But, there is more to the island than its powdery white sand and crystal clear waters. Maui is also home to a unique cultural experience that the whole family can appreciate.

The Alexander and Baldwin Sugar Museum is located just 10 miles from the Kahului Airport. It is the only place on the entire island where you can get a taste of what is was like to work on a real sugar plantation. You'll also learn how the sugar industry helped shaped the state's economy. The museum features artifacts, scale models, and interactive displays-- such as a sugar cane-crushing machine, complete with sounds and lights that help bring history to life.

The sugar museum is divided into several theme rooms that display historical information about life on a sugar plantation. For example, in the Geography Room you will learn how early plantation workers created an extensive irrigation system and network of deep wells to aid the sugar cane's growth process. The Water Room is lined with exhibits that illustrate how water was carried from the island's wet side to its sunny central area where the plantations were located. In the Human Resources Room, you'll see displays of historical information about some of the pioneers who established Maui's modern sugar industry. Photographs, along with documents written in Hawaiian, Japanese and Chinese chronicle the arrival of immigrant plantation workers from around the world. The exhibits detail the rich, multi-ethnic nature of plantation communities and plantation life. You get the chance to see and touch religious items, household artifacts and tour a scale model of a worker's camp house. In addition, you can watch a video illustrating how cane is processed into sugar.

The museum offers a unique opportunity for families to experience Hawaii's culture, beyond the beaches and body surfing. For directions to the museum, hours and admission visit: www.gohawaii.com.

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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