Activities
Maui

SITES: SACRED & HISTORICAL
(See also Museums / Galleries, Historical Tours)

VISITING A HEIAU

You are invited to visit the traditional Hawaiian religious sites listed in this website. However, you are asked to remember that these are religious sites which are still sacred to the Hawaiian people. As historic sites, these places are also fragile and subject to damage and collapse. Please visit with respect and care for these important places.

• View the heiau from the exterior. Please do not climb on or over the rock walls. The stacked roof is unstable and may collapse.
• It is unlawful to take, excavate, destroy, or alter any historic site on state land. Any person who violates this law is subject to a fine of $10,000 (HRS Chapter 6E-11)
• Wrapping a rock in a ti leaf is not a traditional offering. This damages the plants and the integrity of the heiau structure.
• Offerings of coins, candles, incense and similar items cause long-term damage.

The historic sites of Hawaii are unique resources that are fragile and cannot be replaced. Please help us protect Hawaii's past for the future.

BAILEY HOUSE MUSEUM
2375A Main Street
Wailuku, HI 96793
(Central Maui)
Tel. (808) 244-3326
Ancient Hawaiian artifacts in a missionary home. Admission charge. Call for information.

BALDWIN MISSIONARY HOME
Front & Dickenson Streets
Lahaina, HI 96761
(West Maui)
Tel. (808) 661-3262
Missionary home built in 1834 when Lahaina was the whaling capital of Hawaii. Call for information.

HALEKII - PIHANA HEIAUS
Hea Place, Wailuku
(Central Maui)
Ancient temples of sacrifice and refuge - circa 1240. State monument.

HANA CULTURAL CENTER
Uakea Road, Hana
(East Maui)
Tel. (808) 248-8622
Collection of old Hawaiian artifacts. Open daily. Donation requested.

HOLY GHOST CHURCH
Lower Kula Road
Kula, HI 96790
(Upcountry Maui)
Tel. (808) 878-1261
Built in 1894 by Portuguese immigrants. Unusual octagonal design - magnificent, restored interior.

IAO VALLEY STATE PARK
End of Iao Valley Road (Hwy. 32), Wailuku
(Central Maui)
6.2 acres. A paved 0.6-mile walk provides a scenic viewpoint of Kukaemoku (Iao Needle), an erosional feature which rises 1,200 feet from the valley floor. Learn about the plants brought by the Hawaiians who settled in Iao Valley by taking a short walk through a botanical garden. The valley is rich in cultural and spiritual values, a sacred place where 26 Hawaiian kings and queens were buried. The site of the Battle of Kepaniwai where the forces of Kamehameha I conquered the Maui army in 1790. Open daily. No drinking water.

KAMEHAMEHA IKI PARK
503 Front Street
Lahaina, HI 96761
(West Maui)
Tel. (808) 661-3262
Demonstrations of ancient Hawaiian sailing and navigation techniques. Watch outrigger canoes under construction. Free admission.

KEAWALAI CHURCH
190 Makena Road
Makena, HI 96753
(South Maui)
Tel. (808) 879-5557
Beautiful oceanfront Hawaiian church founded in 1832. Built from white coral and lava rock.

KEPANIWAI PARK
Iao Valley Road, Wailuku
(Central Maui)
Model immigrant village and cultural heritage gardens adjacent to Iao Valley State Park.

LA PEROUSE BAY
Makena
(South Maui)
Strenuous King's Highway hike along lava flow, spectacular shoreline, secluded coves and many ancient archaeological sites (4 miles/2 hour round-trip). Shady part-way. Dolphins are often seen in the bay.

LANAKILA IHI IHI CHURCH
Keanae Peninsula
Keanae, HI 96713
(East Maui)
Tel. (808) 248-8031
Hawaiian church built in 1856 on a scenic peninsula.

PIILANIHALE HEIAU
Kahanu Garden
National Tropical Botanical Gardens
Ulaino Road (near Mile Marker 31 on Hana Hwy)
Hana, HI
(East Maui)
Tel. (808) 248-8912
Part of the 472-acre Kahanu Garden, the massive Piilanihale Heiau, a structure made out of lava rock with immense tiered walls and terraces, is believed to be the largest ancient place of worship in Polynesia. Originally built in the 13th century, the heiau was extended by the High Chief Piilani who came from West Maui in 1570 and conquered the chiefs of the fertile Hana area. Guided tours offered by reservation. Commanding views of the Hana coastline.

WAIANAPANAPA STATE PARK
Highway 360E (Just beyond Mile Marker 32), Hana
(East Maui)
122.1 acres of remote, wild, low-cliffed volcanic coastline offering solitude and respite from urban life. Lodging, camping, picnicking, shore fishing and hardy family hiking along an ancient Hawaiian coastal trail which leads to Hana. Excellent opportunity to study a seabird colony and anchialine pools. Other features include native hala forest, legendary cave, heiau (place of worship), natural stone arch, sea stacks, blow holes and a small black sand beach.