Activities

Museum & Visitor Center

The Parker Ranch Museum, located in the Parker Ranch Visitor Center, in Waimea on the Big Island, provides a self-guided tour that takes you from the days of grass houses and native Hawaiian villages, through the evolution of the Hawaiian Cowboy – the paniolo. It details the development of Parker Ranch, from its founding by John Parker, a New Englander who jumped ship on the Big Island, to its place at one time as the largest private ranch under single ownership in the United States.

Within the museum are carefully preserved displays, including many antique ranching tools, furnishings, clothing and a koa cabin. There are photos of Hawaiian royalty, of driving cattle into the ocean to be picked up for export by ship, and of the ranch itself, as it grew to become an important entity for all of Hawaii.

Find out about the exciting saga of the Parker family, as their personalities and decisions help paint the panorama of history for Waimea and the Big Island, and leave a legacy of a Trust for good works in the community.

The museum is located in the Parker Ranch Visitor Center. See map and directions to its location.

Hours

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last tour given at 4:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Price

Admission is just $8.00 per person. Child & Senior discounts are available. Prices are subject to change and do not include Hawaii state tax. No reservations are needed.

Duel admission to both Museum & Visitor Center, and Historic Homes & Gardens is $16.00 per person, with child and senior discounts available.

For more information, call 808-885-7655 or toll free 1-877-885-7999e-mail