Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center reopens after pandemic shutdown

Some of Hawaiʻi’s most treasured places are still emerging from the pandemic. In 2020, Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center, the only organization completely devoted to preserving the island’s culture and heritage, closed its doors.

Since then it has launched a drive guide app, virtual exhibits, developed online cultural curriculum for students and hosted many events outdoors including some of the largest festivals on the island.

The nonprofit announced this week that it will reopen – welcoming the public on weekdays from 1 to 3 p.m. It plans to offer more hours as docents become available and staffing expands.

The center holds thousands of records, artifacts and memorabilia including an oral history archive. The island’s current population is about 3,100 people.

Next up for the center is a volunteer opportunity on April 1 to help preserve the island’s oldest church that dates back to the early 1900s and once served the island’s early settlers in Keomoku, a town which is no longer inhabited since the 1950s.

Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center was founded as a community-based nonprofit in 2007, and aims to provide thoughtful information and stewardship in the legacy of Lānaʻi. Focusing on preserving, interpreting, and celebrating the island’s natural, social, and cultural histories, the center includes a climate-controlled display area of artifacts and archives and runs educational programs focused on stewarding the island’s living landscape.