Hawaii's Plantation Village

Only 20 minutes west of Honolulu is the historic town of Waipahu and a chance to step back in time to the mid-1800's through the 1950's, when sugar plantations represented the true essence and spirit of the Hawaiian islands.

Hawaii's Plantation Village is an original community of restored plantation homes and buildings that once housed and served various ethnic groups that worked the sugar cane fields in the Hawaii of yesteryear. An historic site representing more than just the sugar cane industry, the village embodies the diverse cultural history of the islands during a time when people of various ethnic backgrounds worked in the spirit of hospitality and cultural togetherness to harvest and share in the bounty of Hawaiian sugar cane.

It is not always known or understood that Hawaii is actually a melting pot of ethnicity, with cultural influences in Hawaiian, Chinese, Portuguese, Polynesia, Japanese, Puerto Rican, Korean and Filipino. It was these people who laid the foundation for a prosperous industry that is honored in the timeless structures and personal artifacts on display in Hawaii's Plantation Village. Along with private plantation homes occupied by various ethnic groups, the village consists of community buildings, such as the plantation store, places of worship, an infirmary, a bath house and a manager's office.

Original artifacts, to include clothing, furniture and art are exhibited in their original placement so that visitors can experience a first-hand look at the authentic life of those who worked and lived in the Plantation Village. Visitors participate in guided tours with information on the history of the people and the sugar industry, and receive sumptuous samples of native fruits to enjoy during their tour. Hawaii's Plantation Village offers a wonderful glance into the history of immigration and why the spirit of aloha makes the islands so unique.