Big Island's must-see list is not a beach list. These twelve entries are churches, temples, heiau, a landmark headland, and a royal-era palace, and together they trace how the island has been settled, ruled, and worshipped in. The oldest date in the set is 1790, carried by an archaeological site on the island of Hawaiʻi, and Hulihee Palace on Aliʻi Drive dates from 1838. Several entries hold National Historic Landmark status, Ka Lae and Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site among them, and others are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including Mokuaikaua Church and the Star of the Sea Painted Church. This list is for the traveller who will trade one afternoon of sand for an hour of standing somewhere that matters. Many of these places are still in use by worshippers or residents, so treat them that way: dress for a church, keep your voice down, and check opening details before you drive. The island is large and the sites are spread across it, so plan your days by coast and do not try to see them all at once.
-
1 Hulihee Palace
Aliʻi Drive, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740A palace dating from 1838 with short, specific visiting hours
On Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, Hulihee Palace on Aliʻi Drive in Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 opens at 10:00 and closes at 13:30. Thursday runs longer, 10:00 to 15:00, and if you want room to move through the place without watching the clock, that is the day to plan around. The building dates from 1838 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Skip the aimless souvenir stroll along the main drag and give the palace that hour instead. Check the official site at daughtersofhawaii.org before you set out; the hours are narrow, and a closed gate is a wasted morning.
Dates from 1838 · National Register of Historic Places listed place
Hours: We,Fr,Sa 10:00-13:30; Th 10:00-15:00
-
2 Kona Hawaii Temple
A working temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Kona Hawaii Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, mapped at latitude 19.6416, longitude -155.9860, and from the road it reads as little more than another building. Don't treat it as a quick photo stop from a moving car; if you come, come to look properly and quietly. This is a place of worship first, and a respectful pause tells you more than a lens will. Read the visitor details on the church's own temple page before you go rather than guessing at the door.
-
3 Ka Lae
A National Historic Landmark headland in Hawaii County
A National Historic Landmark, Ka Lae is a historic place in Hawaii County and one that asks for commitment. Mapped at latitude 18.9111, longitude -155.6810, the drive out is part of the visit. Skip the rushed tour-van version that deposits you for a few minutes and a headcount; give it a full half day, bring water, and let the place set the pace. The landmark designation is the reason to come, but the reason to stay is the sense of standing somewhere the island's history has been marking for a very long time. Go early, go unhurried, and leave nothing behind.
National Historic Landmark
-
4 Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site
A National Historic Landmark heiau site with its own National Park Service page
Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site has its own National Park Service page at nps.gov/puhe, which makes it the easiest heiau on this list to plan a visit around. The record dates it from 1966, it is a historic place in Hawaii County, it carries National Historic Landmark status, and you will find it mapped at latitude 20.0267. Don't squeeze it between two beach stops. A heiau is not a viewpoint; it rewards the visitor who reads the park's own notes first and walks the ground slowly, so give it a morning while the light is soft and the car park is quiet.
Dates from 1966 · National Historic Landmark
-
5 Kaimū
A lived-in settlement in Hawaii County rather than a ticketed sight
Not every stop needs a ticket booth. Kaimū is a human settlement in Hawaii County, not an attraction built for visitors, sitting at latitude 19.3583, longitude -154.9750. It is a community, and the right visit is short, quiet, and respectful of the people who live there. Come to understand how this part of the island is lived in, park considerately, and buy something local if the chance arises. Of everything on this list, this is the entry that asks the most of your manners and gives the most back for them.
-
6 St. Benedict's Catholic Church
84-5140 Painted Church RoadA National Register-listed church building in Honaunau-Napoopoo
St. Benedict's Catholic Church, in Honaunau-Napoopoo, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, at 84-5140 Painted Church Road, mapped at latitude 19.4392. Don't drive past; park, step inside and sit a while, because this is a building that rewards attention rather than a glance through the windscreen. It is still a church, so arrive dressed for one and keep the camera in your bag if a service is under way. Go in the morning, before the heat and the other cars.
National Register of Historic Places listed place
-
7 St. Michael the Archangel Church
75-5769 Alii Drive, Kailua-Kona, 96840A church building on Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona
St. Michael the Archangel Church sits at 75-5769 Alii Drive, Kailua-Kona, 96840, and most people driving that stretch never think to stop. Put the gift shops on hold for half an hour and step inside instead; a quiet pew will tell you more about the town than another pass through the same souvenirs. Mapped at latitude 19.6369, it pairs naturally with a morning on foot along Alii Drive. Dress modestly, check for a service before you wander in, and leave the room as calm as you found it.
-
8 Mokuaikaua Church
75-5713 Aliʻi Drive, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740A National Register-listed church in Kailua-Kona
Most walkers on Aliʻi Drive pass Mokuaikaua Church at 75-5713, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 without a second glance, which is a mistake. It is a church in Kailua-Kona listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We'd skip the hurried photo from the pavement: go in, sit down, and give the building the time its listing suggests it deserves. Pair that with a slow walk along Aliʻi Drive and you will have taken in more of the town's past in one morning than a full day of shopping would show you. Respect services, and keep your voice low.
National Register of Historic Places listed place
-
9 Star of the Sea Painted Church
12-4815 Pāhoa-Kalapana Road, Kaimu, HI 96778A National Register-listed painted church building in Hawaii County
The name of the Star of the Sea Painted Church makes a promise, and the interior is what keeps it. A church building in Hawaii County listed on the National Register of Historic Places, you will find it at 12-4815 Pāhoa-Kalapana Road, Kaimu, HI 96778. Seeing it in person is the whole point: the name tells you what to look for, and the visit tells you what it means. Go slowly, look up, and give your eyes time to adjust after the bright road outside. It is a small detour that stays with you longer than most big ones.
National Register of Historic Places listed place
-
10 Kohala Historical Sites State Monument
A National Historic Landmark historic place in Hawaii County
Give a full morning to Kohala Historical Sites State Monument, a historic place in Hawaii County with National Historic Landmark status. It is mapped at latitude 20.2572, longitude -155.8767, and reaching it takes some intent. Skip the guided-coach circuit that treats a landmark as a ten-second stop, come under your own steam, wear proper shoes, and read about the site before you arrive so you know what you are looking at. The ground itself is the exhibit here, and it asks for patience, care, and a light footprint in return.
National Historic Landmark
-
11 1790 Footprints
An archaeological site dated to 1790 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The name alone tells you what to expect: 1790 Footprints carries the year 1790, and that date is the reason to come. An archaeological site on the island of Hawaiʻi, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and mapped at latitude 19.3469, longitude -155.3533, it offers nothing in the way of grand monuments. What it offers is a date this specific, and a chance to stand still and let that land on you. Keep to the marked ground, touch nothing, and give it the quiet attention an archaeological site deserves.
Dates from 1790 · National Register of Historic Places listed place
-
12 Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Hilo
A church building in Hilo that rounds out the list's sacred architecture
Few must-see lists send you to Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Hilo, a church building in Hawaii, and that is exactly why it closes this one. It is mapped at latitude 19.7222, longitude -155.0900. The assumption that the island's churches worth seeing all sit on one coast is easy to make and worth resisting: this one rewards the traveller who makes the drive to Hilo and lingers in town rather than passing through. Step in when the doors are open, respect any service in progress, and take the quiet with you back out onto the street.
Last verified by automated review (v1.7.2_fame1017-1015-3723-20261016201733) on . What is automated review?