Kaunoa Senior Center participants and Lahaina Restoration Foundation Community Education Committee members visit King Kamehameha III Elementary School. PHOTO BY LOUISA SHELTON.

LAHAINA – Lahaina Restoration Foundation (LRF) recently provided its free History In Our Front Yard tour to 20 Maui residents as part of its partnership program with Kaunoa Senior Services.

Offered for the fourth time, LRF’s customized tour for participants from around Maui shares Lahaina’s rich history and culture. It is presented by the Community Education Committee.

LRF Community Education Committee Co-chairs Karee Carlucci and Louisa Shelton coordinated the tour with Kaunoa Senior Services Program Assistant Leslie Hiraga.

They were supported by LRF Committee Members Aileen Trout and Richard “Noosh” Nishihara, Board Member Connie Sutherland, and Staff Members Jesse Neizman, Clifford Corniel, Brandi Dela Cruz and Stuart Sharp.

“Kaunoa Senior Services is pleased to offer this tour of historic Lahaina because our participants thoroughly enjoy the educational experience they receive,” remarked Hiraga.

This year’s four-hour tour began at the Moku’ula restoration site with a presentation by Kalapana Kollars from Friends of Moku’ula/Maui Nei Native Expeditions.

Other sites visited were Waiola Church/Waine’e Cemetery, Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, Hale Pa’ahao (Old Prison), King Kamehameha III Elementary School, Banyan Tree Park, Old Lahaina Courthouse, Baldwin Home Museum and Wo Hing Museum & Cookhouse.

The tour ended with a Chinese meal at Fu Lin Restaurant. Kaunoa Senior Services provided shuttle transportation, refreshments and lunch. Tour materials and museum visits were provided by LRF.

Tour participants expressed their appreciation about the amount and depth of information shared. One participant noted, “Many of us have visited these sites before, but a guided tour with someone so knowledgeable brought history to life.” Another added, “It is like being an ‘advanced’ tourist! Now I can be a better tour guide for people who visit us.”

For 54 years, the foundation has been preserving Lahaina’s historic buildings and sites. LRF is bringing these sites to life with free programs like monthly Hawaiian music concerts at the Baldwin Home Museum and Chinese cultural festivals at Wo Hing Museum.

For more information, call the Lahaina Restoration Foundation office at 661-3262 or go to LahainaRestoration.org.

Find LRF on Facebook at Facebook.com/LahainaRestoration and Twitter@LahainaRestFnd.