Old Lahaina Courthouse to reopen April 24
LAHAINA — Lahaina Restoration Foundation announced the re-opening of the Old Lahaina Courthouse on Saturday, April 24, which coincides with the birthday of the Lahaina Banyan Tree.
Closed for a year due to pandemic regulations, the Old Lahaina Courthouse reopening will include giveaways of banyan tree bookmarks and cookies in a banyan tree wrapper, as long as supplies last.
The Old Lahaina Courthouse features the Lahaina Heritage Museum on the top floor and the Lahaina Visitor Center and Lahaina Arts Society’s Banyan Tree Gallery on the main floor.
New hours for the building will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
The restrooms, the old jail and the video theater will remain closed until further notice.
The Lahaina Visitor Center, now under management of Lahaina Restoration Foundation, has been redesigned with a new look. The remodeled space has a mixture of historic artifacts and old photographs as well as made on Maui gifts.
“We want visitors to immediately understand that Lahaina is a town full of important history and culture,” said Theo Morrison, executive director of Lahaina Restoration Foundation.
The center piece of the Lahaina Visitor Center is a large interactive map of Maui.
Formerly in the upstairs hallway, Morrison commented that for years, she watched “people gather around this map like a dining room table, talking about where they have been and where they plan to go.”
With interactive lights on the map highlighting points of interest, staff are easily able to share the history and topography of the island with visitors.
The Lahaina Heritage Museum on the top floor features a display of artifacts from all eras of Lahaina’s past.
As a destination, Lahaina is important for its many layers of rich history, but what is most significant, LRF noted, is that Lahaina’s history has been saved.
The hallways of the building feature additional exhibits and photographs.
Admission to the museum is free. Donations are always welcome.
“The Banyan Tree Gallery is freshly painted and reimagined,” remarked Bill Smith, executive director of Lahaina Arts Society.
“The members of Lahaina Arts Society have been showing their artwork at the Old Lahaina Courthouse for 53 years, and we are excited to showcase our artists’ latest creations.”
The Old Lahaina Courthouse was built in 1859 and at one time housed the customs house, post office, police department, courtroom and other governmental offices.
The stately building, made from coral block, has been an important building in Lahaina for 162 years, providing historical integrity and architectural qualities that make the Lahaina Historic Districts significant.