What Is the Lāhainā Lighthouse?
This 39-foot concrete lighthouse stands on the site of the oldest lighthouse in Hawai‘i!
What Makes It Historical?
With Maui’s popularity among whalers between 1820 and 1860, King Kamehameha III commissioned the first Hawaiian lighthouse to be built in the royal capital of Lāhainā. Fueled by whale oil, it first shone forth on November 4, 1840 to guide ships through a narrow passage in the reef called Keawaiki! This was before any lighthouse on the West Coast of the USA!
As the number of ships rose, so did this tower, up to 26 feet by 1866 with a new source of fuel: kerosene! It would shine through the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, though the first lighthouse keeper, Kaukaia, quit rather than work under the new provincial government. Captain David Taylor served as lighthouse keeper starting in 1893, followed by George Dunn, then Samuel Ako.
More and more ships pulled into Lāhainā, and the lighthouse rose again under the supervision of Lieutenant John Slattery, up to a height of 55 feet on May 13, 1905, then lowered to the current 39-foot concrete tower in 1917. It was electrified in 1937, hooked up to solar power in 2009, and continued to shine after the devastating Lāhainā fire of August 8, 2023.
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Become a member of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation!
- Donate to the Lahaina Restoration Foundation!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
Intersection of Wharf St & Papelekane St
Lahaina, HI 96761
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Whenever the mood strikes you!
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