Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum

At the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum in Puunene, exhibits trace Maui’s sugar industry and the plantation communities that grew around it. Inside, find historical objects, photographs, video and displays about how sugar was produced and how the industry shaped the island’s culture and economy. Outside, large pieces of machinery, including wheels and gears, sit near a green area with picnic benches. It’s a useful stop if you want to understand a major part of Maui’s past, including the experiences of plantation workers.

Sugar and plantation life on Maui

The museum documents more than 150 years of sugar history on Maui. Its exhibits explain how the industry developed and how it affected the island’s economy and culture. Sugarcane production also shaped plantation life and the communities that formed around the work.

The displays address the people who labored on plantations, including the exploitation they experienced. They also tell the story of the communities that grew around the industry. Together, these subjects give context to sugar’s role in Maui’s past beyond the production process alone.

Machinery, photographs and artifacts

Inside, historical objects, photographs, video and exhibits introduce the cultivation and processing of sugarcane. Industrial equipment shows the machinery used before computerization. The material covers both the practical challenges of making sugar on Maui and the industry’s broader effects on the island.

The museum is housed in a former mill manager’s residence. Outside, large wheels and gears are displayed in a green area with picnic benches. The outdoor equipment offers another view of the industrial side of sugar production.