Lyman House Memorial Museum
75 years of ...

...telling the story of Hawai`i, its islands and its peoples

The nationally accredited Lyman Museum showcases the natural and cultural history of Hawai`i in its exhibit halls and its 1839 historic missionary home. The museum also features collections of seashells and minerals that are world-wide in scope, ancient art of China, artists of Hawai`i, and changing special exhibitions. Many community programs and events are held each year. Located in downtown Hilo, the Lyman Museum offers a unique educational and cultural experience for people of all ages.

Special Exhibits

November 17, 2007 through April 30, 2008

This retrospective exhibit chronicles the Museum from its origins in the Lyman Mission House to its present status as a Smithsonian affiliate. Established in 1931 as a memorial to missionaries David and Sarah Lyman, the Museum has been telling the story of Hawai`i, its islands, and its people for over 75 years. Artifacts, photos, personal statements, and other memorabilia show how the Museum has kept history, tradition, community, and education in Hawai`i at the heart of its mission. Included are select items from the Museum’s collections that have rarely if ever been displayed such as the first electric generator installed by the Hilo Electric Light Company in 1895.

May 24 through August 24, 2007

The Lyman Museum in Hilo offers you the rare opportunity to view a unique collection of civilian fashions designed to help promote wartime agendas in three countries. Selected from private and public collections, many of the textiles, especially those from Japan, have never been documented or photographed prior to this exhibition shown only in Honolulu and New York. “Wearing Propaganda” runs from May 24 through August 24, 2007.

Grandfather’s House: An Exhibition on Korea features a full-scale replica of a 1930s Korean home and offers hands-on opportunities to explore life in rural Korea during the 1930s.

Grandfather’s House is a completely interactive exhibit, allowing visitors to step back in time to Korea in the early decades of the twentieth century. The house features period furnishings and décor. Special public programs offered by the Lyman Museum throughout the year will feature Korean history and culture.

Special Events

Report on "The Persistence of Memory" Conferences
January 25, 2008 6-7:30 pm
Lyman Museum Classroom
Free and open to the public

The Persistence of Memory conferences were presented by the Northeast Document Conservation Center and addressed the question of digital longevity. Helen Wong Smith, MLIS and CA, President of the Association of Hawai'i Archivists, and Michael B. Thomas, PhD, Acting Collections Manager of the UH-Manoa Herbarium, attended the event and report on evolving practices for digital preservation.

Mushrooms of Hawai'i
February 4, 2008 7-8:30 pm
Lyman Museum Classroom
Free to museum members, $3.00 for non-members

Don Hemmes, professor of biological and plant sciences at UH-Hilo, and author of the widely acclaimed field guide Mushrooms of Hawai'i (2002), gives a powerpoint presentation on poisonous, hallucinogenic, and edible mushrooms in Hawai'i. Hemmes has been recognized by the Mycological Society of America for his research on Hawaiian fungi and is the 76^th president of the Society.

Marine Mollusks of Hawai'i
February 18, 2008 7-8:30 pm
Lyman Museum Classroom
Free to museum members, $3.00 for non-members

Don Hemmes returns to share another great passion, malacology, the study of mollusks, with a powerpoint presentation featuring many marine mollusks endemic to Hawai'i. Hemmes has been a member of the Hawaiian Malacological Society for nearly 40 years and was consulted in the development of the Lyman Museum's world class shell collection.