Kona Historical Society farm wins Travelers’ Choice Award

The Kona Coffee Living History Farm has been recognized as a 2020 Travelers’ Choice award winner for Farms and History Museums, ranking first out of 23 Things To Do on Hawaiʻi Island. Based on a full year of Tripadvisor reviews, prior to any changes caused by the pandemic, award winners exemplify travelers’/diners’ ultimate favorite, top 10 percent of hospitality businesses around the globe. 

“Winners of the 2020 Travelers’ Choice Awards should be proud of this distinguished recognition,” said Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer at Tripadvisor. “Although it’s been a challenging year for travel and hospitality, we want to celebrate our partners' achievements. Award winners are beloved for their exceptional service and quality. Not only are these winners well deserving, they are also a great source of inspiration for travelers/diners as the world begins to venture out again.”

Owned by Kona Historical Society, the Kona Coffee Living History Farm is a "must see" Hawaiʻi attraction and the only living history coffee farm in the nation. This outdoor museum tells the story of Kona coffee pioneers during the early 20th century. It is significant for its association with the development of coffee farming in the Kona districts and for its illustration of the gradual process of acculturation of immigrants to Hawaiʻi. It is an amazingly intact example of the vernacular structures that typify the coffee farm lifestyle and technology used from 1900-1950 by coffee farmers in Kona. Local ingenuity transformed both the coffee farming process and the landscape upon which it happens. 

Located at 82-6199 Mamalahoa Highway in Captain Cook, this historic 5.5-acre farm is currently closed to the public. However, Hawaiʻi schools can “visit” it for free by booking at Virtual Field Trip at https://konahistorical.org/field-trips.

“We are so excited to be winners of the 2020 Travelersʻ Choice Awards! This award puts us in the top 10 percent of farms and history museums worldwide! Mahalo nui loa to everyone who left reviews and visited our Kona Coffee Living History Farm. We are grateful for you and look forward to welcoming everyone back to the farm,” said Public Programs Manager Audrey Blair.

Kona Historical Society is a community-based, nonprofit organization and long-standing Smithsonian Affiliate that has spent the past four decades collecting, preserving and sharing the history of the Kona districts and their rich cultural heritage within Hawaiʻi.

For more information, call Kona Historical Society at 808-323-3222 or visit www.konahistorical.org. To get the latest updates regarding the Society’s programs, historic sites and special events, “LIKE” Kona Historical Society on Facebook.


If you would like more information about this topic, photos, or to schedule an interview, please email Community Engagement Manager Carolyn Lucas-Zenk (carolyn@konahistorical.org) or Programs Director Kuʻulani Auld (kuulani@konahistorical.org). For general information about our organization, visit www.konahistorical.org.