The oldest wood-frame house on the island was built in 1839 by David and Sarah Lyman, a missionary couple who arrived from New England in 1832. This hybrid combined New England- and Hawaiian-style architecture and is built of hand-hewn koa planks and native timbers. Here the Lymans received such guests as Mark Twain and Hawaii's monarchs. The well-preserved house is the best example of missionary life and times in Hawaii. You'll find lots of artifacts from the 19th century, including furniture and clothing from the Lymans and one of the first mirrors in Hilo. The Earth Heritage Gallery in the complex next door continues the story of the islands with geology and volcanology exhibits, a mineral rock collection that's rated one of the best in the country, and a section on local flora and fauna. The Island Heritage Gallery features displays on Hawaiian culture, including a replica of a grass hale (house), as well as on other cultures transplanted to Hawaii's shores. A special exhibit gallery features changing exhibits on the history, art, and culture of Hawaii.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Hawaii 2008, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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