The Hawaiian Islands are steeped in history, from the first Europeans visiting the islands in 1778 and the establishment of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1795 to Hawaii’s admittance to the United States of America in 1959. Long before tourism and over-development took hold of the Hawaiian Islands, locals would gather to purchase everyday items and talk story at any of the charming general stores found across the state. Since then, however, many of these once-popular shops have become obsolete, but you can still visit the H. N. Greenwell General Store.

Housed in one of the oldest buildings near Kona, this charming general store turned museum transports visitors back in time to experience a taste of 19th-century Hawaii.
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Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, nowhere else in Hawaii will you find such an authentic, fun, and educational experience than at the H. N. Greenwell General Store Museum.
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The 1,000-square foot general store was opened in the late 1800s by entrepreneur Henry Nicholas Greenwell and quickly became a hub of the community. Back then, you might have found everything from castor oil and calico to coffee and crochet yarn. This wide variety of products was sold to meet the needs of the area’s large farming and ranching community.
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Today, though, the H. N. Greenwell General Store has been turned into a living history museum of sorts. Thanks to the Kona Historical Society, the shop has been restored and restocked with accurate reproductions of goods customers would have purchased here nearly 150 years ago.
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From the period costumes worn by the clerks to labels on the tin cans, every little detail has been perfectly researched and recreated.
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You’ll be delighted to find educational docents in period dress who bring the area’s agricultural history to life as they wield dry goods and talk story.
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If you visit on Thursday, you might even smell sweet bread baking in the traditional Portuguese bread oven. Folks line up at the museum’s roadside stand to buy hot, fresh Portuguese sweet each week, and you can even join the volunteers in kneading and shaping the dough.
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The oldest surviving store in Kona and one of the oldest buildings in the state, you’ll want to immerse yourself in history at this unique attraction that only gets better with age.
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The H. N. Greenwell Store Museum is located at 81-6551 Hawaii Belt Rd, Kealakekua, HI 96750, and is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. They are closed Wednesday and Friday through Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 5 to 17. For more information, head on over to the Kona Historical Society website.

If you’re looking for a hefty dose of nostalgia, you’ll love a visit to the oldest general store in Hawaii.

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