This is a must do if you are on the Big Island and care for anything else besides Mai Tais and beaches. Probably the best museum in the State regarding Hawaii history, and culture....I know, I know...what about the Bishop in Honolulu? Well, maybe second best, anyway. First Class in every way. We were met by Jan and Cindy, and Cindy guided us first through the Lyman house, and then set us off on our own in the Museum. Spectacular! Well worth the small amount they get for admissions. Kids will like it. Not everything is interactive for kids, but there are some exhibits they will enjoy. My favorite was the the evolution of Hawaiian music. There were nine stages that I had to go through starting with Queen Liil'lukiani and going to Gabby and Brada Iz. Although I've been hearing Pidgin for nearly 50 years, I learned how it came to be.

A good overview of Hawaiian nature and people on two floors. Well worth the small ticket fee. I also recommend the good selection of books, music and crafts at the gift shop. Such a pity that only few visitors find their way to look beyond the surface.

Finally got to this wonderful museum. The Lyman House tour is a wonderful piece of history. You can't go all through it, but the docent takes you to a few rooms on the first floor and shares the Lyman's unique story. The main museum has a whole floor dedicated to Hilo/Hawaiian history and the culture. The first floor is all about the volcanic activity, flora and fauna of the island. I wish I had visited this wonderful place sooner!

The Lyman Museum and the historical mission house tour were the highlight of our day in Hilo. The museum itself is an interesting assortment of displays. On the first floor a very beautiful shell and mineral display, w/o much context, is still a rich and fun experience. Also a visually rich and very clear geological history of the creation of the Hawaiian Islands. However the second floor Hawaiian culture and historical overview is the real surprise and highlight. It is so well done, well thought out, and beautiful. Not to be missed.

Not to be missed if you are in Hilo on a rainy day. Although the house was not open, the downtown structure has a wonderful exhibit of the bottom floor all about the islands of Hawai’i, from volcano development, to climates on Big Island. Upstairs is a wonderful exhibit of the people of the island, from the tribal existence through present day. You don’t know what you don’t know until you move through the exhibit. Being an educator, this is high up for the kid field trip from you to HS. It is their history. The docents are great too. Nice job Lyman staff!

Great small museum. You do need to book in advance, but we got a slot the evening before. You can go with a guide or wander on your own after the intro. Lots of great exhibits on history and culture. Definitely worth the small fee.

This is a nice stop in Hilo. It's a small museum with great displays of Hawaiian history for the island. There is a tour of a missionary home that became a school and a furniture factory. Beautiful antiques and a real sense of what life was like in the 1800's and early 1900's. Excellent crystal collection as well. The staff were incredibly welcoming and were enjoying their roles showcasing the museum.

Very nice museum out of the tourist path. It’s worth a visit in the Hilo area. The natural history section (volcano, minerals and shells) is quality and the heritage section (second story) is the best we’ve seen in Hawaii.

Engaging first floor natural history second floor terrific human history from pre-Polynesian to present. Easily manageable in an hour and a half. Great interactive exhibits for children and adults. Fun panels at end with samples of Hawaiian music by the decade beginning with the last queen in 1897. As a bonus the Lyman House tour is an amazing glimpse into life of missionaries from New England in 1830s

Very informative! I wish we could have gone here at the beginning of our trip because it answered so many questions. We had just been to Volcano and would have enjoyed that more if we'd been to the Lyman Museum first...lots of lava info there! The history of the Hawaiian people is fascinating and well presented. We had the last entry time and we did not have enough time to enjoy everything we were interested in. Also no time to tour the house, unfortunately. Go earlier in the day!