A statue of Captain James Cook stands on Waimea’s central green space. When his ships Resolution and Discovery sailed into Waimea Bay in January 1778, Cook changed the course of world history. This likeness is a replica of an original by Sir John Tweed in his home town of Whitby, England.
Captain Cook Monument
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Nearby attractions
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Waimea’s plantation-era core offers some interesting architecture. Take a short stroll to admire the neoclassical First Hawaiian Bank (1929), the art deco…
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This small grassy park at Waimea’s main intersection holds a statue of Captain Cook. Display panels explain local history.
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Sunday’s Hawaiian-language mass at this simple low-slung church makes an interesting way to connect with local culture. Waimea’s first Christian…
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It’s a telling reflection of how locals feel about Captain Cook that the beach where he first landed is named not for Cook but for Waimea’s first Native…
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The precise spot where Captain Cook first set foot on Hawaiian soil being unknown, a large boulder near the mouth of Waimea River was arbitrarily chosen…
6. Waimea State Recreational Pier
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7. Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park
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A Russian fort in Hawaii? Yes, really. Constructed in 1817 above the southern bank of the mouth of Waimea River on the site of an ancient heiau (temple),…
8. Waimea United Church of Christ
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What’s now the Waimea United Church of Christ was originally erected in 1847 by Reverend George Rowell. Protestant missionaries had lived in Waimea for…