Tea & Treasures: A Private Archival Experience

Discover History’s Hidden Treasures.
Step behind the velvet rope for an exclusive afternoon at Hawaiian Mission Houses. This premium program offers guests an intimate, 3.5-hour journey with privileged access to rarely-seen archival treasures from our collection, presented in a white-glove viewing by our resident archivist. Experience history firsthand at our 19th-century printing press, stroll the historic grounds, and savor afternoon tea with live Hawaiian acoustic music by Jason Laeha. Limited to 16 guests.

Cost of event is $150 (all-inclusive) Book online now!

Guests Call Experience “Breathtaking” and “Truly Moving”. Post-event surveys returned overwhelmingly positive feedback, with attendees rating the overall experience a perfect 5 out of 5. Guests praised both the depth of historical content and the warmth of the hospitality.

“What a surprisingly fun and enriching experience,” wrote one attendee. “The interaction with the staff and the archival material was informative and truly moving—the ship’s log for the Thaddeus after all! The tea and accompanying sandwiches were very tasty. It was a very nice experience.”

Another guest described the archival component as “breathtaking,” noting: “It was breathtaking to hold the historic documents that we did. The presentations were very informative and well done. The tea service was excellent. The music was lovely and at a perfect volume for enjoyment and conversation.”

Several attendees highlighted the program’s unique blend of education and hospitality. One guest captured the experience this way: “It’s a perfect mix of experiences: stunning assortment of archival documents passed around in the Archives as history unfolded, on to the grounds and more stories, and ending with a lovely social time taking tea, as the missionaries loved to do.”

FULL PROGRAM SCHEDULE:

10:30 – 10:50 AM | Guest Arrival and Check-In

Welcome & Introduction

Archival presentation in Library

• Curated presentation of rare artifacts from the collection
• White glove self-guided interaction
• Q&A opportunity

Walking Tour of the Grounds

• Plus, exploration inside of our Hale Pili

Historic Printing Press Experience

• Each guest will do their own “pull” of the printing press and take home a keepsake print

Afternoon Tea Service by Award-Winning, Tea at 1024

• Traditional high tea service with local flavors
• Known for its scones with clotted cream, delicious tea sandwiches, and homemade sweets

Live music performance by Jason Laeha

Afterwards | Hale Kua’i (gift shop) open for guests