Grove Farm Museum in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii · Updated October 19, 2026 · 11 min read

Museum with a major rail exhibitTrain ridesGuided tours by reservation

Grove Farm Museum preserves the Wilcox family's sugar plantation homestead in Lihue, founded in 1864, along with four original plantation steam locomotives that once hauled cane across Kauai, among the rarest and most complete such collections in Hawaii.

  • Plantation founded in 1864
  • Guided tours by reservation
  • Four restored plantation steam engines
  • Paulo, built 1887
  • Original 1943 roundhouse in Puhi
  • National Register listed

Grove Farm Museum at a glance

Hours
Guided tours by reservation; call (808) 245-3202 to book
Admission
Not posted online; ask when booking
Train rides
Cane car rides behind restored steam engines on Train Days and special programs
Seasonal events
Train Days, Lihue Ohana Night
Plan for
About 2 hours for a homestead tour
Best for
History lovers, steam fans and school groups
Best ages
Ages 6 and up for house tours; all ages for Train Days

Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Grove Farm Museum? Bring Rally along.

In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Lihue, Kauai.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

The Wilcox sisters' gift and Kauai's last steam cane trains

Hawaii's sugar boom of the late 1800s had its start on Kauai, and Grove Farm, founded in 1864, was one of the earliest plantations. It was the home of George N. Wilcox and later his descendants, and the homestead in Lihue grew into a working plantation community of houses, cottages, barns and gardens.

In 1975 two Wilcox sisters, Miss Elsie and Miss Mabel, entrusted the family's historic sites and collections to a nonprofit, today called Waioli & Nuhou Corporation. Along with Grove Farm Museum, it cares for the 1837 Waioli Mission House in Hanalei, Mahamoku, a 1914 retreat above Hanalei Bay designed by Mabel Wilcox, and a collection of historic plantation locomotives, all listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

Rail fans will want to know the locomotive story. Grove Farm Company was the last sugar plantation in Hawaii to haul cane by steam. Its engine Wainiha, built in 1915, could pull up to 50 cars and stayed in service until 1957. The company gave Wainiha to Miss Mabel Wilcox, who paid for its restoration in 1975. Today four original steam engines, Paulo, Wainiha, Wahiawa and Kaipu, are restored and maintained by dedicated volunteers at the original 1943 roundhouse in Puhi, and brought to life for educational tours and special train rides.

From the Wilcox house to the Puhi roundhouse

Guided tours walk you through the authentically preserved Wilcox homestead. Visitors describe around eight historic structures on the route, including the main Wilcox home, a servants' cottage, the barn, a community health cottage, a laundry cottage, a Japanese garden and a fern greenhouse, each telling part of the story of sugar, family and plantation community life.

The locomotive side lives at the 1943 roundhouse in Puhi. On train programs, restored steam engines pull cane cars, just as workers once rode them, so you hear the hiss of steam and smell the coal. Paulo, built in 1887, is the oldest restored locomotive on Kauai, while Wahiawa (1921) and Kaipu (1925) are among the last steam locomotives brought to Hawaii. Wainiha, Wahiawa and Kaipu were all built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia.

Don’t miss

  1. Paulo (1887)The oldest restored locomotive on Kauai and the senior member of the steam collection.
  2. Wainiha (1915)The engine that made Grove Farm the last Hawaii plantation to haul cane by steam, in service until 1957.
  3. The 1943 Puhi roundhouseThe original roundhouse where volunteers maintain the locomotives.
  4. The Wilcox homeThe centerpiece of the homestead tour, preserved as the family lived in it.
  5. Kaipu (1925)Named for one of George Wilcox's first workers and right-hand man, it ran at Grove Farm until 1953.

Train Days and steam for young visitors

For kids, the trains are the draw. Family-friendly Train Days and special programs let children ride in cane cars behind a working steam engine and learn hands-on how plantation railroads worked. Watch the events page for dates.

The homestead house tour is guided and history focused, which suits older children and teens best. School groups can book interactive programs designed for students and teachers.

Plan your visit: tips for Grove Farm Museum

  • Book a tour ahead by phone or at tours@grovefarm.org; this is not a drop-in museum.
  • Train rides happen on Train Days and special programs, not on every tour, so check the events page.
  • The locomotives are kept at the Puhi roundhouse, not at the homestead.
  • Read the seasonal Notes to Our Friends newsletter for upcoming events.

Grove Farm posts community events on its news page, including Lihue Ohana Night on December 11, 2026, and family Train Days when the steam engines pull cane cars. For more holiday rides around the islands, see our list of Christmas train rides in Hawaii.

Waioli & Nuhou and its volunteers

Waioli & Nuhou Corporation, a nonprofit, carries on the stewardship the Wilcox sisters began in 1975. Dedicated volunteers maintain the locomotives at the Puhi roundhouse, and the organization welcomes docents, guides and preservation helpers. Memberships and donations fund restoration and education.

Another train ride three miles away

The Kauai Plantation Railway at Kilohana, about 3 miles away, runs daily narrated train tours, which pairs well with a Grove Farm visit. On Oahu, about 92 miles away, the Hawaiian Railway Society rides restored plantation-era track. See Hawaii's train museums for every island.

Every train museum in Hawaii

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor view from inside a dark tunnel looking out at a sunny beach and cliffs
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

I love that these engines still breathe steam: the hiss, the coal smell, the cane cars clanking into motion. In our book, Rally's favorite moment is the tunnel, when everything goes dark and then a big bright light pours in and everyone cheers. A steam whistle gets that same cheer from little ones. For a quiet afternoon after, our train books for toddlers list is a good next step.

Free for train families

Print the Rally coloring pages before you go

Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.

Get the free coloring pages
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

More for train families

Work or volunteer at Grove Farm Museum?

We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.

Sources

Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.

Grove Farm Museum: 20 questions about tours and trains

What is the Grove Farm Homestead & Sugar Plantation Museum?

It is the preserved homestead of the Wilcox family's Grove Farm sugar plantation in Lihue, Kauai, now called Grove Farm Museum. Guided tours cover the main house and plantation buildings, and the organization also keeps four restored plantation steam locomotives. It is run by the nonprofit Waioli & Nuhou Corporation.

How do I book a Grove Farm Museum tour?

Tours are guided and booked ahead. Call (808) 245-3202 or email tours@grovefarm.org to reserve, or use the Book a Tour link on grovefarm.org. Plan ahead, since this is not a drop-in museum, and ask about dates for train programs if seeing the steam engines matters to you.

What are Grove Farm Museum hours?

Grove Farm Museum runs guided tours by reservation rather than posting open walk-in hours. Call (808) 245-3202 or email tours@grovefarm.org to find available tour times. The office can also tell you about upcoming Train Days and special events.

How much does a Grove Farm Museum tour cost?

Tour prices are not posted on the museum's website. Ask when you call (808) 245-3202 or email tours@grovefarm.org to book. Members of Waioli & Nuhou may receive benefits, so ask about membership if you plan to visit more than one of its historic sites.

Where is Grove Farm Museum?

Grove Farm Museum is at 4500 Nawiliwili Rd, Lihue, Hawaii 96766, on Kauai. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1631, Lihue, HI 96766. The steam locomotives are kept separately at the 1943 roundhouse in Puhi, so confirm where to meet if you book a train program.

What will I see on the Grove Farm homestead tour?

Visitors describe about eight historic structures on the tour, including the main Wilcox home, a servants' cottage, the barn, a community health cottage, a laundry cottage, a Japanese garden and a fern greenhouse. Guides explain the plantation's role in Kauai's sugar industry and the Wilcox family's life there.

Can you ride a train at Grove Farm Museum?

Yes, on special occasions. Restored steam engines pull cane cars for educational tours, Train Days and special programs, so riders can hear the steam and smell the coal much as plantation workers once did. Rides are not part of every homestead tour, so check the events page or call ahead.

What steam locomotives does Grove Farm have?

Four original plantation steam engines: Paulo (1887), the oldest restored locomotive on Kauai; Wainiha (1915); Wahiawa (1921); and Kaipu (1925). Wainiha, Wahiawa and Kaipu were built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia and originally burned coal or oil. Volunteers maintain them at the 1943 Puhi roundhouse.

Why is the Wainiha locomotive famous?

Wainiha, built in 1915, made Grove Farm Company the last sugar plantation in Hawaii to haul cane by steam, staying in use until 1957. Named for a North Shore stream, it could pull up to 50 cars. It came to Grove Farm in 1955, and Miss Mabel Wilcox funded its restoration in 1975.

When was Grove Farm founded?

Grove Farm was founded in 1864 and became one of the earliest sugar plantations on Kauai, where Hawaii's sugar boom began. It was the home of George N. Wilcox and his descendants. In 1975 Miss Elsie and Miss Mabel Wilcox entrusted the family's historic sites and collections to a nonprofit for preservation.

Who runs Grove Farm Museum?

Waioli & Nuhou Corporation, a nonprofit dedicated to sharing the multicultural history of Kauai, runs Grove Farm Museum. It also cares for the 1837 Waioli Mission House in Hanalei, the 1914 Mahamoku retreat on Hanalei Bay and the historic plantation locomotives, all listed on the State and National Registers.

Is Grove Farm Museum good for kids?

Older kids who enjoy history will get the most out of the guided homestead tour. Younger children usually enjoy the family-friendly Train Days, when they can ride in cane cars behind a working steam engine. School groups can book interactive programs designed for students and teachers.

What are Grove Farm Train Days?

Train Days are family-friendly events when Grove Farm's restored steam locomotives come to life, with cane car rides and hands-on learning for children and adults. Dates are posted on the news and events page at grovefarm.org, and the seasonal newsletter also lists what is coming up.

Does Grove Farm offer school programs?

Yes. Grove Farm offers interactive tours and resources designed for students and educators, covering the plantation era, sugar, community life and the locomotives. Email tours@grovefarm.org or call (808) 245-3202 to plan a school visit well in advance.

What events does Grove Farm Museum hold?

Grove Farm hosts lectures, exhibits, workshops, Train Days and community events. As of October 2026, its events page lists Lihue Ohana Night on December 11, 2026, with an RSVP. Seasonal Notes to Our Friends newsletters announce new events through the year.

Can I volunteer at Grove Farm Museum?

Yes. Waioli & Nuhou welcomes volunteers as docents, guides and preservation helpers, and dedicated volunteers maintain the steam locomotives at the Puhi roundhouse. Call (808) 245-3202 or email office@grovefarm.org to ask about current volunteer needs.

How can I support Grove Farm Museum?

You can support restoration, education and preservation through a membership or a donation on grovefarm.org. Booking a tour and attending Train Days also helps. Gifts fund work on the historic homes and the four plantation steam locomotives.

What do Grove Farm Museum reviews say?

Reviewers often call the guided tour an excellent way to learn about Kauai and the Wilcox family, and many mention the main house and the gardens. The museum's TripAdvisor page has more visitor comments, and its Instagram account shares current photos.

Is Grove Farm the same as the Kauai Plantation Railway?

No. Grove Farm Museum is a nonprofit homestead museum with historic steam locomotives that run on special occasions. The Kauai Plantation Railway is a separate train tour about 3 miles away at Kilohana Plantation, with narrated rides daily. Many families visit both.

What other train attractions are near Lihue?

The Kauai Plantation Railway at Kilohana is about 3 miles from Grove Farm and runs narrated train tours every day. Off island, the Hawaiian Railway Society in Ewa Beach on Oahu, about 92 miles away, offers historic train rides on restored plantation-era track.

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Kelsey Cecil
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