From Humble Hives to Global Impact:

The Story of Kona's Beekeeping

Now Open

April- July 2025

Tuesday- Saturday, 10 am- 2 pm

Kona Historical Society

We have had huge community attendance and enthusiasm! Mahalo to all those who have come out.

So far, we have hosted close to 300 visitors to the exhibit and 250 students on field trips. See images from the exhibit below:

Enjoy our Documentary Trailor

We produced an original 10-minute documentary capturing the beauty of Kona’s beekeeping legacy and its role in agriculture in Hawaii, the continental US, Canada, and Beyond.

The film is shown as part of the museum exhibit.

Community Buzz

“I want to share this unusual story with the Kona Community"

The Conversation, Hawaii Public Radio
All abuzz: Kona Historical Society to open Beekeeping Legacy exhibit

Big Island Now
Did you know Kona's environment is so ideal for raising queen bees that it's become the largest producer of queen bees in the world?

Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau

Celebrating Kona’s Hardworking Farmers

What started as a small historical research project to honor my beekeeper father on his 75th birthday blossomed into a multilayered community exhibition with an original documentary and live observation hive.

This multimedia project was created by Leandra Rouse, the daughter of Kona Beekeepers. The Exhibition Includes:

Interactive museum exhibit with artifacts, historical and original images, and educational writing.
Original 10-minute documentary by Leandra Rouse & Andrew Hara
Live observation hive
Original honeybee artwork by local artists
A keiki (children's) education field trip program
Historical research and oral histories archived at Kona Historical Society.

Curator's Statement

Aloha!

My name is Leandra Rouse. I am the daughter of Gus Rouse, a retired Queen Bee Producer from Kona.

As a lifelong resident of Hawaii Island, deeply rooted in its rich agricultural history, I’ve always been fascinated by the unsung heroes of our farming ecosystem: the honey bees. Inspired by my parents’ lifelong passion for beekeeping and significant contributions to the industry in Kona, I embarked on a journey to uncover the fascinating story of honeybees in Kona. All in time to celebrate Gus’s 75th birthday.

Over the past year, I documented this Kona agricultural history by gathering oral histories, producing a 10-minute documentary, and developing an interactive museum exhibit.

I worked in partnership with the Kona Historical Society to host the exhibit and further preserve the history of Kona.

I invite you to share in this community story!

What’s Next?

Help us bring the Kona Beekeeper Legacy Project to Waimea! Fall 2025

Generous community support brought this project to life. We have had such rave reviews, we would like to bring the exhibit to a new home in North Kohala this Fall!

We're now seeking $15,000 to bring this interactive museum exhibit to Waimea. Ranching had a big role in bringing honey bees to the islands and we hope to tell the story of the paniolo beekeeper. Here's how these funds would be allocated: