Parker Ranch Historic Home Tour, Waimea
Waimea , Hawaii
96743
Tel: 808 885 2313
Tel: 808 885 5433
visitor@parkerranch.com
www.parkerranch.com
Concierge.com's insider take:
Founded in 1847, Parker Ranch is one of the oldest and largest privately owned ranches in the United States. Because a drive through Waimea affords views of the lands, an official tour may seem redundant; but it's worth a stop for an ATV tour, horseback riding, hunting, and the often overlooked but delightful Parker Ranch Historic Home Tour. The home tour includes a brief history of John Palmer Parker, who befriended King Kamehameha, married a Hawaiian princess and built the ranch, and a walk through the family's original wood cabin, Mana Hana. In a radical jump from past to present, the tour also includes a walk through the Puuopelu estate of Richard Parker Smart, last descendant to live on the ranch (until the late '80s). A Broadway actor before resettling on the Big Island, Parker Smart collected Impressionist art while traveling abroad and amassed one of the most impressive private collections in the state.