Walk & Talk Story in Hanapepe

Get the inside scoop of one of Kauai’s most rambunctious towns, Hanapepe. Your tour to a great historic adventure begins at Storybook Theatre of Hawaii!

From the ancient Hawaiian river valley known as the “Breadbasket of West Kauai,” Hanapepe grew a steadfast population of Pacific island people who developed a system of sustainable agriculture and who were masters of their environment. The arrival of Captain Cook and other European sea captains brought vast change to these native people who now host a myriad of cultures. Hanapepe Town is a unique and culturally rich reflection of the growth of these islands from the past to the present, with glimpses of the future.

The Walk and Talk Story Tour of Hanapepe winds through town, stopping at many historic buildings for a bit of insight as to how the town grew from the late nineteenth century to become one of the most robust towns on Kauai. Hawaiian myths and ghost stories are told in the most curious stops along the tour with a deeper sense of the past gained by visiting the exhibits upon returning to the Heritage Media Center at Storybook Theatre.

You will visit the site of the 1924 Hanapepe Massacre and hear the stories that surround the event that changed the course of history in Hawaii and beyond.

You will also learn about our local town hero, former U.S. Senator Sparky Matsunaga and why the community honored him with a beautiful bronze statue in our children’s garden dedicated to his memory and his ideas about world peace in our lifetime. Born Masayuki Matsunaga, the beloved “Sparky” nickname was given to him by his elementary school friends during a friendly game of dodgeball. Sparky liked the name so much that he legally added the designation to his birth name after WWII. He was forever known as Spark M. Matsunaga, and affectionately called “Sparky.” Senator Matsunaga was responsible for the creation of the legislation that created the United States Institute of Peace in Washington D.C.

Tours last for 90 minutes for visiting and local families by reservation only (maximum 20 people), and end in Sparky’s Peace Garden with a photo opportunity with his statue.

For more information: email here or call 808-335-0172

“If we emphasize the life and works of our greatest contributors, people will come to realize that moral courage is bravery of the highest type, and America will be called the Champion of Peace. ~Spark M. Matsunaga

“I believe we have a duty to try to see beyond the cascading issues that engulf us daily, even while we are considering them.” ~Spark M. Matsunaga

“Don’t know your past, you don’t know your future.” ~Ziggy Marley, “Tomorrow People”