At McGregor Point on Maui, close to the lighthouse, on Route 30, about one mile from Maalaea Bay, there exists a monument commemorating the arrival of 600 Scandinavian immigrants to Hawaii. Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes arrived in Hawaii on February 18, 1881 aboard the Norwegian bark "Beta." Her sister ship "Musca," arrived in Honolulu on May 13, 1881. The immigrants were contracted to work as laborers on the sugar plantations of Hawaii. This would be the first and only mass migration of Scandinavians to the islands.
Directions: Approximately 1 mile past Maalaea Harbor on the road to Lahaina, you will see a lighthouse on a point off of the main road. Approaching close to the lighthouse location, you will see a gravel road heading off to the left. Take the gravel road and park in the gravel parking lot off of the main road then walk to the lighthouse. To the right of the lighthouse as you face the ocean, you will see a large rock with a metal plaque on it. That is the Scandinavian monument on Maui.
Words on the Plaque:
This monument commemorates the arrival of the Norwegian barque Beta which dropped anchor near this spot on February 18, 1881, and of her sister ship Musca, which arrived in Honolulu May 13, 1881. They brought more than six hundred Norwegians, Swedes and Danes to work in the sugar cane fields and mills of the Hawaiian Kingdom - the first and only mass migration of Scandinavians to these islands. For their contribution to the life of this land, as well as those of their countrymen who proceeded or followed, our mahalo and aloha. The Scandinavian Centennial Commission, February 14, 1981, the centennial date. This monument was restored in the year 2006, in celebration of the 125th anniversay of the Scandinavians arrival in Hawaii.
Click on the images below for an expanded view
| View of monument | View 2 of Monument | View of lighthouse | Lighthouse & road |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |