The history of Kauai is kept safe in an imposing Greco-Roman building that once served as the town library. This great little museum is worth a stop before you set out to explore the island. It contains a wealth of historical artifacts and information tracing the island's history, from the beginning of time through Contact (when Capt. James Cook "discovered" Kauai in 1778), the monarchy period, the plantation era, and the present. You'll hear tales of the menehune (the mythical, elflike people who were said to build massive stoneworks in a single night) and see old poi pounders and idols, relics of sugar planters and paniolos, a nice seashell collection, old Hawaiian quilts, feather leis, a replica of a plantation worker's home, and much more -- even a model of Cook's ship, the HMS Resolution, riding anchor in Waimea Bay. Vintage photographs by W. J. Senda, a Japanese immigrant, show old Kauai, while a contemporary video, shot from a helicopter, captures the island's natural beauty.