ALOHA, 'OHANA! WELCOME HOME

"Preserving the legacy of the Polynesian Cultural Center and connecting its 'ohana - past and present"

"...Since the Polynesian Cultural Center opened 60-plus years ago, thousands of employees have welcomed millions of visitors to this special place. We wouldn’t exist today without everyone’s kōkua..."

Alfred Grace

TALK STORY SPOTLIGHT:

When Austin TeNgaio opened a box from his grandfather, he discovered photos, stories, and an original Johnny Lingo script. His great-grandparents, Joe and Millie TeNgaio, helped build the Aotearoa Village at the Polynesian Cultural Center and preserve Māori culture. Joe’s unexpected role in Johnny Lingo became part of their legacy of faith, service, and cultural pride.

SHARE YOUR MEMORIES

Share your memories and experience with us through images and videos….

LEGACY READS

The Polynesian Cultural Center: Ambassador to the World, by R. Lanier Britsch and Tausilinu’u David Hannemann, ©2023, Polynesian Cultural Center

…was initially compiled in the early 2000s by BYU history professor emeritus Prof. “Lanny” Britsch, a Church history author, former BYU/BYU–Hawaii administrator, and senior history missionary at the Center; and the Center’s long-time senior executive and unofficial historian, “Uncle” David Hannemann. The Center revived the project in preparation for the 60th anniversary, and asked Prof. Britsch to update the book to 2023.

David Hannemann

We proudly dedicate this new online historical website to the memory and indefatigable efforts of the late Tausilinuʻu “Uncle David” Hannemann.

guardians of our history

” …had a lifelong passion for collecting memorabilia, a lot of which formed a significant part of the Centerʻs mountainous archives .”

“He kept his secretaries busy, and in later years, also used several senior service missionaries simultaneously to help compile, maintain, digitize and preserve the materials he collected.”

HAWAII HOSPITALITY "HALL OF FAME" HONOR

The University of Hawaii at Mānoa’s Shidler College of Business inducts President David O. McKay to the Hawaii Hospitality Hall of Fame

David O. McKay

60 years of excellence

Celebrating our rich Cultures, History and Legacy

Many of our kūpuna are no longer with us, but their legacy lives on . . . and our voyage of faith continues to bless the lives of today’s young PCC employees and all the guests who grace these grounds.

submit your stories

Please share your memories