Hofgaard Park
Located between Kaumualii Highway & Waimea Road. Convenient stop en route to Waimea Canyon.
Global Inflection Point
Captain James Cook
Statue.
Waimea, Kauai
Marking the 1778 Arrival
Contact: Jan 20, 1778
The HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery dropped anchor near the mouth of the Waimea River, marking the first recorded European contact with the Hawaiian Islands. While this integrated Hawaii into the global maritime network, it triggered immediate and profound demographic shifts.
Designation: The landing site is currently designated as a National Historic Landmark.
The Sculpture
A bronze replica of the original by Sir John Tweed (Whitby, England). Commissioned in 1978 for the bicentennial, it depicts Cook in naval uniform on a stone plinth.
Original
John Tweed
Erected
1978
Visitor Protocol
Access Level
Open 24/7. Free admission to the public.
Clarification
Distinct from the Big Island obelisk. This statue marks the arrival, not the death.
Historical Impact Assessment Critical Context
Depopulation
The introduction of foreign diseases caused devastating population decline among Native Hawaiians due to a lack of biological immunity, altering the demographic landscape permanently.
Cultural Disruption
The onset of Western systems led to the repression and eventual loss of traditional sovereignty. This statue represents a "difficult beginning" and is a point of significant historical friction.
Coordinates: Waimea River Mouth
Historic Kauai Landing Site