Lahaina was a popular restocking stop for whaling ships traveling between Japan, the Arctic and New England during the Golden Age of whaling (1825–60). This fascinating museum was going through a refurbishment at the time of writing, but a free exhibition is currently running at Whalers Village until it reopens. At the time of writing, it was due to reopen imminently. Until then, fascinating display cabinets sit around the shopping complex detailing whaling history and facts about the anatomy of these large mammals.
At the entrance of Whalers Village, look up: there's a life-size sperm-whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling.