In 1877, James Campbell, a business pioneer, acquired some 41,000 acres at Honouliuli, west of Pearl Harbor. Part of this area was Lanikuhonua ("Where heaven meets the earth").

Alice Kamokila Campbell, one of Mr. Campbell's four daughters, first leased Lanikuhonua from the Estate of James Campbell for her residence in 1939. During World War II, she invited the United States Organization (USO) to use Lanikuhonua as an army and navy recreation area. The area was nicknamed “Camp Bell” by the soldiers. Alice Kamokila Campbell used her home at Lanikuhonua to preserve, display, and promote the cultural traditions of Hawai'i.

Lanikuhonua Cultural Institute is dedicated to improving, maintaining, and preserving Lanikuhonua’s beauty and using it to nurture the practice of Hawaiian culture.