[4] The museum traces its origins to 1988, when Dr. Walter Dudley, a professor at the University of Hawaii–Hilo, was soliciting survivor stories from the community for his book Tsunami!.

[10] Funds for the renovation were provided in part by the Federal Emergency Management Agency under its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

[9]: 7 Donna Saiki (née Weiss), who was the principal at Hilo High School from 1988 to 1996, also served as the first volunteer executive director of the museum starting in 1994 until June 2013.

Saiki recruited members, volunteers, and donors;[14] her husband Ronald was a youth sports coach in Keaukaha.

In December 2024, faced with high costs for repairs to the building, the museum laid off its 10-person staff and suspended operations; some former employees volunteered their labor to keep it open.