Opened in 1928 and built in Spanish Mission style, this theater was once the main entertainment venue of Wailuku. Besides screening movies, it featured live stage acts, including stars such as Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra. In 1953, the theater hosted the Hawaiian premiere of From Here to Eternity.

By the early 1980s, the theater was in decline, and after it closed, was threatened with demolition. However, a community effort to save the theater was led by the Wailuku Mainstreet Association, and from 1995 to 1996, underwent a million dollar-plus renovation. In 1995 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Maui Community Theater, doing business as Maui OnStage, has occupied the Historic ‘Iao Theater since 1984, and has since been instrumental in keeping the theater in operation even during times of desperate disrepair. MOS has the distinction of being one of the longest consistently running theater companies in the United States. What began in 1930 with a handful of volunteers with deep visionary roots has flourished into an important cornerstone of the cultural landscape of the island. With a mission to provide quality performing arts experiences and stewardship of the historic venue, MOS is the community’s affordable and accessible place for self-expression, exploration and enjoyment of the arts. There is renewed interest from a diversity of groups and individuals in participating with MOS at the ‘Iao Theater, and the MOS proposal for a complete, historically faithful rehabilitation is gaining attention from the county and state government.