So what's the big deal about this street and the enormous trees? These old, gargantuan and unusually shaped trees that lined a street in the Waiakea Peninsula in Hilo, Big Island, is known as the "Hilo Walk of Fame." The trees thrive in Hilo's moist air since it rains a lot on this side of the island. We passed through a lot of lush greenery and vegetation on the way here. As we approached the "drive" the canopy of trees became more prominent and blanketed most of the entire drive with shade. Yeah, while you might say that they're just a bunch of trees on the road, it's interesting to note that many of the trees were planted by celebrities (politicians, actor, musicians, historic figures and other famous personalities) to commemorate their visit: FDR, Louis Armstrong, Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart, Richard Nixon, etc. The trees dated back to 1933 when film director and producer, Cecil B. DeMille and his cast were filming in Hawaii and planted the first set of trees... the last tree was planted in 1964 by a first female politician from the Big Island. It is also amazing to learn that these resilient trees have survived many storms and tsunamis that devastated part of the Big Island. Also, I had no idea that the banyan tree is the national tree of India. Review #2282 read more

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Hilo as a town is a pleasant surprise: it's historic, it's beautiful, and it's verdant. It rains a lot, leading to beautiful greenery everywhere with parks and trails galore. One such area is Banyan Tree Drive; a planned road around which many of the major hotels are. All along this road are huge old Banyan trees. Each tree has a plaque on the ground with the name of the politician, actor, or musician who planted it in the 1950s. In that 70 years, they've grown and aged well. The road is very shady and comfortable. Green vines are everywhere. The trees are the perfect habitat for vibrant birds and vocal coquí frogs, which come alive with song at night. There are beach and bay parks around the drive, with the Queen Liliuokalani Gardens at the far end. If you're on a driving tour of the island, it's worth your time to come here. I personally had a wonderful time running around the loop a few times on my visit; the sidewalk is large and safe away from the traffic. This would be a great place for an evening walk to just appreciate the trees and read the signs along the way; you may find one belonging to favorite movie star! read more

If you're staying at a hotel in Hilo, there's a pretty decent chance that you're already on Banyan Drive. If not, it's still not very far. An easy and relaxing walk under these shady trees awaits you. There are about 50 trees lining Banyan Drive, and if you look closely, you can see the wooden signs in front of them, indicating who they were planted by (or in honor of). In 1933, 8 Banyan trees were planted by celebrities, including Mr. and Mrs. Cecil DeMille (as in "I'm ready for my close-up") and Babe Ruth. Other notables who planted trees in future years include Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard & Pat Nixon, Amelia Earhart, and many other important individuals, including religious leaders and politicians both from Hawaii and around the world. You may not recognize every name on the trees, but when you keep in mind that some of these trees were planted over 70 years ago, it starts to make sense. Even if you don't get a chance to walk through them, there's a pretty good chance that a trip to Hilo will involve a drive down Banyan Drive, so enjoy the shade and incredible beauty of these trees. read more

Banyan Drive - Banyan Drive (from http://www.hawaiiweb.com) - Local Flavor Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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The first time I was around this area I totally missed this drive. As we came back into Hilo (from KCM) we were trying to find a place to eat and this drive popped up. Just down the street from the restaurant we ate at, we knew we had to stop. The Banyan Tree Drive is about a 10 minute stop if you want to get out and walk or you can just drive straight through. Once we saw Amelia Earhart's tree we knew we had to get out for pictures (our daughter's name is Amelia). Even though I've lived here for a few years I learned more about Hawaii's history-including how Hilo was once going to be the state capitol. read more

Beautiful long street to take a stroll down to get to the beach. But don't just walk- enjoy. Take notice of the the plaques at the foot of each tree. Some names I wasn't familiar with and others quite surprising- famous movie directors and sports figures and the dates the trees were planted. Surprising these trees planted in early 1930's survived the tsunami in 1960. The enormous thick trees provide a great shady lane on a steamy humid Hawaiian day, but the ice cream still melts fast. Bookmark this spot for a picturesque walk read more

Banyan Drive - Local Flavor Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Love the banyan trees! It's so cool to see them growing their roots right over the road. There's plenty of free parking around if you have time to walk among the trees. read more

hilo banyon tree drive ... very late posting pics for this .. like Hilo cute historic town, surfers, decent restaurants .. fun to look around. read more

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Banyan Tree Drive is the perfect metaphor for Hilo in its own way. The short version of the history here is that when the Hawaiian Islands were preparing for statehood, Hilo was planning to be the capital. It is one of the most historic towns in Hawaii after all, being the oldest and the place where King Kamehameha lifted the Nahu stone. Infrastructure was built up accordingly. Then, Honolulu on Oahu was chosen partially because Hilo is a rainforest where it rains every day. Hilo remained a special place, however it didn't get the wealth and prestige associated with a capital. Banyan Tree Drive is where most of the hotels are in Hilo. It's a short road containing, as you would guess it, a ton of big Banyan trees. These tress were planted back by celebrities back when Hilo was still planning to be the capital. Out front of the Castle Hilo where we stayed, there was one planted by Babe Ruth. This road isn't worth coming out of your way for, however it's worth a drive even if you're just passing through. It's also by a great park down the block where you can picnic. And lastly if you stay in Hilo, it's a must-hit piece of Hilo history. Hilo is wonderful with lots of cool places like this to visit, and even better because there aren't many tourists! read more

Unless you're a tree fanatic, don't go out of your way to come here. But if you happen to be in the area, it's a fun little drive down this street to see probably the biggest and most beautiful banyan trees you've ever seen. They are truly gorgeous. They're amazing to me, and i could stare at these trees for hours!! They're H-U-G-E!! As a cool little extra, there's a sign in front of some of them for either who they're in honor of, or apparently who planted them. Kinda neat. read more

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We took a tour from our cruise ship and the first stop was Banyan Drive. This is a gorgeous drive past some of the most beautiful Banyan Trees you'll ever see. Some of them were planted by famous people and there is a plaque in front to indicate who planted it. My favorite was the one planted by Babe Ruth. This is well worth visiting. read more

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This was the best part of our visit to Hilo, which is otherwise sort of a strange and rundown area. I have been many places in the world, but I have never seen such amazing, unique, and HUGE trees. If you're near Hilo, definitely make a detour to Banyan Tree Drive. read more

Banyan Drive - Local Flavor Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Our famous street in the heart of historic Hilo consisting of a driving range (don't know if it's up and running), locals favorite "ice pond", old hotels, our famous coconut island and Lili'uokalani Park. This road is considered part of the "beach run" for locals. From what my grandpa tells me, these Banyan trees been here from back in the day. If you're visiting Hilo, most likely you'll drive through Banyan Drive. It's the pathway to the towns attractions. I've been driving on this road everyday since I've been on the island for summer vacation... to go to the park to walk my dogs. Maybe I should learn to appreciate the Banyan trees more?! The trees seem to blend in after awhile. Wish there were more exciting things to say about Banyan Drive... to me, it's a road with Banyan trees planted by many different people from long ago. Maybe the biggiest trees I've ever seen. read more

Banyan Drive is a pretty walk/drive near the main hotel area in Hilo. Lots of old, big Banyan Trees, which are hard to see in my home state of California. Its well worth parking the car and strolling along to enjoy the hugeness and stillness of the trees, and to see the names of the old celebrities and news-makers who planted them. I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to come here, but if you find yourself in Hilo on your way to Cafe 100 or Queen Liliuokalani Gardens, this is worth the small detour. read more

Any drive through Hilo is incomplete without a quick daytime spin through Banyan Tree Drive with impressive rows of big banyan after big banyan. The best section was between Highway 11 and the hotels. The other side between Manono Street and the hotels didn't have the same grand wow factor. read more

Think of it as Hilo's "Walk of Fame," Banyan Tree Drive is a fun and pretty little nod to celebrities who had the trees planted in their own or someone else's honor before it was hip to be green. Outlining the Waiakea Peninsula, each banyan tree is accompanied by a plaque noting the person who had it planted. Among the roster of green celebrities is Babe Ruth, Cecil B. De Mille, Richard Nixon and his wife Pat, and Amelia Earhart. While some of the trees were lost to tsunamis and tidal wave actions that once devastated the Hilo coast line, fifty trees still line Banyan Drive today. read more

Although Banyan trees are spectacular, after you see a few they are all the same. : ) But you need to do this Drive just from a historical standpoint, and because it is next to spectacular gardens and views of Hilo. read more

Awesome place for short run due to shade & ocean breeze.

Whenever we are in Hilo with company we always take guests down Banyan tree drive. The drive and adjacent park really capture the beauty of Hilo. read more

Our hotel was on Banyan Drive so we were amidst the banyan trees. It was fun to look for the names of celebrities. The trees are so old too, it is enjoyable to think that celebrities wondered the same street. It was almost like walking through Hollywood's walk of stars. read more

If you are enchanted by the majesty of trees, do not miss this park. Be sure to get out and walk around to feel their full looming beauty. If a tree is just a tree to you, you might as well pass this one up. read more