This was an amazing day trip to take, and we were extremely happy to stop here. We ended up getting…read morehere with only about 20 minutes before closing, so we didn't get to read everything we wanted, but I was very happy to see everything! The statues and the shelters are super interesting to see. I love the location; it's absolutely gorgeous and mesmerizing. We took so many pictures! Remember this is a sacred place, and above all, be respectful!

This park is beautiful and sacred. You can learn indigenous Hawaiian history & culture here and…read moreexperience serenity in this very special place. I especially enjoyed walking on the lava rocks to the protected areas where I saw fish everywhere! The water is clear and perfect. This park is large and I recommend that you have at least two hours here to soak it all in. There are hiking trails and picnic areas too. There are clean bathrooms, water fountain & a small gift shop as well. Note: For visitors concerned with accessibility, it may be a little tough to access the beach areas as the terrain is sandy, rocky & uneven. I did read that beach wheelchairs are available at the visitor center though. Mahalo.

As of January 2025, Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village is closed Saturdays and Sundays…read more Their location inside the park adjacent to the Visitor Center is open 7 days per week. Each location contains a selection of pieces from a wide variety of local artists.

Although the visitor station was closed, the Art center was open and had souvenirs and jewelry to…read morepurchase at the entry to the park.

Such a cool experience for me and my children. I can't believe I've never heard of this place. My…read morekids are 7 and 9 and they really enjoyed themselves. There were fun interactive games, lots of hands on activities and cool tech to play with. We really enjoyed the planetarium and the showing of Spark, as well as all the Hawaiiana info. The staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. The gift shop was cute and offered lots of neat souvenirs. Highly recommend visiting if you can.

Mixed review, wish I could give them a four and a half. For locals, the price didn't really make…read moresense. I know it's through the university, but activities like this should be close to free, especially for kids. As pointed out by other guests, the planetarium really made the trip worth it... But overall the astronomy center was lacking something. The exhibits were mixed, and though I appreciate having other things like local birds and trees, our kids get that through school and we really wanted to see astronomy stuff. The farm animal color wall was stupid, it's off subject and doesn't really teach kids anything. We liked the canoe/sailing exhibit, it tied in historical Hawaiian history and astronomy. We will return eventually, but if the exhibits were stronger or the price more reasonable, we'd be more likely to stop by sooner. I feel like the old Ellison Onizuka museum at the Kona airport had better space/astronomy exhibits.

We saw a thought-provoking, well cast production of the musical "Next to Normal." It was an…read moreimpressive cast, and the venue lent itself to sharing cultural arts. The seats are comfortable. The restrooms and vendors are hope more arts programming continues in this space. It's an asset for the community!

Young at Art is a student art exhibit which will be at the Hawaii Museum of Contemporary Art,…read moreA.K.A. East Hawaii Cultural Center until March 26. This yearly event showcases so many beautiful and amazing pieces of art created by students all over the Big Island. Every piece in this exhibit is so awesome, but I just couldn't take my eyes off of this spectacular ceramic octopus. Wow..

Very pricey but a trip isn't complete unless you've consider a luau. I booked it since the luau…read morewas held on the premises of our resort where we stayed. The big draw was the fire show which originated in Samoa. The first three rows are premium seating. We sat in row 2 by the stage. The venue is very small so all seats would have sufficed. There was a woman blocking my view of the stage. So much for premier seating. Although premier seating included a fresh orchid lei and a box of shortbread cookies from Big Island Candies of Hilo. And first in line to the buffet dinner. There's an open bar. I had a red wine which I didn't care for as the wine sat out in the Hawaiian heat. There's spirits, mixed drinks, sodas, and mocktails available. The luau - the Kalua pig is cooked in an imu onsite. You can watch the pig being unearthed at the luau. If you've never seen it done, it's a very authentic experience. There was a live band followed by the hula show. The show represented the Polynesian islands. It concluded with the fire show which was the highlight. Next time we'll sit in the general seating area since it's a small venue located at the Marriott.

This sunset luau has got to be one of the most expensive luaus I have ever attended. For almost…read more$220 an adult and then kids I don't even want to know how much you have to pay for them. My kids thank God we're free, age 5 and under are free. I have gone to 4 luaus, 2 in Oahu and 2 in maui and although I know generally all luaus are kind of the same I wanted to see how Big island threw there luaus. It was a good luau, the dancers were all very good and enthusiastic. Total of 6-8 dancers. The fire show and the haka part stole the show. All of the dancing was generally entertaining. The food was buffet style and the food was actually pretty good. They had a wide variety of food including some fish, steak and the pork they showed in a ceremony how to cook. They have someone take professional pictures for you and that vendor was very kind and took their time to get the perfect picture, one hard copy photo and the digital download is $40 plus tax. The bar is open bar and they have every possible drink that isn't blended. The drinks were super strong and good and the bartenders were nice as well. I will say I saw some comments saying the guests and people walking by can view some parts of the show from the side etc but that's just really ghetto lol I mean u can't help that but it's just not the same bc ur just watching from the dancers back and a weird view. Luaus are generally meant maybe once in a lifetime, but I do love learning about the culture and traditions and dancing of Hawaii. It is very expensive, but generally a good show. It's not one of the best luaus I've been to, but it's not horrible. I wish there were more activities for people before the actual show, they only had one hula person teach like a 6 min hula. Also side note if you ask the servers about your kids you can ask for pizza or chicken fingers and fries on the side for them, they don't let you know that prolly to save money lol but I knew beforehand to ask.

Artistic rustic and simply beautiful. Love the caretakers and always leave amazed after every visit.read more

Sofie and I ate our lunch near this place. We came here to use the restrooms - which are…read moredownstairs. We did a promenade through the exhibits then an allemande left downstairs to the restrooms. The bathrooms were clean and functional. Four stars! It took us about 90 seconds to view all the exhibits. The exhibits were neither intriguing or displayed with much creative thought. I suppose all of this reflects the budget they have to work with. I'd give this place a pass unless you need to use the restrooms. Everything is free. Free parking, and free admission.

Been many years since visiting Lyman Museum and was happy to see the very modern display and very…read moreclean interior. This museum has probably on of the best mineral displays in the whole country. I was kind of shocked to see some minerals I've never ever heard of. The Hawaiian display was also good, with a brief history about the Hawaiian nation and how it came about. Also shows how the sugar plantation life and when immigrant workers started coming to Hawaii . A great place for locals to revisit and spend some time and energy to look back into the early days and the hard lives they lived. All staff were very friendly and very welcoming and informative when some questions were asked . A great place for visiting tourist to visit at a small cost to them.

After experiencing the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens (please reference my review if…read moreinterested), we made the 18 minute drive to Lyman Museum. I must admit, when Google Maps announced our arrival, I was skeptical of the museum based on the appearance of the building. However, that feeling dissipated when we entered the building and were greeted by a friendly employee at the front counter. After paying the very small admission fee, another friendly employee gave us a brief overview of how to navigate the exhibits. The first exhibit was centered on one of my favorite childhood interests...volcanoes! I was taking a walk down memory lane as I relearned the root cause of volcanic eruptions and the history of Hawaii's active volcanoes. Afterwards, we learned about the various habitat types, mammals, and birds. The next following exhibits were focused on Hawaii's complicated (in my opinion) history. Although all of the content was interesting to some capacity; the following three topics stood out: sugar plantations, the educational system, and the annexation of Hawaii by the United States. Although the information is presented in an unbiased form, it shaped my opinion of how native Hawaiians (along with other ethnic groups) were mistreated, the United States' role in attempting to completely sanitize the Hawaiian education system (i.e., being punished for speaking their native language in school), and the events that led to the Hawaiian government being overthrown by the United States. As most museums, I walked away with mixed feelings. I learned a lot about Hawaiian culture, but also felt torn in my decision to visit (support) a place that has been essentially cleansed of its true culture and taken over by Americans (yes I know that there are other places that have been similarly impacted). I highly recommend that visitors take the time out of their vacation to visit this museum and enlighten themselves with Hawaiian history.

We had a great time here! We did both the ATV and fruit tasting tours. The staff was both fun and…read morefriendly. It was a beautiful ride up in the hills right above Kona, so it was very close and convenient to get to. The cultural tour on the ATV's was very informative and fun. The fruit tasting tour was also amazing. We also did the carving tour with Mani a few years ago. He is a true craftsman and hilarious to be around as well. You can't mess up any carving that he can't fix! Impress your friends with your tiki (that he can make beautiful despite your futile attempts to carve on your own.

We really enjoyed the fruit tasting. This exceeded all expectations. I think we probably tasted at…read moreleast 20 fruit - apple banana, ice cream banana, 3 different kinds of sapote, local mango and coconut, and lots of other incredible fruits of which I forgot the names! The staff was really expert and fun. The entire event was very well organized and delicious. Of the 20 fruit we tasted I've only ever tried two or three of them in my life so it was really wonderful and unique. I highly recommend this activity. Most of the fruit are sweet and tropically yummy. There were a few "interesting" items just for fun including cacao seeds and durian. The staff tells you what to do and then you have fun with your knife and cutting board (they help if you ask but doing it myself was very exciting). The surroundings are gorgeous and lush with all sorts of things growing even in the parking lot.

To see tree molds, walk through a forest tunnel, see fascinating lava formations around a deep…read morefissure and have expansive views away from the crowds, take the hikes from the Maunaulu pullout. The Pu'uhuluhulu hike is 2 miles round trip and has several tree molds, a forest tunnel for shade, walks across lava, and views of Napau and Maunaulu in the distance. This hike has uneven footing and some elevation gain so boots or good soled shoes are needed. At this same turnout is the 1969 Fissure formation where lava poured into a deep crack in the crust.

This is a pretty long drive with many scenic turn out points. You won't regret coming here! Drive…read moreall the way to the end which should be the sea arch. You'll get to experience many of the great things the national park has to offer along with getting many picture moments.