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Foster Botanical Garden

4.5 (282 reviews)
Closed 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Foster Botanical Garden Botanical Gardens Photos

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The Conservatory
Jonny M.

Decided to check out Foster Botanical Garden on a weekday afternoon. Randomly, there was a wedding taking place while we were there. $5.00 USD/person entry (no senior discount). Didn't think it was worth the admission; the outdoor butterfly garden was practically non-existent while the conservatory was the tiniest greenhouse I've ever stepped in. Go to the free four other botanicals gardens.

Lisa P.

Did many activities at the Foster Garden. Has a large parking lot to use. The workers are courteous and will help you with finding a certain plant u r looking for. The corpse plant has not bloomed yet. Has 2 bathroom buildings at the ends of the park to use. The tree sheds alot of debris so shake off before leaving the park.

8/26/25 Cute bear in gift shop
Kathy R.

8/26/25 It's been a very long time since I've been here. I was doing a group walk with friends. It is a very nice park, quite the oasis in middle of the concrete jungle of Honolulu. Lawns and plants seem to be very well kept. Lots of free parking. Entrance fees have gone up since I was here last. Admission is now $5, no senior citizen rate but they do have a kamaaiana rate of $3. There are several small walking paths, 2 restroom facilities, and a cute white gazebo with seating just to the left when you enter the gardens. They give you a helpful map noting some points of interests. The group wanted to see the corpse plant even though it is not blooming this year, so we made our way to the conservatory. There were several other tropical plant species in there as well as some beautiful orchid plants. Across from the ticket window, there is an information counter of the garden and its history. There is also more info on the park's history by the restrooms past the gazebo. The only thing that bothered me was the ti-plants looked very dry from lack of water to the point it looked dying and lots of brown leaves. Most of the other plants seemed ok but the ti plants were noticeable pretty brown. Don't know if it because of drought we've had this summer but it looked pretty sad. Overall, it was still a nice place to visit an take a peaceful, relaxing stroll.

Plants
Chris P.

This is the first time that I went to foster botanical garden for the mid summer night gleam festival. Located right in china town is an expansive botanical garden. They had live music, painting, food trucks and tons of exquisite plants. One of my favorite things is I got some plants to take home. Will definitely be going back to more events here.

Trina H.

This garden was magical!!! The trees absolutely blew me away, like the cannonball trees, pun intended. Some of the trees were MASSIVE! We really liked the economical garden that had all sorts of plants that are used for goods like macadamia nuts etc. It was worth a visit!

Mary Robinson Foster and her eponymous Botanical Garden is a historic part of Hawaiiana. Mrs Foster, who is considered and known as the first Hawaiian Buddhist, was born on Oahu in 1844. She lived and donated what is now a public garden at the time of her death. Filled with grass, trees, bush, flowers, huge palms and then some. Lots of benches in shady spots to rest and enjoy, along with an adjacent gift store, and a very charismatic lady who greets you at the ticket counter, Jeannine. Great sense as humor as well. Entry is $3.00 for residents, and plenty of free parking. And maybe, like me, you just might stroll through the Garden while singing in your head "And here's to you Mary Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know,......whoa, whoa whoa".

Ariel C.

Quaint fun place to enjoy some light lunch or just to stroll around some trees. Entry fee for 5 dollars, for a 14 acre botanical garden. Super reasonable. The husband and I picked up onigiris on our Hawaii vacation and came here for a small picnic in the greenery. It was idyllic. Not TOO big so perfect for young kids to spend an afternoon running around. Also great for just reading a book in solitude while staring at some trees. I loved this one tree, reminded me of the great deku tree is zelda haha. They also have a small little gift shop if you're so inclined. Plenty of parking!

Kiana C.

Wonderful garden! It's not the largest but it's gorgeous! Wonderful people at the front desk gave us information and recommendations. Very very chill wasn't crowded at all. Loved the butterflies, different birds (they get pretty close if you sit still on a bench). Gift shop was so cute too, the person that was there was such a sweetheart! I highly recommend

Tani D.

Such a beautiful garden! Me and my friends came here to have our friends Christmas and New Years Picnic. Glad the garden opened again such a peaceful and beautiful scene to be in. Lots of butterflies around as well. Our friends photoshoot came out so cute.

James M.

We took our two children to the botanical garden before heading to Chinatown for lunch and we had a very good time. I wasn't sure if my younger one would like it, and he did get antsy at times, but he enjoyed seeing plants that we're not exposed to back home (especially the "ginormous trees"). It's more amazing when you think about the fact that there are over 10,000 different plant species in a relatively compact 14 acres. It's worth a trip if you haven't been there previously.

Foster Botanical Garden (photo taken on 2/25/24)
Lou C.

I came to Foster Botanical Garden during last Thursday after lunch and it was pretty busy already. The parking lot was almost full. Admission ticket was reasonable at $5 per adult ($2 cheaper for residents). Looking around to see plants was relaxing. But I wish there were plants in younger form because the mature trees were too tall to see the leaves, like fan palms. I also had problem with the walkways just ended in the middle of nowhere. It was muddy at some parts. It rained hard the day before my visit. It sprinkled that morning too. Walking in mud was no fun.

Not part of the garden but next to it.
Laura M.

Lovely gardens in heart of Honolulu. We stumbled upon them when exploring Chinatown. Of the 5 botanical gardens on Oahu this is the only one that charges an admission fee. The pagoda is not in the gardens, but rather it is outside and not for people to tour. Definitely a welcomed respite from noisy Waikiki. Enjoy.

Gorgeous entrance water garden artwork
Jackie K.

'E Komo Mai'. Today (11/14/23) was a windy day at Foster Botanical Garden. I came here for a succulent wreath class. It's been years since I've last visited this garden. The Foster Botanical garden is a peaceful retreat to walk through and have your senses aroused with nature's sounds and beauty. Walking through the garden energizes your inner self. I digress. Now to the class, I was invited by a dear friend to attend this succulent wreath class. The instructor was intense and funny at the same time. I was encouraged and at times afraid, if I didn't follow her instructions . The class was approximately 2 hours and everything was supplied to you. I enjoyed meeting new friends and crafters. There is free parking at the garden. There is a Kamaina rate of $3.00 to enter and enjoy the garden. Please enjoy the pictures. I'll be back.

Flora n Fauna

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Foster Botanical Garden Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Foster Botanical Garden

Is the garden open late tonight for the blooming of the corpse flower?

No.

Is there a public family restroom here?

Yes

Is dogs allowed?

Hi not sure but I think they allow service dogs google the foster because botanical gardens

Do they have a butterfly house there?

Not that I know of, although there are places with lots of flowers that attract butterflies

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Review Highlights - Foster Botanical Garden

Hidden here is also their butterfly garden, orchid conservatory and more rare plants than one can imagine.

Mentioned in 28 reviews

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Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden

Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden

4.5(442 reviews)
6.3 mi

This garden is extremely beautiful and looks like it's straight out of a movie! The entrance way is…read moreiconic so def enjoyed viewing the scenery when we drove in. They don't allow you to stop or get out of your cars to take pictures where the entrance way is so be cautious. They do have cops surveillance if you do try to take pictures; mainly bc they want to preserve the garden from guests possibly destroying it. Currently, they close on Thursdays so make sure you look at their hours closely! Entrance is free and if you keep driving, there is a free parking lot for guests. Guest service also has bathrooms, a mini exhibit of plants, and pamphlets for you to view each of the gardens. We didn't have time to visit all of garden but got to see the pretty main garden so that was nice! They have a few bench tables too so you could probably bring food and eat outside. Def recommend visiting if you're in Kaneohe area.

For sure its beautiful there. Warm day with slight breeze. The reason for 3 stars is because…read moreseveral sections were closed off to the public leaving only a few other areas to visit. Very lush and very hilly so if you decide to walk be prepared. Bring water. At the front visitor center there is a 3D map of the gardens with a docent there to help visitors. I have to say she was not very helpful and a bit terse when folks asked questions. She didn't like repeating herself but what the heck everyone is a new visitor never been there before? Anyway we went out on our own and figured it out. Had a good time with taking pictures and seeing the landscape

Photos
Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden - Flowers of the yellow saraca tree.

Flowers of the yellow saraca tree.

Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden
Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden - Tiare

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Tiare

Leahi Millennium Peace Circle Garden

Leahi Millennium Peace Circle Garden

4.8(11 reviews)
5.1 miDiamond Head

Finding the peace…read more.. Literally as Yelp direction kept leading me to Kapiolani Community College though close but not where it's at as it's actually to the left of Diamond Head State Park entrance which is quite easy to find. This little park is a slight hidden place that's pretty green and decently maintained with a couple of areas for you to enjoy one is closer to the entrance that has a lovely peek of the Wilhemina Rise area and a lovely place that I thought would be the perfect photo op spot for a cool gift from a thoughtful friend with BunBun is this cool cooler tote from TJ's! Using one of a bunch of stones and some benches for a place to relax and noticed a giant rock with a plaque that's a time capsule which will be opened on October 24, 2049! The other section is a bit more shaded as this circular garden has some stones placed with various peace quotes and though wanted to take more pics there was a gentleman chilling and didn't want to disturb him and majority of the area does have a path for easy access between gardens and up to Diamond Head as I've been here countless times and never knew this area existed is quite insane lol! A great spot for those that can't do the hike but enjoy a bit peace of time. Thank you!

A chill little park outside of Diamond Head State Park. Great place to sit under the trees and…read morerelax after a hike at Diamond Head and before catching the bus back to town.

Photos
Leahi Millennium Peace Circle Garden
Leahi Millennium Peace Circle Garden
Leahi Millennium Peace Circle Garden

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Byodo-In Temple - September 2024

Byodo-In Temple

4.6(957 reviews)
8.1 mi

Must visit spot if you're visiting Kaneohe. It's about 15-20 min drive from the botanical garden…read more You have to enter the Memorial Park to get to this temple. It's a smaller replica of the actual temple from Japan. We ordered tickets online for $10/person and $6 for parking. They don't check your tickets when you enter which we thought was very strange lol. It's very beautiful and peaceful with the mountain and smoky cloud in the background. They have a couple benches for you to sit. You can enter the temple but it's actually pretty small. They have artists and vendors under the temple too. I loved seeing all the koi fish and mini pagoda up hill. There's also a large bell that you can ring for funsies.

As someone who avidly visits this temple, I was very disappointed during my most recent visit. I…read morehave not been able to come as often lately due to being busy, but the changes since my last visits are honestly upsetting. According to staff, many of these changes are due to new management, and it really shows. It feels like the temple now caters heavily to tourists, even prioritizing bus and tour group parking over regular visitors. They no longer accept cash and are completely card-only, which was frustrating. On top of that, all parking now requires payment. It used to just be an entry fee, which was understandable, but now you have to pay for both parking and entry. You can really tell the shift toward a more tourist-centered experience. While the informational papers are nice, there are so many of them now that it feels excessive. They also charge for photos at certain "immersive" spots, around $20 for a single digital image, which feels unreasonable. What makes me the most sad is how the atmosphere has changed. I always loved coming here for the peacefulness, the koi, the quiet environment, and the kind staff. Now it feels less relaxing. There are no longer proper shelves for shoes inside the temple, just the floor, and the cubby areas seem to be gone. The shoe policy is also not enforced. Within 30 minutes, I saw multiple tourists walk in with their shoes on without any issue. It is disappointing to see how much has changed. Not accepting cash, increased costs with paid parking, and the overall shift in environment have made the experience feel less genuine. I have visited at least five times before, including before, during, and after COVID, and it is sad to say I will probably be coming much less often now.

Photos
Byodo-In Temple - A black swan in the koi pond.

A black swan in the koi pond.

Byodo-In Temple - Koi pond

Koi pond

Byodo-In Temple

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Koolau Farmers - Tropical flowers are sturdy!

Koolau Farmers

4.1(97 reviews)
2.3 miMo'ili'ili
$$

Koolau Farmers is a locally owned/operated nursery and garden supply business that are home…read moregardening experts. It was started in 1938 by East Oahu farmers and a Kailua papaya cooperative as a farmer-founded business entity that shifted from farming to home gardening. Today, it supplies plants, floral arrangements, fertilizers, pesticides, garden tools, etc. for home gardeners. There are currently two locations for Koolau Farmers: Kaneohe and Honolulu (McCully). This review is for the Honolulu location. Items that the McCully location carry include: bromeliads, flowers, fruit, orchids, palms, fruit trees, peppers, tropical fruits, shrubs, soil, trees, veggies, hono hono orchids, dwarf fruit trees (Meyer lemon, Tahitian limes, Naval oranges, jabong, grafted mango, avocado). It also offers seed starting supplies, fertilizers for plants and flowers, worm composting bins; and info re growing and care of indoor potted plants, organic gardening, soil testing, and proper lighting. What brought us to Koolau Farmers is my lilikoi vine that I've had in my back yard for a number of years. With the help of bees, the vine had flourished and produced many delicious fruits for homemade lilikoi desserts, such as lilikoi chiffon pie, lilikoi curd, lilikoi bars, and more. But in recent years, the flowers would bloom, but because there are no bees to pollinate the lilikoi flowers, no fruits are produced. Questions to Koolau Farmers confirmed that there is a lack of nesting sites for carpenter bees (I think they're known as the black bumblebees that we no longer see) to pollinate the lilikoi flowers, resulting in a lack of fruit. According to Koolau Farmers, the flowers must be hand-pollinated instead. Staff provided instructions to my hubby on how to hand-pollinate the beautiful lilikoi flowers. A work in progress, and I'm sure more questions to follow. Then the next project will be our dwarf local orange tree. Where is the fruit? There's a single tiny orange on it, yes, only one! Hope Koolau Farmers can help us on this one! Another work in progress. Staff is very knowledgeable, helpful, and provides helpful guidance. An unlikely spot in urban Honolulu to have a nursery and garden supply store, but I'm glad that it's there! The interior space is not that big, but houses boxes of fertilizers and various home gardening equipment for home gardeners. There may be displays of seasonal items on how to grow certain plants, such as hono hono orchids. Open daily from 8a to 5p. Free parking in the private lot. On the outside private lot are scattered variety of healthy local plants, herbs, orchids, and fruit trees. We look forward in working with Koolau Farmers and knowing that they are there to help us with our home gardening needs!

Complaint! Parking Area, Use if Space. McCully Branch These…read moreare the things that I noticed that could be help improve service and accommodating vehicles: 1) Workers are not very attentive when I was waiting to check out at the Cashier. 2) lots of space inside of store for plants and non-plant items (e.g. Pots, trays, posts, Soil "to make room in parking area", etc. 3) make room for parking, move tractor out from front exit. Maybe move forklift next to wall close to where soil is now and the current parking stall. 4) Where the current location of the Plastic Pots and other items are, it can be used to house other supplies, or small potted plants. 5) Remove table that is in front in parking. 6) Remove plants along NORTH wall and Herbs along the WEST wall in the parking area. It is good to have a lot of options in plants and etc. As a suggestion, it is also good to have Customers come "into" the store than to have them hang out in the parking area. Pedestrian safety is also a concern. I had to watch for pedestrians as I was parking and backing up when leaving the store parking area. This is "Safety" issue for your store. Koolau didn't have anyone outside monitoring the parking lot. There was a lot of traffic and it was hard to maneuver a vehicle in such a congested and small space. Feel free to email me should you have any other questions. Signed, a Concerned Customer

Photos
Koolau Farmers - Orchid plants

Orchid plants

Koolau Farmers - Picture of plants, table and bags in parking taking up space!

Picture of plants, table and bags in parking taking up space!

Koolau Farmers - Inside...

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Inside...

Harold L. Lyon Arboretum - Beatrice Krauss Ethnobotanical Garden

Harold L. Lyon Arboretum

4.6(124 reviews)
3.9 mi

There are two parts of the Lyon Arboretum. Going up to the gardens and walking to the Falls. When…read moreyou come up to the road, you will come to a booth, they are charging seven dollars for parking for going to the Falls. If you want to go to the gardens, tell them that and they will let you through. You drive up the road, maybe a mile or so. Watch out for the chickens! When you get to the end of the road, there is a little gift shop office area. You go in and pay a couple dollars, I can't remember exactly how much it was. And you can walk the gardens. They are worth it! It is gorgeous there. I bought some quality gifts to bring home for friends at this shop. If you live in the area, there are plants that you could buy. Now going to the Falls, you pay your parking fee and park your car. The path leading up to the fall, according to my kids, is a moderate hike. There are spots where there are high steps and rocky terrain. I believe I was the oldest person on the trail. I could see how some people might have issues getting up and down. The views on the trail and of the fall were beautiful.

I can't believe that I didn't know about this place! This place is a true gem for nature and plant…read morelovers. The views of manoa valley are gorgeous, the gardens beautiful and the serenity unbeatable. I felt like I had the entire place pretty much to myself, just exploring the various side trails. There is a little waterfall at the end of the main trail as well. This place is hidden at the back of manoa valley just past the manoa falls parking lots. Its manoa so its wet and lush, meaning possibly muddy trails and definitely mosquitos. Wear hiking shoes and insect repellent. Check in/pay at the gift shop after you park and they will issue you a parking permit. They even sell plants and seeds for edible plants that do better in our local climate! What a find!!!

Photos
Harold L. Lyon Arboretum - Lyon Arboretum

Lyon Arboretum

Harold L. Lyon Arboretum
Harold L. Lyon Arboretum - Cute bird's nest

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Cute bird's nest

Foster Botanical Garden - gardens - Updated May 2026

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