I enjoy the walk outside on their grounds when the weather is nice. The view of Hilo is amazing. I…read morelove seeing the vegetation they planted and growing every visit. It's a nice outdoor experience.

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.

Totally awesome experience we were in Hilo for a short stay & sightseeing, The Lyman museum of…read moreHawaiian cultural, history and ocean biology was just the ticket. Great help by Cindy. She was the museum curator. Very funny & just a Lovely person, had a great time with the kids . Had a great time , clean and family, friendly highly recommend.

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.

Our Ohana & I recently got to experience the ATV tour and Goat Cuddling together & I'm so glad we…read morewent with this beautiful ranch. Ohana Ranch is real deal and doing thangs right! It means so much to see how much aloha they are spreading through the work they do by sharing knowledge with everyone that visits their ranch. I feel blessed that our keiki got to have this type of fun while learning further history & becoming more and more grounded in their roots. Knowledge truly promotes & provides tools & resources for growth & change and it's beautiful to be a part of that. I love that Ohana Ranch truly welcomes all to be a part of that. Our ATV guides, Hannah & Keoni were knowledgeable, welcoming & down to earth folks. Both of them were patient and understanding with our son who is awesomely on the Spectrum and we appreciate that aloha. Hannah & Keoni are both personable and you can see how passionate they are about what they do at Ohana Ranch. It was great that they were open to answering harder questions without worrying about sugar coating also. I appreciate that our Hawaiian Culture was truly respected, represented & not treated like a novelty. I know Hawaii is a vacation destination for many, but it is so much more than that! It is home to many & it's a blessing to see the integrity, beauty & importance of Hawaii celebrated & protected here! Needless the ATV tour was so much more than vroom vroom fun and sightseeing. It was gorgeous & fulfilling! Our guide for the Goat Cuddling, was Jasmine I believe. I hope I got her name right because she too was awesome. We fed the goats who each had fun and quirky personalities of their own and the icing on the cake was Tita the pig! She was a surprise added on bonus that we did not expect! I love that you can hear Tita from a mile away and she sure does have a lot to say! I absolutely love pigs so I was over the moon to get time with her too. This was such a cup filling experience! One of these things that you don't even realize your heart needs. At the end of this, my heart was full! The goats are all too much fun. Noel is a spit fire when food is around & she's such a spunky firecracker! Oreo is so sweet and cuddly! Nobody messes with Mama! The chickens were some added on fun too. If you plan to go to Hawaii, please go to Ohana Ranch! Please be willing to learn about the culture and the people when you visit any place. I promise it's much more beautiful & memorable. Mahalo nui loa Ohana Ranch! Keep doing what yall are doing!

Pono and Makala were the best tour guides, gave us the true Hawaiian hospitality. The farm had lots…read moreto offer, learned about the culture. Very family friendly, we had such an amazing experience! Thank you

great dance studio! my granddaughter attends a class there on fridays and loves it! she's been…read morethere for two years and thinks the teachers are great!

I have an 11 year old grandson who sits on the computer every waking minute and an 15 year old…read moregranddaughter who never showed any signs of coordination nor interest in sports. Center stage has been a blessing for both children. They have inner action with other children and are taught to focus and follow instructions without it being to structured. They both look forward to every class. The 15yr. old was so awkward the first few lessons we video taped it and laughed our heads off. After only a couple of months she is amazing and practices constantly. This is the only thing the 11 year old has shown any interest in besides the computer. The instructors are attentive and personal with all the children.

The UH-Hilo Performing Arts Center (also known as the UH-Hilo theater) is one of the primary…read morelocations for drama, concerts, and music on the east side of the Big Island. The theater brings in both local and international performers and is the site for many student performances from UH-Hilo and Hawaii Community College. An annual highlight is the UH-Hilo International Student Association's "International Nights" held every February. Student and community performances are featured from over a dozen countries from around the Pacific, Asia, North America, and Europe. That the event is student coordinated is especially impressive. Facilities are quite nice. Though the outside looks worn, the interior is comfortable, clean, and professional. I especially appreciate that the facility is wheelchair accessible since my mom loves to attend shows. When she is in a wheelchair, we are seated on the top row with a great view since no seat is too far from the stage. The box office is once again easily accessible at the entrance to the building. Previously it was hidden in the back of the building during the construction of a nearby building. Most tickets can be bought in person, over the phone, or online. There are often discounts for students, senior citizens, and alumni. Facilities are available for rent by non-university affiliated organizations if conducting "charitable, civic, community, cultural or educational activities which are operated on a not-for-profit basis and whose activities are appropriate for such facilities where the use does not infringe upon, delay or conflict with the normal operations of the University" (http://artscenter.uhh.hawaii.edu/FacilityUseInformation.php).

I've been both a performer on the stage here as well as a member of the audience. I think this is…read moreone of the best stages to perform on - as well as watch a production of any kind. Highly recommend this place. One of the best of the best in Hilo.

I adopted a male dog that was the best ever. He was 2 and I had him for 14 years. His name was…read moreCarson.

Let's just say 11 years ago we adopted 2 dogs from here, and we provided a great home and love in…read moreoahu. We just moved to hilo on Jan 4th and before we came here I put in multiple applications for 2 different puppies, on Friday I called this place to confirm that they still had puppies because we wanted to adopt one or two. Not ONCE did the lady on the phone advise that we weren't allowed to purchase 2 puppies at a time, nor did she mentioned before even brining a pet home the application has to be confirmed on their site (which I completed a couple weeks before we moved), plus it will take like 3 days before even bringing the puppy home. That aside, we walked in with our 2 boys excited to bring a puppy home, and when we went to the counter the lady out right said we won't be able to take a puppy today due the one million reasons that she mentioned which made no sense and made it seem like I had no Idea what liter syndrome meant. My sons were bent outta shape because of those words. FYI, next time, talk to me and not to everyone else in the room behind me. We purchased dogs from humane society countless years and to have to be turned down because we are not a right fit family for puppies is like a slap in the face especially when we bought our 2 puppies from this place at the same time. I feel this decision was more based on a personal choice on my response to the first lady I spoke to, instead of hearing what questions I had she kept telling me that we couldn't have two puppies due to litter syndrome. We understand littermate syndrome, but when you take correcrive actions and extensive training with your dogs, that won't happen as we do our own. Do we all really know their personalities? No, but as the owners, it's our due diligence to teach them right from wrong. Studies are saying "littermate syndrome" is not even a real thing. We label problems with two young dogs as "having Littermate Syndrome," because we absolve ourselves from the responsibility to fix problems that humans created and can't resolve. See, the problem isn't the dogs. The problem is peoples ability to address their individual needs. It's easier to label a syndrome than to just give more TLC and understand stand them. On that note, you sent me this email the day after saying I'm not a fit? So much for waiting 3 days and calling to see if we are a fit when we meet with the counselor. That is ok! I went to Rainbow friends animal sanctuary and we rehomed a dog, and someone just so happily allowed us to rehome their 2 puppies that were left at their front door This place is such a disappointment. Going forward, I will not recommend this place to anyone anymore. Even though my 2 other dogs came from here, and we love them dearly. This place will be the last on my list now, not #1 it took less then 24hrs for them to tell my family we are not a fit before even giving us the chance. The slogan should not be providing them a good home. The lady after us asked for 2 kittens, and you were gladly open to having her adopt them after she just mentioned her current cats' lack of health for many reasons that did not match up! Go figure! The care you give for cats is not the same as dogs? Why is that? Should we not give the animals all the same care, love, and treatment? Seems like it's a preference here and bad choices! I'm done venting, but if you are looking for dogs and puppies there are many other adoption places to go that will give you better service then this place its sad that I recommended this place to a bunch of families and they actually said they were turned down too and got their dogs else where. Please feel free to share your family requirements and what makes the best families for these animals? All these people are opening their homes, and you're denying it, but crying that you have no shelter space.......this could be one of the biggest reasons. Look where you lack the experience, which is assumptions and judgment!

The 100 year old Palace Theater is truly a gem in downtown Hilo. Friendly and welcoming, it is the…read morehome of live theater, concerts, movies and community events, and is open several nights a week in a town that usually rolls up the sidewalks early. Itʻs a must see if youʻre visiting Hilo. Learn more at https://hilopalace.com/

terrible venue with terrible air flow suffocating their patrons. terrible architecture and set up…read moreof the building t

Finally made it here for my very first merrie monarch hula festival in April. There is lot of…read moreparking all over the place so even with a packed stadium we were able to find a stall. It's open air so it's nice and breezy and sometimes even a bit cold. There are a lot of bathrooms there so the wait isn't so bad. I hope to return to this stadium next year and be on that stage!

Seeing the location of the Merry Monarch programs every year was an experience. The stadium looks…read moresmaller to me in person than on television. It's good use of space.