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.

In a new location, the Mokupapapa Discovery Center serves as a museum and educational center for…read morethe Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a huge area of oceans and islands around Hawaii. While most are off limits outside of scientific stations, this is a great way to learn about them and the history of the monument. The center has many events, that can viewed on their website. It's free and open Tuesday through Saturday during the day. A highlight for me was the large aquarium of reef fish at the back, as well as maps and historic photos from the different islands. They also have clean restrooms, which can be hard to find while walking around Hilo. They have free information to take as well. It's worth it to talk to the attendant as they are knowledgeable about the center and monument. This is a worthwhile activity for any visitor to the islands.

The woman at the front desk provided great educational information…read more There is no admission fee and is completely free. They accept donations at the front desk and by the aquarium. It wasn't crowded and has Air Conditioning. You can probably see the whole place in about an hour. There are additional exhibits upstairs, i don't believe there is an elevator. Public restroom is available. Lots of free parking available.

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.

Wonderful displays and interactive learning activities for all ages!! The owner did a fabulous job…read moreputting together a center for learning and play.

What a fun, relaxing, STEAMpunk-y space! Can't wait to come back and hang out again!read more

The variety of plant life here is huge. The walkways for the most part are very steep and paved…read more but there are also handrails and benches. The grounds are spectacular with so many varieties of flowers and flowering plants. The waterways and waterfalls have a calming effect splashing over rocks and between ferns. There is a small gift shop, but as far as refreshments go, they only sell popsicles or small boxes of water.

I'm smiling just thinking about this place because if I could ever imagine a tropical paradise,…read morethis would be it. Best money spent on the Big lsland. At $35 for adults, $25 for kids aged 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under-- it's money well spent. Some might call this place pricey but after coming here, I disagree. Places like this are so rare and unique that they can just take my money. I've never been to a garden so full of exotic plants, flowers that I'd never seen before, mini waterfalls, a pond, and to top it all off-- getting to see the ocean waves crashing onto the lava rocks at the end of the garden. Prior to this I had never seen orchids growing in the wild off of tree trunks. These guys were everywhere here. And how do I know this place is cool even for Gen Z?-- I caught my 20 year old nephew taking videos of a beautiful flower that he was admiring. Of course I didn't make a huge deal out of it because he would have blown me off. Once you walk the paths and over the bridges, you can see how meticulously this garden is maintained. When you find out the history of how Mr. Dan Lutkenhouse Sr. and his wife Pauline who bought this parcel of land back in 1977 and decided to turn it into a garden, you'll be even more amazed. There was no machinery used to turn this place into the garden it is today. It was 40 years of Dan and his assistant Terry Takiue who worked with *just* cane knives, sickles, picks, shovels and a chainsaw to clear paths through the jungle. Another fun fact: He had no formal training in botanical gardening... Insert mind blown emoji here... Can you imagine that?? I can only respect that these guys did this just so that we could enjoy this garden paradise for us and future generations to see. Bravo to this place coming from our fam that came and loved it.

10/14/2024 Pacific…read moreTsunami Museum 130 Kamehameha Ave Hilo, HI 96720 I went there on Columbus Day, so it was open (closed Mondays)! Street parking is available on Kalakaua Street and Kamehameha Avenue. If you are a Hilo resident or a Baby Boomer from Hilo, I highly recommend a visit. There are rooms for the history of Hilo Tsunamis and the 1960 Tsunami which I experienced. The other displays were interesting, educational and informative. The 1975 local Tsunami display was especially relevant to me because one of the fatalities was my brother's doctor. The other rooms feature displays for other Pacific Tsunamis and Tsunami science. The staff was knowledgeable, helpful and friendly I won't repeat until we have another future Tsunami for display.

This is only open on the weekends! It is well worth the visit. There is so much history with…read moretsunamis in Hawaii.

I really enjoy artsy and quirky things. This town is super cute and visiting the museum is…read moresomething to do:)

This is a cute little museum. It's very casual with a kind of laid back/hippy vibe. They sell local…read moreart and jewelry. They have delicious ice cream made in hilo. The kids loved the mango and my mom loved the kona coffee. I had a shake with lilikoi that was very good. It's in the middle of the town center and there's parking behind the building. You can swing in and take 15/20 minutes for the museum (which runs on donations), then grab some ice cream and mosey down the town center. A very laid back way to explore.

Very small and quaint museum! Very educational and informative. The volunteer was knowledgeable and…read morevery kind. This is totally worth a stop on your trip.

Really neat little museum. Picked up the displays from the Jagger Museum after it got broken in…read morethe eruptions of 2018. Also added descriptions of the local eruptions and their aftereffects. Very interesting displays. Also, the docent was very informative and interesting to talk to. He had been personally affected and described its effects on him.

Impressive historical site and good interpretive signed. The pathway is paved and some of it is…read moresuitable for wheelchairs.

This is a not to miss heritage of Hawaiian history with many items from the past. Although small,…read moreit is a clean and well cared for facilities.