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Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site

See Hawaii (The 'Big Island'), Hawaii family vacation

Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site

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62-3601 Kawaihae Road
Kawaihae, HI 96743
808-882-7218

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Hiking
Historical Landmark
Special Collection

Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site Description

This cultural stop on your family's tour of the Big Island is not to be missed. Here children pick up a Junior Ranger Adventure Program, play traditional Hawaiian games like ulu miaki (a disk you roll between posts) and moa pahee (a torpedo-like dart that is slid along the ground). Make flowers, boats, and fish out of coconut palm fronds; enjoy a living history presentation; and choose from six documentaries to learn about Hawaii's history and King Kamehameha I's struggle to unify the islands. A self-guided walking tour of the Pu'ukohola Heiau, a temple built for the gods, starts at the visitor center.

Kid Tips

Babies: There is a family restroom with a diaper changing station right before you arrive at the visitors center.

School-Age Kids: Kids will especially enjoy the movie "The Boyhood of Kamehameha."

Pre-Teens & Teens: Your teen will be particularly interested in the myriad weapons of war on display in the visitors center, including a wooden paddle with sharks' teeth sewn to its edges.

Planning Notes

Call for the day's schedule.Hourly programs change daily.
Bring your cell phone. For a narrated self-guided walking tour, you dial an 808 number, click on speaker phone, and you're off.
Wear comfortable shoes. There's some rocky terrain to cover as you see the remains of the old temples.
Consider going first thing in the morning or right before closing. If you're visiting in the summer months, mid-day is very hot and there is no shade on the trail.
Accessible after hours. Though the visitor center closes at 5 p.m. each day and the parking lot gate is shut, there is public parking right nearby and you can still enjoy the trails.