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.

I highly recommend the Volcano Art Center. My Beautiful Bride and I joined the free nature trail…read morewalk this morning. Our octogenarian guide Rob overflowed with historical and botanical knowledge. And he's a very kind person. While online reviews describe the trail as a wide gravel pathway, what we experienced this morning was a fairly narrow path, mostly of dirt and often covered with leaves. Also, instead of the advertised 60 minutes, our tour was closer to 90 minutes. Time well spent! We had not intended to stay longer, but we were delighted to transition to the free onsite art protect. Today's hands-on activity, led by project guide Chris, was creating prints from Dietrich Varez relief blocks. My partner and I each made two. The materials and lesson were all free.

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.

I'm torn between a 3 and a 4 but ultimately settled on a 3 as they apparently stopped doing the…read moretraditionally imu cooking last month. My kids were stoked on getting up Wednesday morning to see them prep for that (as it still states they do on their website!) but an employee let us know that management just stopped that. *I* can slow cook pork y'all, I thought I was paying $200 for tradition and cultural experience? The food was mostly average, the bartenders were on cruise control but pours were strong and good, and the performers were a 10/10. Definitely a positive experience and the kids will never forget it, but I won't go again when we come back.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Decided to do the ATV tour with Aloha adventure Farms. Booking was very easy online and I love that…read morethey stayed in communication with me leading up to my tour date. Day of the tour we were welcomed by and all female crew and they were awesome (girls rock!). Started off with equipment, a safety talk, mini test drive to ensure we can handle things ok. During the 2h tour we got to experience mixed terrain, stop along the way to learn fm our guide who was excellent (drawing a blank on her name). Small group tour made it special and easy to stay involved with the pack.

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.