The gardens were beautiful with so many different trees and flowers and plants. Some of the plants were a little dead and needed care but for the most part this place was amazing!! A must visit! read more

There is nothing to see, most plants are dead, no Koi pond, although it is marked on the map. Orchid garden has two or three Orchids, not worth the trip and $10 per visitor's charge. read more

A Sunday drive ...and there we were at the Botanical Gardens, meandering through the varietals, watching the koi in the pond, the vistas over the gulch, birds, a few people. This is a nice upcountry stop, and every time you'll find something new. read more

Family owned business with beautiful lush gardens. My family spent a lovely 2 hours strolling through the gardens. Many variety of plants from around the world and an impressive orchid display. A bonus was their two resident Nenes. read more

One thing I miss about visits to Maui are all the small attractions often ignored by the larger tourist community. It seems in this day and age, no one wants to just explore the island, visit educational places, or find someplace cool to relax and enjoy the island. Too many people go here just to be pampered in tourist-trap resorts, spend ridiculous money on helicopter rides, or sit around on the beach. In the meantime, they ignore the real magic of Hawai`i... including places like this. Kula Botanical Gardens is a small privately owned garden set in the temperate upcountry area on Haleakala aptly named "Kula". Things up here are a little cooler, not always sunny, and more relaxing from the hustle and bustle along the shores. This garden gives you a nice self-guided walking tour of plants from all over the world that grow in the lush environment of Maui. You'll be treated to tropical flowers, palm trees, eucalyptus, a wide variety of gingers, and plenty of places to just sit and take in the sights and smells. In addition, there are a few small places to see things like some local birds or a koi pond. Although not big, you can spend quite some time wandering the grounds. They recommend giving yourself 45 minutes, but we took over an hour to meander about. Some people balk at the $10/person charge to see some plants, but it's still way cheaper than most other activities on the island and well worth it. The only warning is for those who are handicapped; although there is a ramp and a central walkway, the whole place is on a steep hill so it may be a bit taxing for some. So, try and take a step away from the usual tourist-y nonsense. Head off the beaten path and visit the real Maui. Even if you don't learn something about local flora and fauna, you might just have a zen moment within these peaceful gardens. read more

I'm sure the botanical gardens are usually beautiful, but now is probably not the best time to visit. There is a lot of reconstruction being done to one half of the gardens, because of a storm that happened a few months ago. There wasn't much for us to see given the reconstruction, so we were in and out pretty fast. However, the team at the gift shop was super kind and friendly! read more

31 Yelps Review Challenge: 11/31 I agree with Brian I. in that the Kula Botanical Gardens isn't so much a destination as it is a pit stop. We came across it on our way down from Haleakala, on our way to the Lavender fields. I was a bit turned off by the fact that admission was $10/person with no Kama'aina discounts. However, the cashier helped us out by offering to give us a slight discount via a print coupon. We had about an hour to kill so we walked around the property (I believe it is 5 acres) and the various flowers and plants were quite pretty. My only wish is that they elaborated on the specifics of the items in the garden. I'm not much a a gardener so there were lots of interesting plants which I knew nothing about. The landscaping is done really nicely in the garden. The bird sanctuary is a bit anti-climatic (this is coming from a person who has a drastic phobia of birds). The koi pond is a nice touch, but again...anti-climatic. I had never heard of a white bird of paradise it until we were at the garden, but unfortunately none of theirs were in bloom. read more

We got a brochure for these gardens in our welcome packet from Worldmark and heard that they were some of the best on the island and decided to go. It is $10 per person to get in, which seemed a bit extravagant considering the gardens are fairly small. Not a lot seemed to be blooming...proteas, fuscias, some orchids and other flowers....this may be why it seemed a little lacking. Additionally, there were some foriegn objects floating in their koi pond...but they did have lots of big koi! I'm not sure it was worth the entrance fee, or if I would even bother with this. The staff was really friendly and helpful, but our biggest joy was talking to the flower shop lady there and getting some stems of gorgeous proteas as a great price. She is really a delight to talk to and that really made up for other parts of the gardens that were lacking. We spent as much time talking to her as we did looking through the gardens. read more

Kula Botanical Gardens - The pond at Kula Botanic Gardens in Kula, Maui HI - Parks Near Me - Kula, Hawaii

I have seen some bad reviews about this place but they could be more kind to this place! I mean I get it they can be more creative with orchids and some other plants but overall it was a cute little garden with various kinds of plants. I enjoyed it and I would assume with more visitors they can afford to be more creative and make this place a better one. read more

I've seen botanical gardens all over the world, but this one wins the prize for the most of interest in the available space. Not that it felt small, as the garden is nicely divided up so the different areas unfold as you stroll the pathways and there is a sense of privacy. It seemed like everything was in bloom during our mid-January visit. Flowers all over, well marked. It would be nice to have more information about more of the plants, but it was no different from most gardens in this respect. The pair of nene geese at the duck pond were a welcome opportunity to view the rare state bird. The folks in the gift shop and entry area were friendly and welcoming. Our AAA card took 15% off the $10 admission fee. read more

Great family owned garden with a lot of native plants! I came here on a Friday at around 2pm, and the place wasn't too crowded. It is a $10 entrance fee, but it's a bit cheaper if you're a Hawaiian resident. The gardens slope upwards, though it's a gentle climb, and the trails are paved. The gardens were smaller than I thought, but it's definitely do-able to see the whole garden in an hour, maybe less. You can also borrow a map at the gift shop to help you navigate the gardens. There are a lot of native plants, as well as plants from Australia, Asia, and South America. Some plants looked healthier than others, but that's probably because they don't constantly maintain and upkeep the plants that vigilantly. Overall, this is a great place if you love plants and want to support a family owned garden! read more

$10/person entrance fee. We asked patron coming out if it was worth it. Her reply: definitely. So we paid up and entered. There are lots of tropical plants, well labeled. You can easily spend 45-60 minutes walking through here. Several weaknesses we noticed: aviary seemed sparsely stocked with only doves and love birds, lots of plants could use tending, koi pond grungy. But we enjoyed our walk through. Is it worth it? Probably. read more

First class botanical garden. If you're into this sort of thing, this should be a priority. It only covers about 8 acres, and is easy to walk around. But its dense with tropical vegetation from all over the world, in great variety. Its also amazing that this was built on an individual's energies over only 42 years (with lots of help, of course). Most of the vegetation looks so well established and so mature. read more

We had a great time at Kula Gardens. It's not that big, but a fun place to explore with lots of floral everywhere. I loved the little paths and the Koi Pond. There's even a beautiful gazebo at the end. If you love wandering around beautiful flowers on a nice-paved path, you will love it here. read more

Kula Botanical Gardens - Parks Near Me - Kula, Hawaii

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I can tell you with certainty that you should, by all means, visit the Kula Botanical Gardens as long as it's part of some other trip. The most obvious choice would be going up to the top of Haleakala, since Kula is just a few short minutes down the highway from the beginning of the ascent. I can't, however, recommend the place as a standalone destination. It's beautiful, but it's small. You can pretty much see everything in around an hour. The Birds of Paradise plants are lovely, but those can be seen in lots of parts around Maui. If you haven't seen a Nene goose yet, then yes, you should look at that. The other aviary was fairly unremarkable, containing only a few lovebirds and some doves. The Koi pond is like any other Koi pond you've seen in your life. Tack it on to any other upcountry destination and you won't feel regret. read more

Nice Environment to roam and relax look and talk, more for Guests then Locals. A spot at part of a Visit Up-County. I see a spot as part day trip upcounty but not really a main event of a trip. Nice gardens and walking paths I agree it would been to see more thing in bloom, but I think the seasons and weather have more to do with that then Operator. read more

Sad to see it was overgrown with weeds and many unhealthy plants. Not worth the time or money.

I'm not a flower/garden type of brah...even though I have ink on my bod that reflects the opposite...but this spot is sick. Very colorful, well-preserved...lots and lots and lots of varieties of flora to peep. It's pretty high up the mountain and the views from the top of the slope is hella ill. It's $10 to get in....worth every cent. Mahalo and Mele Kalikimaka Kama'aina read more

Worth the admission? Definitely if you're a plant and landscape person, maybe not if you're not. Not knowing anything about the place beforehand, I was surprised by the number of non-native species, especially trees and shrubs from Australia and SE Pacific regions. Very interesting to see banksias in bloom, just not what I expected. It's a lovely hillside walk even in the rain -- they provide umbrellas. We enjoyed the orchids, bromeliads and other numerous plants. We thought it very well cared for. You wouldn't go to see animals, but they're a plus -- a bizarre African chameleon, doves and lovebirds, and a small pond area with domestic ducks and two not-genetically-pure-enough-to-breed male Nenes that the caretakers rescued from a defunct petting zoo up the road. The gift shop is a small room that shares the check-in counter; appears a bit neglected. The gardens are beautiful though and I would stop again. read more

We were going to go to the Maui Nui gardens, but they were closed, so we drove an additional half hour into the mountains. Pros: *The gardens are in an absolutely breathtaking setting, on a steep slope with a deep gully running alongside and a stunning view down to the ocean. *Staff is friendly and helpful. *Most plant species are clearly marked with a sign. *Visitors are loaned a laminated map. Cons: *$10 admission seemed a touch steep *Most of the plant species there were types that our local "Home Depot Garden Center" carries. It looked as if someone went to the local hardware store's garden center, bought a bunch of plants, and planted them. *Many of the plants seemed sick, with brown/yellow leaves, wilting stems, etc. *I would expect superior maintenance from a professional botanical garden. Many of the plants had weeds in their beds. Dead/senescent flowers were not plucked. Many plants were in need of pruning. Summary: "Meh." If you are nearby and don't mind dropping the $10, then it's good for a half hour or so of a visit. I certainly wouldn't drive across the island just to come here, though. read more

Since this was my second trip to Maui I wanted to stay away from the super touristee activities so we looked around and we stumbled upon this place. This place is a family owned botanical garden. There is $10 dollar admin fee but it goes towards preserving this place. This place is breath taking, make sure to wear light and comfortable clothes bc it gets a little humid and hot. They have beautiful flowers, plants and other things like bridges, gazebos, and the koi pond. My bf and I walked around checked out the beautiful plants, the bird sanctuary and finally ended in the koi pond. They have a garden sofa that you can lounge in, it was so peaceful my bf fell asleep. read more

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We had a planned event at Haleakala decided to leave early and try and fit things in before. Saw the ad for Kula Botanical Gardens. I was a little disappointed. The grounds looked a little unkept. There are a large assortment of plants and labeled clearly. There are benches all over the grounds to rest. The bird sanctuary was disappointing. Very basic enclosure, a few doves and love birds and one cockatiel. The area of the ducks and geese did not look good and we only saw 3. The koi pond was grungy and after looking we could only see 2 koi. They could have been below the surface, but the water was so dark you couldn't tell. I was wondering if a different time of year would have been better, we were here end of June. There was a small waterfall that was a little treat. The highlight of the tour was Jackson the Chameleon! I think $10 was not worth the price. read more

Kula Botanical Gardens - Small waterfall tucked away, not on one of the paved paths. - Parks Near Me - Kula, Hawaii

A pleasant surprising. Very enjoyable 1 hour stroll through their garden of flowers and trees from different parts of the world. Not everything in bloom of course but still pretty and fascinating. I was surprised that even my children enjoyed it a lot. There are birds, koi, and, if you are lucky to catch sight of him, a cat. Beautiful view of the southeast coastline of Maui afar from the parking lot. read more

The older woman who works there (and apparently has been there for 23 years) was incredibly rude to us and the people arriving right after us. The garden hours state that it is open until 4pm. We arrived at 3:17 and she said that we could not pay and enter because the park was big (8 acres) and she is closing at 4:00 and needs everyone out by then. I assured her we would not wander far and would be out in time. She said she does not let people in after 3:15 because she has had to go looking for people in the past. So I missed the opportunity to enter by TWO minutes?! She says come back another day... we are Hawaiian tourists (like I expect the vast majority of her patrons are) and Kula is far away, so of course we would not be driving all the way back here. Despite all my expressions of desire to visit the grounds that day, she would not budge. So much for being customer-centric. They gave up $50 of admission fees turning the 2 groups away, and this is a mom and pop operation. If this is their policy, then the hours of the park need to say, closes at 3:15 to new entries. This is just her self created rule because of one person years earlier who didn't leave on time. Do not waste YOUR time on this spot. read more

Kula Botanical Gardens - Rude woman who works there. - Parks Near Me - Kula, Hawaii

Worth 10 bucks. We just wished they did more maintenence to keep up the grounds better. Not as many flowers as we were expecting. read more

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I was shocked how overrun with weeds this place was. It wasn't at all like the brochure. So very disappointed.

It's clear this place was wonderful once, but it has fallen into disarray. The plants aren't maintained, the exhibits are rundown and all the water features are mucky and sad. They have some lovely plants and features, but they get lost in the ordinary plants and overall sense of neglect. Hiring a few more gardeners would do wonders for this place. . . the potential is there. This is a $5 per person value, not $10. read more

Not as big as I would have expected and not very clean / organized. Good assortment of plants that are all clearly labeled, but nothing that you can't view just exploring the island. The bird sanctuary is a bit of a disappointment as well, we only saw some ducks and cardinals. read more

This is a must if you want to decompress and enjoy your vacation. We loved all of the flowers and foliage. Our favorite place in the gardens was the Koi Pond. They have a swing beside it and it was wonderful. My husband and I went to it on the way in and on the way out. Make sure that you stop by the gift shop and say Aloha to Mr. Muffin Man (there black & white cat). The gardens are privately owned and receive no funding from the government, The McCord family maintain the gardens with money from admission to the gardens, Christmas Trees and Coffee. Stop by and say Hi, they would love to see you! read more

Bring a camera. Lots of micro photo ops. Liked Koi pond (free food at counter), poison plant garden, rare Nene geese and unique geo specific plants. Gardens are in some levels of disrepair, signage need's to be redone and artwork in garden substandard. Maybe build an artist studio and bring in an artist in residence program to get art to match the gardens. Also they should post future garden plans to encourage donations and return visits. read more

Kula Botanical Gardens - Koi Pond - ask for food at counter - Parks Near Me - Kula, Hawaii

Upon arrival you can see that this was likely a beautiful home before becoming the botanical garden. Don't miss the cash register though or the slightly surly lady at the counter will get on your case. The gardens themselves are full of plants and trees - many from South Africa and Australia. Many are overgrown and so many aren't labeled. The drive is nice and the walk through the garden is nice. read more

Gardens are one of my favourite places to visit when I'm on vacation, but the Kula Botanical Gardens was disappointing. For an admission fee of $10, you get to tour through a fairly dilapidated garden with a koi pond that is half dry, plants overgrown with weeds and other parasitic plants, and see a father and son pair of Nene geese from far away. The grounds are also a lot smaller than I anticipated. My friend and I made our way through in about 30 minutes, whereas I remember taking nearly an entire morning exploring the Lyons Arboretum in Oahu, which is only $5 for admissions. Almost nothing was in bloom at the Kula Botanical Gardens when my friend and I visited in May. Additionally, there were not as many native plant species as I would have expected. Overall, my expectations were high (thinking this would be similar to the Lyons Arboretum), and this garden fell short. I was really sad to see that the plants were not well taken care of. read more

We were very disappointed. Too many plants were starving for water and lacked proper care. Diseased branches were not pruned, so disease spread. The orchid pots were wilting, and lacked attention. Some irrigation exists but was not used or was insufficient. A duck in the bird sanctuary was sick and dying next stagnant ponds. The owners need major work to restore what could be a beautiful garden, but now is a RIP off. read more

Visited upcountry on a day trip as part of our honeymoon in Maui. Researched a few places to go to while in up country this place continued to pop up in many travel articles. It is very pretty but very small. Not easily accessible if you are handicap (wheel chair, walker, cane) as the whole garden is on a hill and you start at the bottom go up to the top and then come back down. The greeter at the gift shop gave us a hand drawn map, however still a little hard to figure out where you were on the map. Most of the plants were not of Hawaiian descent and instead from all places of the world, so some of the plants you can see in your backyard. (Palm Tree's, hydrangeas, roses etc) place is on the older side so some of the benches and pathways need to be replaced and fixed etc. Overall it's a fun little 30 minute thing to do, don't know if it's worth the 10$ entrance fee. One bonus is they have native Hawaiian plant bulbs for sale that are customs approved. read more

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The trees, flowers, and plants at Kula Botanical Garden were beautiful, but we were horrified to see the abuse/neglect of the birds kept in the aviary. Doves, a large goose, a domestic cockatiel and one or two lovebirds are kept in a caged area with no foliage or greenery. The ground was filthy, littered with bird droppings and feathers, with seeds thrown on top which is their only food source. There was one SMALL bowl of dirty water in the middle of the aviary, not adequate for the birds to drink or bathe. There were inadequate branches/perches for the birds to land on. The birds were either squawking in distress or curled up on the filthy ground of the aviary in a depressive state. It was absolutely disturbing and heartbreaking. Why are these wild birds there? Why are they kept in a cage and neglected? The wild birds should be released and the domestic cockatiel (which desperately needs social interaction, not ISOLATION) put in a proper home. The aviary was a very sad ending to a lovely walk through the gardens. Even if the cage was cleaned and proper feeding areas placed around the aviary rather than on the dirty ground, wildlife should not be kept in these conditions. read more

We truly enjoyed the beautiful gardens! This was a perfect outing for the family, allowing us to get out of the sun for a bit during our stay in Maui. The shady gardens are stunningly beautiful, and the kids loved feeding the koi fish, hunting for chameleons, and spotting hidden waterfalls. It was amazing to see the old photo book in the gift shop showing what the property looked like before this family transformed it into the beautiful gardens we see today. read more

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So I agree with most of what everyone else has said. There are great little paths to explore and some nice flora, but the grounds do look a little unkempt. There were a couple of plants that I looked at and wondered what they were and there was no label to indicate what it was. The staff was no better at identifying either. What a bummer! It was cool to see the Nene (Hawaiian State Bird). At $10 it does not break the bank, but if/when I come back to Maui, I won't be back. read more

The Kula Botanical Gardens is a nice stop when you are in the area, some parts are a little rundown, but it makes the experience more unique. The gardens are full of many lush, beautiful plants, from native Hawaiian species to Australia and beyond! You can ask for a lamenated map of the gardens that roughly mark the paths and points of interest, which is extremely helpful, as we would have missed a few pathways if we didn't have it. As you leave the building where you pay, there is a small enclosure with two Jackson chameleons, be sure to look carefully for the duo! Also, to the right hand side, a pathway will bring you down to two picnic areas, be careful walking around the lower of the two, since there is a gigantic spider web that spans a few feet across the edge of the concrete. They have a koi pond that is connected to a small waterfall, the pond itself has enormous koi with unique patterns and varying fin lengths. I would recommend taking a break at the pond when you are about to leave the gardens, as they have a shaded patio swing overlooking it. The gardens itself have many signs labelling the plants, but some are faded or nonexistent, and some plants are only labelled once throughout the entire garden, so be sure to walk along every paved and unpaved pathways. If you are interested in viewing some birds during your visit, there is an enclosure with lovebirds and a cockatiel, as well as a Nene enclosure in the back of the gardens. There are informational signs on all the animal exhibits that tell you about the species, and how they got to the Botanical Gardens. So with that, be sure to swing by this family run Botanical Garden if you have an hour or two to spare, it is worth every penny. If you are worried about mosquitoes, bring some repellent or don't visit right after a heavy downpour. There aren't many places for stagnent water, but better safe than sorry. We saw a few of them buzzing around, but they didn't seem to be interested in biting. read more

Very diverse plants: flowering, trees, shrubs. Meandering paths, bird sanctuary. A wonderful jaunt. Spend 20 minutes or an hour. Well labelled, nice water features. read more

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It was a long drive from where we were staying in Ka'anapali and wasn't worth it. It isn't really a botanical garden. It's just a garden. Only a few of the plants were identified. It wasn't worth $10 or the $ we paid. It's probably worth $5. Obviously we were disappointed. read more