ThePacificaInn.com is a PERFECT place to stay near the Hawaii National Park. Five min. from the park and one mile from town. Beautiful rooms with HUGE rooms looking out into the jungle. Peaceful! Perfect private natural getaway. This place is amazing!! read more

Way cool stop after our guided tour of the caldera rim and a short hike from the rim. Drinks are available and JUST what I needed. I'm not used to the altitude or using this much energy at this altitude. The gift shop has a good variety for what you will likely need. There are park rangers to answer your questions. I fond just standing back and listening in, there is a lot to learn! read more

The visitor center had historically been the first venue you come across when arriving to the park. Now that it is under construction, you are diverted to the former military facility that has barracks for rent. There are still guides there to greet you and manage the Junior Rangers program and to instruct you of the hazards associated with the active volcano. read more

Kīlauea Visitor Center - Under construction - Visitor Centers Near Me - Mountain View, Hawaii

One of our favorite parts of visiting the Big Island was visiting the active volcano. Everyone at the visitor center was super helpful and nice. They had a great program for the kids to get certified as junior rangers. We got lucky and had a ranger a the caldera who explained everything to us. They also share what to visit depending on the time you have. We checked out the caldera, steam vents, and lava tube. We were able to visit everything in less than 2 hours. So much more to see, hoping to go back one day. read more

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Pricing not bad 20.00 for a senior over 62. Parking is limited and the visitor station the ranger is super helpful. The volcano was amazing to watch but nothing that I woukd have to come back again. Unless we stay in Hilo. This time we were in Kona and the drive back is not advisable for night time and that is when you can see the volcano best. read more

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Great stop before (and after) your adventures at Volcanoes NP. Plenty of parking available. Bathroom here is pretty clean and there's water so you can fill up your bottle. There was also a ranger outside who was offering advice/information - very informative! read more

Kīlauea Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Mountain View, Hawaii

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Great stop to make when you first enter Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Friendly and knowledgeable rangers ready to help you with any questions you have about the park. Nice little bookstore to grab some souvenirs from your visit. Lots of informational pictures, displays, and exhibits. Clean bathrooms and a water bottle refill station to prepare you for your day. Great first stop to get ready for your time in the park. read more

This is a free visitor center which is the main one for the park. It fills fast in the morning when opening time hits so arrive early to snag a parking spot. There's a small souvenir shop and a museum inside. Park rangers and volunteers are available to answer questions and provide recommendations for your visit. The black park brochures aren't available unless you specifically request them. Restrooms are available here as is water. read more

Kīlauea Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Mountain View, Hawaii

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Stopped here to get a good idea of where to go in the national park. The park rangers were super helpful in giving the best things to do in the time I had. The visitor center was informational and nice. read more

Kīlauea Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Mountain View, Hawaii

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Nice videos and overview of park. Now closed for renovation. You will need to go about a mile further to temporary visitors center. Construction expected to go to sometime in 2027 read more

I actually was letdown by Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Yep, you read that right. I was disappointed with the sights and attractions overall, especially since I had this vision in my mind that traveling so far to arrive here would be an accomplishment in itself and make this place magical. But...that was not the case. Regardless of all that, the primary Visitor Center here, yes this Kilauea VC was fantastic. In terms of national park VC's, this place has it all! So...see, at least I liked something about my time spent at the park, lol. But seriously, as everyone else would say, yes you should stop by here at the Visitor Center before starting your explorations through the park. I actually found navigating around Hawaii Volcanoes kind of tricky within a maze so coming here to speak with a park ranger, grab a map and just read some of the information boards posted about the surroundings served me well. And...as usual with most NP/VC's...there's a great gift/souvenir shop inside to purchase all your memorabilia including park stickers, magnets, keychains, etc...and here you'll have a variety of park logos to choose from for stamping your NP Passport. Yep...and there's a short park film, bathrooms and plenty of parking available spots. This Kilauea Visitor Center will certainly acclimate you with the areas of Hawaii Volcanoes worth exploring. In the end, this place sort of reinforced in my head that just because the sceneries and surroundings at a park never live up to their billing, I can still be confident in knowing that information spots like here at Kilauea VC can be extremely helpful in guiding me to the best possible experience for enjoying the great outdoors. read more

Kīlauea Visitor Center - Entrance to Kīlauea Visitor Center. - Visitor Centers Near Me - Mountain View, Hawaii

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You're on a freaking active volcano! Need I say more?! Absolutely must visit on the big island and definitely spend they day there! read more

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The visitor center for the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a great place to go and get information of what to see and when by the park rangers. Come ask them all of your questions and learn about the history of the park. There are maps, a few exhibits, and a gift shop at the visitor center. There is plenty of parking as well, though according to the website it can fill up pretty fast, so check out their website prior to planning your trip so you can try to avoid the peek times. We got lucky with an eruption to the north that drew visitors away from this area of the park so there was plenty of parking. There is a art shop to the left of the visitor center and Crater Rim Cafe is across the street if you are looking for a bite to eat. You are a short walk from the overlook for the active Kilauea volcano where you can peer down and see lava (silverish during the day and looks like a campfire during night). It is also conveniently located when you come into the park and you can pick which way to drive towards the ocean or further north. Pay attention to the website and ask the park rangers for any closures. read more

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Cool place to stop and find out more about the Kilauea volcano. Also, they have bathrooms, because when you get to the rim, there are just port a potties out there, so plan ahead. read more

Kilauea is erupting! Okay, hype is over... But seriously, is this a good place to start your volcano experience? Yes, definitely come here first. The center provides the best jumping off point (not literally) for where to see the current flow. Currently, the best vantage points are the lookout on the far side, away from the center. However, this can change daily, so check in with the rangers across from the gift shop. Busy times are in the evening from 5-9 pm (yes, ithe Park is open 24/7) when viewing of the orange glow is best. But if you just want to see something, come in the early afternoon and drive to each if the lookouts. You'll see some fountain activity, but it may be far away. The center also has restrooms and a cool water bottle fill station fed by rainwater. There are short hikesfrom here to the crater's edge in case you don't want to drive. read more

Sometimes map ain't enough to understand the area, that is why visitor center is made for. To answer some of our queries and to help us guide on some things. And you should not hesitate to come visit the center as they were really helpful. Information that you never thought you need while inside the National Park. for potty break, worry not as this visitor center got a decent restroom and they are pretty accurate on keeping the cubicle aisle clean and dry at their best. With no doubt, highly recommended to visit this first the moment you enter the park's premises. Mahalo for reading and happy juandering fellow yeeps. read more

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The visitor center a great place to stop and get a whole lot of information including a informative movie, art museum and then maybe use the clean restrooms - then get a map and go explore. read more

Kīlauea Visitor Center - Entrance - Visitor Centers Near Me - Mountain View, Hawaii

The rangers here are amazing and knowledgeable. We stopped here to pick up a map, medallion, and some souvenirs to take home. When we got here what we really needed directions for was somewhere to eat and one of the rangers suggested the restaurant across the street from the visitor center parking. It was an excellent suggestion and had a view of the steam coming from the volcano. My boyfriend was able to find his medallion so he was happy they knew what he was referring too. read more

Well located almost at the entrance of the park. Has restrooms and great informational spot for tours and brief visit. Almost everyone stops here and staff is very helpful too. Few trails are walkable from this visitor center itself and volcano house is just across the street. read more

Kīlauea Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Mountain View, Hawaii

The store is clean and well organized, the people working there are friendly and helpful, they have lots of information on Tutu Pele, volcanoes, and creation in accordance with Kanaka Maoli/Kanaka 'Oiwi/Native Hawaiian beliefs. There's a little theatre where they show movies about everything described above, and they have bathrooms there with toilets that actually flush and sinks with soap. Great place to stop and pick up souvenirs and stuff. Highly recommend stopping here! read more

I only have good things to say about this place. Uncle Ed patiently explained to us about Volcanoes and where we should go for a better view. He gave my kids 2 packets to work on and told them to work on the pages with their hearts and for us to go back at the end of the day. He sworn them in as Junior Rangers and told them to take care of the land and the land will take care of us. My kids wouldn't stop talking about it since and they want to pick up trash whenever they see them on the street. My son has been wearing his Junior Ranger batch to school everyday and he is very proud to be a ranger and to take care of our land. read more

They were helpful as they had a person sitting there to give you information. The map we were given was very helpful. The girl let us know where we could walk to based on what we wanted to see and how far we were willing to walk. Bathrooms were decent. The story didn't have much but if you need a sweatshirt in a pinch then expect to pay a lot for it. The drive to see the arch was underwhelming once you get to the arch but hey it passes the day and you can see sights along the way like more volcanic rock if that's what you want to see. read more

Amazing Rangers were available to answer questions about the park and volcanoes and provide suggestions with current weather conditions and the amount of time we had to spend. Also gave out jr ranger books and pins. 10/10 recommend. Gift shop also has a small museum-esque display in the back and plenty of cool stuff to purchase from a $1 token to much more expensive water bottles and clothing. Tip: wear pants, a comfortable shirt, and tennis shoes or hiking shoes. Bring a poncho and a jacket or a lined raincoat as the weather literally changes from partly cloudy to rain in a matter of minutes. Wear sunscreen. Bring water or a water bottle to fill at the center and food for your daypack. read more

Kīlauea Visitor Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Mountain View, Hawaii

This was our first stop at Volcanoes National Park. We didn't stay long, but we did watch an informational video. It wasn't the one in the big theater. It was just a 5-10 minute video on a small screen in the middle of the exhibit. I think it's worth stopping just to see the video. It tells you about the history of all the different lava flows over the years at the park. There's also a nice crater view at the lodge across the street that I recommend stopping by. The art gallery next door is worth a stop as well. They have fairly nice bathrooms here. This is a good place to start your visit to the park. read more

The volunteer was so helpful. Gave us lots of good info about the sights we were interested in & lots of history of the volcanos. He spent a good amount of time with us answering all of our questions. A wealth of knowledge. It was so much appreciated read more

Entrance fee is $30 per car. You can head to the visitor center before heading to the tubes or craters which I recommend if you need a potty break or want to find out the best viewing for the day. Masks required to walk around the center. They have various posters with FAQ QR codes as well for your visit and embarking on the various activities within the park. There was also a staff member towards the maps of the crater and park. She made some suggestions on the best views of the lava which we are glad we stopped in and got the info to see what to head next. Recommend visiting! read more

Great information that helped us have a good visit. I always love the rangers and this place was a good balance of information and attention to our specific needs. read more

Mauna Loa is 2x the height of Everest from base and so heavy that it bends the crust of the earth? A really great lecture provided by a park ranger when we arrived. 2 hour drive from Kileau Kona where we were staying. Small patches of towns in between. My son loved the LECTURE and info on how Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is different than Mt St Helens. read more

Kīlauea Visitor Center - Notice that lava is currently not visible. - Visitor Centers Near Me - Mountain View, Hawaii

The visitor center is a nice first stop for those who aren't familiar with the park. There's lots of parking outside, although the lot can fill up during peak times. In the outer area of the visitor center are plenty of maps and informational diagrams, including a large relief map that gives you an idea of the scope and size of the island. There's not a ton of interactive stuff here, but obviously the purpose of the visitor center is basic information. Once inside, there are more maps and brochures available to peruse. There's also a theatre where they show different informational videos on the half hours. Right outside the video they will have a listing of the times and what videos will be shown. Each video starts with a reminder to be careful of nene on the road and trails. They have some great video information about the history of the eruptions and lava activity. (We got lucky and saw lots of activity at the Jagger Museum lookout.) The visitor center also has restrooms, so if you need to freshen up before or after a visit to the park, this is a good place to stop. read more

If you haven't been by the Volcanoes National Park and you've been to the Big Island, shame on you. This is what you come here for! The Kilauea caldera is located in this park and the Jagger Lookout gives you an incredible view of one of the most active volcanoes on the planet. The visitor center is a fun interactive museum that teaches you not just about Kilauea but about volcanoes in general which will be a great educational experience for all members of the family. Learn about the different types of lava and talk to one fo the knowledgeable guides who will help you through some of the language that may be foreign to the lay person. They even go on to talk about the flora and fauna of the area and the stories of the Native Hawaiians. They have a wonderful gift shop here but it isn't as large as the one at the Jagger Museum. Come and educate yourself here! Go in grab a map and start your journey through the park. This is likely the first stop you make when you enter the park (closest to the entrance). Don't forget your passport stamp! read more

This is where I highly advise stopping first upon entering the park. There's ample parking and a bathroom on the left side of the building. I highly suggest picking up a map and gathering information so you can plan what you want to do to make the most of your visit. There are several Rangers on-site to talk to. They are all very passionate about sharing their knowledge of the park. Don't be intimidated to ask questions. They will provide advice based on your activity level. I really appreciated that. read more