Kilauea Visitor Center at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
Kīlauea Visitor Center
Hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Located near the park entrance, the center is typically the first stop for the 2.6 million people who visit Kīlauea Volcano. Exhibits give the public an overview of the park’s environmental, historical, and cultural features.
Visitor exhibit designs and content reflect consultations with Native Hawaiians and the islands’ leading biologists, ornithologists, entomologists, botanists, and volcanologists.
There are exhibits on island formation; the arrival of life by wing, wind, and wave; ecosystems from sea to summit; the sights and sounds of the rain forest; invasive species; and those who make a difference in resource protection. Interwoven throughout are the mana`o (wisdom) and mo`olelo (stories) of Native Hawaiians.
FREE Scheduled Daily Ranger Guided Tours:
Exploring the Summit hike
Daily 10:30 am & 1:30 pm
On this short 1 mile round trip paved walk, rangers share a little about the ecology and geology that is unique to Hawai’i. This walk usually takes 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete. It is a great way to learn more about the surroundings through a free interpretive guided hike.
How it All Began
Daily 9:30 am & 3:30 pm
This short 20-30 minute geology talk takes place just outside the Kīlauea Visitor Center at the Hawai’i Island Map. Although this area is outside, it is fully covered so everyone can enjoy, even on a rainy Volcano day. Rangers share about how the Hawaiian Islands came to be, and what the current eruptions are doing.
Outside of the daily scheduled hikes and talks listed above, the rangers usually do an additional hike or talk daily.
Check with KVC Rangers for what ranger guided tours are offered when you visit.