News Release

Kīlauea Visitor Center renovation closure is on horizon

Kīlauea Visitor Center will soon close for renovation and expansion

NPS Photo/J.Ferracane

News Release Date: June 25, 2024

Contact: Jessica Ferracane, 808-985-6018

HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, Hawaiʻi – Kīlauea Visitor Center in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park could close as early as this September for renovations and expansion, and the adjacent parking will be limited during construction.  
  
The project contract is expected to go out for bid in July, and if awarded next month, construction could begin in September. Once awarded, the contract is expected to take up to two years to complete.  
  
What this means for visitors is the complete closure of Kīlauea Visitor Center (KVC), including the restrooms, water station, and sidewalks around the building. Visitors should expect limited parking at KVC, along Crater Rim Drive West and reduced services. Once KVC closes, programs such as After Dark in the Park and Nā Leo Manu will be suspended until KVC reopens.  
  
Limited visitor services and the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store will relocate to a temporary visitor contact station adjacent to the historic ball field near Kilauea Military Camp.  
  
Volcano House and the Volcano Art Center Gallery will remain open during the project.   

Park managers will share details of the renovation and expansion at an After Dark in the Park program August 20 at 7 p.m. in the Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium. 
  
“As a result of the loss of Jaggar Museum due to the 2018 summit collapse of Kīlauea volcano, the existing Kīlauea Visitor Center is too small to meet the needs of current and future park visitors,” said Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh. “The renovation of KVC will provide expanded outdoor and indoor spaces for new exhibits that convey the rich geology, biology and Hawaiian culture that define Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.”   
  
Renovations planned for Kīlauea Visitor Center include:    
•  The addition of a covered hālau (pavilion) on the western end of the building  •  Restrooms relocated to the eastern end of the building  
•  Full accessibility  
•  The interior will be expanded by converting office space into visitor-use space 
•  The Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store will shift into a larger interior space 
•  New bilingual exhibits in English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi 
  
Although September is the soonest the visitor center would close, a delayed start date is possible. The park will continue to notify the public through news releases, social media and its website. Construction closures and delays are regularly updated on the park’s construction webpage. 
 

-NPS-

 
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