Visitor Center

Left image
The Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau NHP Visitor Center Complex today.
Credit: NPS Photo

Right image
The Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau NHP Visitor Center Complex upon completion in 1969.
Credit: NPS Photo

 

Stories of Preservation: The Visitor Center

 

The temporary Visitor Center as it stood in 1962. The structure was located within the Royal Grounds area of the park.

NPS, Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, PUHO 875

Visitors from around the world come to Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park to immerse themselves in Hawaiian culture and see the many historical and cultural sites that are preserved and protected by the park. Sites like Hale o Keawe, the pā puʻuhonua (Great Wall), and the kiʻi images easily capture the awe and fascination of visitors, leaving the Visitor Center Complex often overlooked. You may be thinking, almost every park has a visitor center, why would this one be special? Surprisingly enough, the Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park (PUHO) Visitor Center Complex is part of a larger national story: the Mission 66 Program.

In anticipation of the National Park Service’s 50th Anniversary in 1966, NPS Director Conrad Wirth initiated the Mission 66 Program in 1956 to improve the visitor experience and revive park facilities. This revival included a complete architectural overhaul that changed the more "rustic" design style of existing park facilities to what has been termed as "Park Service Modern." In addition to redesigning facilities, one of the major goals of the Mission 66 program was to establish a new building type termed the “visitor center.” These new additions would soon become a focal point of interpretative outreach and public services; a revolution to the visitor experience still felt today.

 

Overview of the newly constructed Visitor Center in 1970.

NPS, Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, PUHO 3239

Constructed between 1968 and 1969, the Visitor Center at Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park represents the only existing Mission 66-style Visitor Center in Hawai’i and is one of only 107 visitor centers designed and built by the National Park Service under the Mission 66 program. Adhering to the vision of the Mission 66 program, the PUHO Visitor Center is designed to be the central point of the park and provides the basis for the overall design and flow of the park experience. The Visitor Center represents an expression of American modern architecture yet retains the feeling of Polynesian-style architectural design. This can be found in such design elements as the lava rock walls that line the building as well as the 'ili 'ili (water worn pebbles) paved walkways. These architectural traits were specifically chosen to create a connection between the overall design of structure and where it is located within the cultural landscape.

 

The garden adjacent to the visitor center allows for interpretive opportunities regarding native and Polynesian plants. The interpretive wall in the Visitor Center breezeway depicts the history of Polynesian voyaging and life in early Hawaiʻi.

NPS Photos

The original interpretive wall display still remains a key feature in the Visitor Center Complex. Designed to mindfully blend interpretive graphics and architectural design with a recorded interpretive story, the interpretive wall’s bold, distinctive images convey the intensity of the history of Hawaiian culture. In 1974, revisions to the original design were made to correct factual mistakes within the murals. Minor changes to the depictions of Polynesian plants, articles of clothing, and animals were made to add to the historical accuracy of the mural.

The gardens adjacent to the visitor center are also a part of the original design. In order to successfully blend the new building complex into the existing cultural landscape, a suggested planting list was created focusing on native and Polynesian plants. This not only helped blend the buildings into the landscape, but it also provided an interpretive opportunity to highlight Polynesian plants and their importance in Hawaiian history and culture. Today, native plants such as loulu, ‘awa, and pili are interwoven with Polynesian plants such as ipu, noni, and ko to complete this interpretive garden concept.

 

Part of the Visitor Center Complex, the open-air amphitheater blends into the cultural landscape.

NPS Photo

In 2002, the Visitor Center was determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criterion A, C, and G. As indicated on the nomination form, the Visitor Center is of national importance under the NRHP Criterion A because is it associated with events that have made a significance contribution to the broad patterns of our history, the Mission 66 program. Under Criterion C the visitor center property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction. This refers to the “National Park Service Modern Architecture” where architects used both modern styles as well as regional influences to create a seamless visitor experience. Finally, eligibility under Criterion G requires that properties less than fifty years of age possess “exceptional importance” if they are to be determined eligible for the register. Since the visitor center was the only Mission 66 visitor center on the island of Hawai’i and remained in good condition, it was determined that it was also eligible under Criterion G as well.

 

The "information desk/office" has transformed into a thriving bookstore run by cooperating association Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association.

Photo: D. Boyle

The National Park Service continues to preserve this historically significant building complex for future generations to experience. While the “office/information desk” has transformed to incorporate a bookstore and additional office space has been constructed, most of the buildings remain in their original form. Just like any building, routine maintenance such as roof tile replacement, painting, and minor repairs have been made to continue to preserve the integrity of the buildings. Additionally, over the years, major earthquakes have resulted in damage to the visitor center (cracks in posts and concrete masonry bases) and repairs have since been made.

Although it is easy to overlook due to its seamless flow into the cultural landscape, the Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park Visitor Center Complex has a unique story and significance in the history of our Nation’s parks and will continued to be preserved for generations to come.