Kilauea Visitor Center will close for renovations in February

Kilauea Visitor Center will close for renovations in February
Wednesday, December 18, 2024, 12:05 a.m. West Hawaii Today

The Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will undergo substantial renovations starting in February. (Courtesy photo/ HVNP)

Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will close Sunday, Feb. 17, 2025 at 5 p.m. for extensive renovations that could take up to two years to complete.

KVC restrooms, sidewalks, water station and about half of its parking will be unavailable during the construction project, according to an HVNP press release.

Visitors should plan ahead and be prepared for limited services and parking. Volcano House and the Volcano Art Center Gallery will remain open.

The KVC renovations include: the addition of a covered halau (pavilion) on the west end of the building; new and improved restrooms relocated to the east end of the building; full accessibility; converting offices to expand visitor space; more space for the Hawaii Pacific Parks Association store; new bilingual exhibits in English and Hawaiian.

Park rangers and the Hawaii Pacific Parks Association store and staff will continue to serve visitors. A few days after KVC closes, they will relocate to a temporary welcome center at Kilauea Military Camp’s Koa Room, just 1.2 miles west of the park entrance. Parking is available at the nearby ballfield.

While some ranger programs will continue, visitors should plan ahead, come prepared and expect limited services.

The park film and programs like After Dark in the Park and Na Leo Manu are suspended until KVC reopens.

KVC is the only visitor center in HVNP and is too small and outdated to serve the 1.5 million or so people that venture to the park each year.

Jaggar Museum was removed earlier this year due to damage it received during the 2018 eruption and summit collapse of Kilauea.

The deconstruction of the museum and restoration at Uekahuna is part of the 2018 Disaster Recovery Project.

Jaggar Museum and the former USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory buildings have been removed. Workers are currently restoring Uekahuna to a more natural state that enables uninterrupted views of Kaluapele (Kilauea caldera).

The restored Uekahuna is expected to reopen by summer 2025.