Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden — Attraction in Hawaii

Lovely vibe. Worth the visit! Expansive garden space. Lots of native (some introduced) plants spread out by ecosystem/habitat. Currently only open to the public on Sundays 9am-2pm. And Saturday morning work party, for those interested to get more involved.

Free entry with optional donation. Informational map with a web link for more information about the family and history of the garden available upon entry. Garden is adjacent to the Sunday Farmer’s Market in Captain Cook, a must see when visiting. Lots of great food, crafts, and art.

Coming from Kailua-Kona, Google maps directs you to the property’s private drive off of Hawaii Belt Road. Instead of parking on the side of the highway, continue south and take the next left turn at the Arthur L. Greenwell Park (Manago Hotel is on the right/west side of the road) and there is a grass field for parking up the street and on the left. And street parking is also available.

A beautiful and informative space that allows you to learn about and respect the abundance of various native plants in one place. The garden always appears to be going through growth and change which will make each visit unique...

There were no other visitors, the whole experience took about 10-15 minutes. The paths were overgrown and lead to nowhere. Not wheelchair or stroller accessible, very rugged walkways. There were very few flowers, except for the ones rotting on the ground. The parking lot and nearby road were more decorated than the inside garden. The only cost was an optional donation, but it’s not worth your time. There are a lot of pictures on signs of different plants and flowers that are nowhere to be seen. Some other signs were so stained they were illegible, or located so far from the path you couldn’t read them without breaking the rules. I suspect that this garden was different in the past but fell out of maintenance recently. It may be enjoyable for someone who has never seen a botanical garden before, but it doesn’t compare if you’ve been to others. Consider going to the one down the road instead (Paleaku Gardens...

Went there for the Sunday Farmers market & so far its my favorite farmers market in Kona. And that's saying alot as I have been coming here over 20 years. Much more farmers produce than the other markets that tend to be more souvenir oriented, though they also have souvenirs. Come early for easiest parking & avoid the worst of the heat that you will find everywhere. Come hungry & enjoy the prepared food and picnic tables there or go on down the road & enjoy the wonderful Coffee Shack! Also with live music to enjoy while you eat. Lots of home baked goods to take...