Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site — Attraction in Hawaii

How lucky we were! Usually, if I see a group of school kids getting off a bus at a tourist or historical site, I head the other way. In this case, the kids were already there seated, and listening to a ranger talk. As I wandered about the covered exhibition area, I listened to the ranger's presentation, and to the kids' enthusiastic responses. it became clear that this was no ordinary, dry, rnger talk. This guy really knew his Hawaiian history, and knew how to tell it in a way that captivated, entertained, and enlightened the kids. (Later, he mentioned that he'd been a DC cop for years.) I couldn't help myself. I sat down in the audience with the kids, and before you knew it, I was having to restrain myself from raising my hand to answer his questions! I stayed with the group as the ranger toured the kids through the various parts of the park, including the sacred structures and the now-underwater former Royal residence. Reef sharks are often spotted here, but we saw none. (Work by the Army Corps of Engineers has reconfigured the beach and inadvertantly discouraged them.) This visit tired together and brought to life so much Hawaiian history. Educational signage is well done, in a way that doesn't interfere with the sacred feeling of the place. The entire small park is done with a very apparent respect for the deep traditions contained here. Any student of comparative religion or literature will be struck by similarities in the tale of King Kamehameha with Biblical and mythological tales from...

An impressive Heiau that my husband & I visited thanks to the recommendation of Luana from Lehua Jewelers in Waimea. We highly recommend watching the 27min epic documentary in the theater section of the visitor's center. It's a compelling story of King Kamehameha's prophecy that provided us a deeper understanding of this sacred temple, its importance to Hawaiians & how it united the islands. Afterwards, we walked up the path to the Heiau to marvel at its ancient, formidable structure up close. It's fascinating that it took a human chain consisting of thousands of workers to construct this building one stone at a time.

There's a part of the exhibit where visitors can lift massive stones the same size that these workers passed along to each other, creating an immersive experience. We also felt the weight of various spears that the chiefs carried into battle & played Konane, a game of checkers.

There's a bay nearby that we do NOT recommend swimming in. It's a good lesson for tourists to read museum signs because we read that sharks are present in that water. The Heiau was built by a family who revered sharks.

We visited an hour before closing & George, the park ranger, welcomed us to the Place of Unity — very symbolic for us newlyweds who just celebrated our union. Overall a great stop to learn Hawai'i's...

The day we had to leave gave us between 10am check out and a 9pm flight. We decided to spend that last day driving up north, and I’m so happy we did! This has been a place I’ve wanted to visit for years. It’s truly special and you can feel the sacred earth under your feet.

The visitors center is the best I’ve ever been to. Whoever designed the displays and wrote everything did a phenomenal job. The passages were easy to read and concise, yet were captivating and gave out so much information! I bought a 45 hour audiobook on Hawaiian mythology by King David Kalakaua when I got home.

Living my whole life on the west coast of the United States, I only know structures that are relatively young. To sit and be in the moment, on that very land, and to really meditate on the lives and activities of the ancestors was totally a Keanu - Woah. They were devoted to their king, and to their community. They were brave strong and fierce. The land provided for them, and they provided for the land.

Hawaii is always portrayed as a caricature of itself elsewhere. Learn the history. We spent a lot of time on this trip going to historical sites and talking to Elders. Push back and away from the touristy places and experience real Hawaii. You’ll leave with much more satisfaction...