Hawaii tourist spot that has boomed in popularity is planning to limit visitors
The 400-acre park on the island of Oahu has been open 363 days a year.
A Hawaii tourist attraction that has seen attendance skyrocket is planning to close its gates for one day a week to allow “rest and rehabilitation” for the site.
Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden is taking a public poll before it decides which day to close, effective in 2026.
The 400-acre park near Kaneohe, on the island of Oahu, has been open 363 days a year, the only closures being Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is free.
“We are on track for another record-breaking year of attendance, and more and more we are continuing to see the strain this is having on the natural allure and recreational offerings,” Honolulu Botanical Gardens Director Joshlyn Sand said in the Sept. 15 press release announcing the plan.
The garden recorded a doubling of attendance in five years, from 323,184 visitors in 2019 to 650,882 in 2024. The 12-month period from July 2024 through June 2025 saw 723,495 visitors.
Ho‘omaluhia joins several other tourist sites and trails in Hawaii that in recent years have instituted restrictions aimed at overcrowding. Among them:
• Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is now closed two days a week.
• Since 2022, Diamond Head has required non-residents to make a reservation ($5 per person) and pay for parking ($10 per car) to hike to the summit that looms over Honolulu.
• Haiku Stairs (Stairway to Heaven) has been officially closed since 1987, but the continuing crowds of trespassers prompted the demolition of the stairs last year.
What's Your Reaction?
