King Kamehameha Statue

Hilo

LoginSave

At the northern end of Wailoa River State Park, a 14ft bronze statue of King Kamehameha stands facing the bay. Sculpted by R Sandrin at the Fracaro Foundry in Vicenza, Italy, in 1963, it is actually a hand-me-down. Kaua‘i's Princeville Corporation originally commissioned this $125,000 statue for their resort. But residents opposed the statue since King Kamehameha had never conquered Kaua‘i. Princeville thus donated the statue to the Big Island, where it has stood since 1997.

The statue, which underwent a $30,000 gold-leaf restoration in 2004, is draped with dozens of lei on King Kamehameha Day.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Smoke plumes from the Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.

    Kilauea

    24.68 MILES

    Kilauea volcano lies at the center of activity in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The unassuming bump on Mauna Loa's southeast flank would be easily…

  • Gemini North Observatory on top of Mauna Kea mountain peak on Big Island of Hawaii, United States with deep blue sky and volcanic landscape. 1327459248

    Mauna Kea's Summit Area

    26.81 MILES

    At 13,796ft in the air, you are above 40% of the atmosphere and 90% of its water vapor – apparently perfect conditions for growing the giant mushroom-like…

  • Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

    Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

    27.28 MILES

    Even among Hawaii's many wonders, this national park stands out. Its two active volcanoes testify to the ongoing birth of the islands: quiet Mauna Loa (13…

  • Kilauea crater fumarole expelling fumes. 467882084 Cloudscape, Pele, Kilauea, Geology, Fumes, Exploding, Wide Angle, Big Island, Hawaii Islands, Day, Island, Volcanic Crater, Fumarole, Volcano, Earth, Cloud, Fog, hot spot, sulfide, Gas, Crater, Halemaʻumaʻu

    Halemaʻumaʻu Crater

    24.7 MILES

    The original Halemaʻumaʻu Overlook off Crater Rim Dr was closed in 2008 due to volcanic activity and the very real threat of death. For the next decade,…

  • Petroglyphs in lava rock at Pu'uloa along Chain of Craters road, in the Volcanoes National Park. 1200494920 ancient, archeology, art, artwork, carving, chain, civilization, craters, culture, draw, drawing, hawaii, hawaiian, heritage, hill, historic, history, icon, indigenous, island, landmark, lava, loa, long, message, national, native, old, outdoors, park, petroglyph, polynesian, pu'u, pu'uloa, puu, puuloa, road, rock, sacred, spiritual, states, stone, symbol, travel, tribal, tropical, united, usa, volcano, writing

    Puʻu Loa Petroglyphs

    29.6 MILES

    The gentle, 1.3-mile round-trip to Puʻu Loa (roughly, 'hill of long life') leads to one of Hawaiʻi's largest concentrations of ancient petroglyphs, some…

  • Liliuokalani Park, Hilo, East Coast.

    Liliʻuokalani Park

    0.63 MILES

    Arguably Hilo's most beautiful spot, these sprawling Japanese gardens are perfect for picnicking. Named for Hawaii's last queen (r 1891–93), the 30-acre…

  • Akaka Falls, Hamakua Coast, Waimea Reagion.

    ʻAkaka Falls State Park

    10.39 MILES

    The island's best ‘tourist waterfall’ is found at this outstanding, family-friendly park. Walk the paved path counterclockwise, on a loop that traverses…

  • This is a shot of the Kilauea Volcano from the Kilauea Overlook in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, this is a panoramic shot of the caldera of the large Volcano on the south side of The Big Island of Hawaii 1488714858

    Kilauea Iki Overlook

    23.6 MILES

    When 'Little Kilauea' burst open in a fiery inferno in November 1959, it filled the crater with a roiling lake of molten rock fed by a 1900ft fountain…

View more attractions

Nearby Hilo attractions

1. Wailoa Center & Wailoa River State Park

0.12 MILES

This eclectic, state-run gallery hosts a variety of monthly exhibits. You might find quilts, bonsai, Chinese watercolors or historical photos, all done by…

2. Liliʻuokalani Park

0.63 MILES

Arguably Hilo's most beautiful spot, these sprawling Japanese gardens are perfect for picnicking. Named for Hawaii's last queen (r 1891–93), the 30-acre…

3. Tsunami Memorial Clock

0.65 MILES

This tall green clock is permanently stopped at 1:04, marking the morning of May 23, 1960, when a major tsunami demolished the town. A series of seismic…

4. Pacific Tsunami Museum

0.73 MILES

You cannot understand Hilo without knowing its history as a two-time tsunami survivor (1946 and 1960). This museum encompasses only a few rooms, but they…

5. FW Koehnen Building

0.77 MILES

Built in 1910, this iconic blue building housed Koehnen's Interiors, a classy home furnishings store, from 1929 until 2012. Three generations of Koehnens…

6. Mokupapapa Discovery Center

0.77 MILES

Geared for kids, this center aims to educate the public about pristine Hawaiian ecosystems. Even adults might not know that the Hawaiian archipelago…

7. Mokuola

0.79 MILES

Tiny Mokuola, commonly called Coconut Island, connects to land (near Liliʻuokalani Park) by a 250ft footbridge. The island is a county park with picnic…

8. East Hawai‘i Cultural Center/HMOCA

0.8 MILES

Curious about Hilo's art scene? Go to this downtown center, which displays well-curated works by both professionals and amateurs. Exhibits change monthly,…