Megan Shute for Only In Your State on 7 not-to-miss attractions in Hawaiʻi. While on the Big Island, join us on one of our excellent luxury tours to see the beauty and culture of the attractions on the Big Island.
Once you’ve visited Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, have attended a luau, and visited the USS Arizona Memorial on Oahu, there are still plenty of lesser-known unique places in Hawaiʻi that aren’t necessarily swarming with tourists. Here are seven incredible attractions in Hawaiʻi that are a little off the beaten path.
1. Panaewa Rainforest Zoo
First on the list of unique places to visit in Hawaiʻi is the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo. The only tropical zoo in the United States, this Big Island attraction is the perfect place for a day out of the water. Visitors can encounter various rainforest animals and endangered Hawaiʻian animals, including a White Bengal tiger, spider monkeys, lemurs, and more than 80 other animal species. Read more about Panaewa Rainforest Zoo
2. Pearl Harbor Historic Sites
Though the free USS Arizona Memorial is a wildly popular spot among visitors, there are several other historic sites within Pearl Harbor that are less crowded, and give you a different perspective. Check out the USS Battleship Missouri, which was rebuilt after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, and is now open to the public for tours and exploration.
3. Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park
Located on the Big Island is this park, full of archaeological sites and reconstructions of an ancient Hawaiʻian “place of refuge.” The site, once home to Hawaiʻian royalty and those who broke a la or defeated military, features a self-guided tour. Check out more about Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park.
4. Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge
Located on Kauai’s north shore is 203 acres of protected land, where
the Pacific golden plover, Laysan albatross and the nene – the Hawaiʻi state bird – live. The Kilauea lighthouse is just a short walk from the parking lot. First illuminated on May 1, 1913, it is the northernmost point of the inhabited Hawaiʻian Islands and a popular Hawaiʻi attraction for lots of great reasons.
5. Pacific Tsunami Museum
Housed in a bank building that barely survived the last tsunami to hit the Big Island, is the Pacific Tsunami Museum. Though the museum is a tourist destination, staff members strive to educate Hilo’s inhabitants about tsunami preparedness.
6. Kalaupapa Leper Colony
Located on an isolated peninsula on the northern side of Molokai is Kalaupapa, the site of a leper colony. From 1866 to 1969, thousands of men, women and children diagnosed with leprosy were exiled to the colony by the Hawaiʻian government and legally declared dead. Today, visitors can travel to the colony via mule. This is definitely one of the most unique Hawaiʻi attractions.
7. Kukaniloko Birthing Stones
The Kukaniloko Birthing Stones, found nearly 100 yards from the intersection of Whitmore Avenue and Highway 80 in Wahiawa, Oahu, have marked the site of royal births and powerful struggles for centuries. Recent research has discovered that the stones may have served an astrological purpose as well – perhaps as a sort of a Pacific Islands henge?
