Artistic rendering of a renovated Kīlauea Visitor Center seen from the parking lot with a new hālau where the restrooms are currently / NPS

Kīlauea Visitor Center at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park will close on February 17, 2025 to undergo major renovations that could take up to two years to finish. 

KVC is the only visitor center in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and is too small and outdated to serve the 1.5 million or so people that venture to the park each year, according to a release issued by the park.

KVC restrooms, sidewalks, water station, and about half of its parking will be unavailable during the construction project. Visitors should plan ahead and be prepared for limited services and parking. Volcano House and the Volcano Art Center Gallery will remain open. 

Renovations to the visitor center include:

•  The addition of a covered hālau (pavilion) on the west end of the building  
•  New and improved restrooms relocated to the east end of the building  
•  Full accessibility  
•  Converting offices to expand visitor space  
•  More space for the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store  
•  New bilingual exhibits in English and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi  

The construction project is part of a multi-year project to repair, remove, or rebuild damaged buildings, including the Jaggar Museum (which was damaged in a 2018 volcanic eruption) and some USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory buildings at Uekahuna.

Park rangers and the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store and staff will continue to serve visitors. A few days after KVC closes, they will relocate to a temporary welcome center at Kilauea Military Camp’s accessible Koa Room, just 1.2 miles west of the park entrance. Parking is available at the nearby ballfield.  
 
While some ranger programs will continue, visitors should plan ahead, come prepared and expect limited services. The park film and programs like After Dark in the Park and Nā Leo Manu are suspended until KVC reopens. The project could take up to two years to complete.   
  
The deconstruction of the museum and restoration at Uēkahuna is part of the 2018 Disaster Recovery Project. Jaggar Museum and the former USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory buildings have been removed. Workers are currently restoring Uēkahuna to a more natural state that enables uninterrupted views of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera). The restored Uēkahuna is expected to reopen by summer 2025.  
  
The park will continue to share disaster recovery updates through news releases, social media and its website. Construction closures and delays are regularly updated on the park’s construction webpage: https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/construction-closures.htm.