Pu'uhonua o Honaunau Place of Refuge National Historic Park Pictures & Visitor Information

Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park - Big Island, Hawaii
Pictures and visitor info from a trip to the Puuhonua o Honaunau Place of Refuge National Historic Park, Big Island.

Main Menu Home Digital Cameras Misc. Pictures Articles My Blog

Historical Artifacts

Hawaiian Artwork & Crafts

Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park covers 180 acres of sacred Hawaiian land that used to be the home of chiefs and a place of refuge for ancient law-breakers.

We were in the area to go snorkeling in Honaunau Bay at nearby "Two-Steps" and couldn't resist visiting the park to learn more about Hawaii's history.

To reach the park, take Hwy 11 south about 20 miles from the Kailua-Kona area and turn right at the Honaunau Post office on to Hwy 160. After about 3.5 miles, turn left into the park when you see the sign.

The admission fee is $5 per vehicle with a maximum of eight people inside. Visitors are welcome at the park from 7 AM to 7 PM daily. The Visitor Center is open from 8:45 AM to 4:30 PM daily. To reach the staff by phone, call (808) 328-2326.

Ancient Hawaiian Life Scene

Big Island Topography

Palace Grounds

Some of the features of the Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park include educational exhibits, the Keoua Stone (chief's resting place), ancient fishponds, a "heiau" sacred temple, the Keoneele Cove royal canoe landing area, a halau thatched labor house, the Great Wall made of lava rocks, and a variety of wood carved "Ki'i" statues that represent the gods.

This area is known as "a place of refuge" because ancient Hawaiians that violated one of the sacred laws, known as "kapu" (taboo), could flee here to avoid being executed. A priest or "kahuna" would perform a ceremony and absolve the offender of their wrong doing.