Papahānaumokuākea
Learn about some of the most remote and spectacular coral reefs of Hawaiʻi at the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center in Hilo! The center exposes visitors to the nature, culture, and history of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Since few will ever get the opportunity to visit these remote islands, the center uses beautiful exhibits and a 3,500-gallon saltwater aquarium to "bring the place to the people" and inspire greater appreciation for their fragile ecosystems.
- Location: Hilo, Hawaiʻi
- Admission: Free
- Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Best for: Families, nature lovers, culture seekers
Accessibility Features
Physical and Mobility Assistance
- Wheelchair Accessibility
- Our facility is fully accessible and ADA compliant in terms of physical access, including wheelchair accessible areas, bathroom, elevator, doorways, and exhibit panel height. We have gone to great lengths to ensure all these accommodations.
- Our facility is in a historic, 115-year-old building and doors are not automated.
- Public restroom has wheelchair access.
- Transportation
- An accessible parking stall is available near the entrance.
Service Animals
Service dogs are always welcome at the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center. We follow the U.S. Department of Justice’s requirements for service dogs as listed under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Service dogs are defined as animals trained to provide assistance to a person with a disability.
Sight and Hearing Impaired Assistance
Bathroom sign is in braille.
Sensory Friendly Assistance
- Learning opportunities
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Mokupāpapa Discovery Center facilitates and accommodates different learning styles. Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners are all accommodated. There are iPads, touchscreens, audio chants, and even some features visitors can touch to feel texture. We also provide a knot tying station to learn about knots. Hands-on learning is available for a wide age range of students and families. Our robotics programs facilitate hands-on construction of robots. Our newest exhibit will feature life size turtle models visitors can touch, spin blocks, and a museum friendly microscope.
Language
Exhibits are in Hawaiian and English, the two official languages of the state of Hawaiʻi.
Partner Exhibits
Nantucket Historical Whaling Museum
Lost on a Reef highlights the broad maritime heritage of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and presents findings and artifacts from years of survey and research by NOAA maritime archaeologists. The exhibit aims to share the seafaring history of Papahānaumokuākea with the island community of Nantucket, whence the Two Brothers hailed.
Waikīkī Aquarium
The Waikīkī Aquarium has a major exhibit featuring the very special and rare marine life of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. This exhibit will give visitors their first glimpse of a living reef ecosystem similar to that found in the world's most isolated islands.