Kalakaua Park serves as a central point of culture and connection for the city of Hilo on the island of Hawaiʻi (aka the Big Island). Containing a variety of individual monuments as well as space foe events or to allow people to simply relax, the entire park has become a destination that represents but also provides an important identity to Hilo.
Monuments and Experiences Define Kalakaua Park
Residing in Hilo’s Historic Downtown and surrounded by historic buildings, Kalakaua Park is named after King David Kalākaua, who dedicated the park in 1877. A bronze statue of King Kalakaua defines the park, which shows him holding a taro leaf and a gourd used in ancient chants.
Nearby the sculpture is a 10-foot tall marble monument with a reflecting pond that was built to honor Hawaiians who died in World War II. Installed in 1948, there are 157 names of soldiers and sailors inscribed on the top. The winged relief figure on the front represents all combat forces. Markers that similarly honor Hawaiian efforts in the Korean War the Vietnam War reside on each end of the monument.
Stone-lined tiers were installed in the 1930s to create an amphitheater, providing a setting for numerous activities. Kalakaua Park was the location for Hilo’s first Lei Day festival but it also hosts a variety of community events that range from the formal to the informal, whether it’s an art market or martial arts demonstration or the annual Shakespeare in the Park presentation. A banyan tree that dates back to the early days of the park provides shade for these events and to anyone just looking to relax.
A variety of restaurants and shops reside on each side of Kalakaua Park, further highlighting how it has become a central location in the city. The monuments and experiences that define Kalakaua Park have enabled it to become much more than an urban greenspace and serve as a hub of activity for Hilo that resonates across the Big Island.
A Destination for Hilo
Kalakaua Park has been Hilo’s Town Square for over a century but the effort to transform the space into a place where audiences can both experience the legacy of the city and participate in an event has been enabled by the multiple lndmarks and features installed in the space. Doing so has ensured that Kalakaua Park will serve as a destination that resonates with both residents and visitors in the present and future.
