Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association News Release
For Immediate Release
December 16, 2024
Contact: Judy Edwards
Communications Specialist
808-747-6572 (fax) 808-985-7333
Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association to Temporarily Relocate Popular Visitor Center Park Store to Kīlauea Military Camp (KMC)
The Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association (HPPA), a nonprofit partner supporting Hawaiʻi and American Samoa national parks, will temporarily relocate its popular sales operations from the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Visitor Center after its temporarly closure on February 17, 2025. The store, and park visitor services, will relocate 1.2 miles west to a welcome center at Kilauea Military Camp’s Koa Room, adjacent to the lobby. Store and NPS (National Park Service) visitor services doors at KMC will open a few days after the visitor center closes. HPPA staff is pleased to keep working alongside NPS rangers to meet visitor needs for the estimated two years of construction.
This move is necessary to accommodate upcoming national park facility upgrades and renovations at the visitor center. It will allow HPPA to continue offering retail sales services to park visitors without interruption until the new park visitor center is ready. Proceeds directly contribute to preservation, education, and interpretation initiatives in the park.
HPPA invites all visitors to continue supporting Hawaiʻi national parks by visiting the temporary location or exploring HPPA’s online store: https://shop.hawaiipacificparks.org.
Bookmark this webpage for park construction updates:
https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/construction-closures.htm.
Al Galiza, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park area manager, says, “Change, like the ever-evolving landscape of Kīlauea Volcano, brings new opportunities. We are excited for the upcoming partnership with KMC and look forward to continuing to provide our visitors with memorable keepsakes of their time at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.”
Mel Boehl, executive director, says, “HPPA is excited about the KVC remodeling project as we know the updated facilities will result in an expanded interpretive product line and an enhanced visitor experience. Mahalo nui to KMC and NPS for their partnership in finding a good solution for a temporary visitor center and park store. The use of the Koa Room at KMC will allow us to provide the same level of high-quality interpretive products and visitor services as we have done at the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Visitor Center for the past ninety years.”
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HPPA is the nonprofit partner of seven national park sites in Hawaiʻi and American Samoa. Proceeds from our visitor center park stores and online shop have contributed over $26 million in support to national parks since 1933.
www.hawaiipacificparks.org
