Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Mobile Visitor Center
Mobile Visitor Center
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National Park
1916 Park Size 354,460 acres Annual Visitors 1.6 million Park Fee $30 Superintendent Rhonda Loh Park Partner Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association Location Hawaii County, HI |
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park features one-of-a-kind experiences to see the spectacular volatility of the earth in real-time as magma spews from volcanic rifts. An eruption of Kīlauea in 2018 caused multiple earthquakes, a massive collapse of the caldera, and destroyed roads, restrooms, and the popular Jagger Museum. This greatly reduced opportunities for visitors to connect with rangers in the park and learn from educational exhibits. The only visitor center currently in use is tiny and about to be replaced, but the work will take several more years.
The need for a mobile visitor center was identified in the park's 2016 General Management Plan, yet there is no prospect of government funding to buy one. With a grant from The Fund for People in Parks, the park will acquire a cargo trailer and customize it with a visually arresting "wrap" on the exterior, providing a focal point that attracts visitors to interact with the rangers stationed there and view educational materials on-site. Such a model has already proven effective in other parks. All visitors to the park will be served by the mobile visitor center until the new building is complete. After that, the trailer will continue to enhance the visitor experience by being taken to different viewing sites as volcanic eruptions occur. The ability to move a visitor center will help visitors stay safe and better connect with this ever-dynamic landscape. Project Cost: $53,812 Project Begun: 2023 The Fund for People in Parks: $38,812 Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association: $15,000 A mobile visitor center will enable the park to provide essential visitor services during the current eruption, ease the overcrowding conditions at the current visitor center, and enable the park to serve visitors when (not if) future park areas, buildings, or infrastructure are temporarily closed, damaged, or destroyed by volcanic activity." |
