Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Mobile Visitor Center

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. In early 2025, the park started a major renovation project on the visitor center that requires its closure, and the work will take several years to complete.
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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 ​to Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association, the park acquired a cargo trailer, customized with a visually arresting "wrap" on the exterior, providing a focal point that will attract visitors to interact with the rangers stationed there and view educational materials on-site. Such a model has proven effective in other parks.

Visitors to the park will be served by the mobile visitor center until the visitor center renovation 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.

The mobile visitor center will be deployed starting in Summer 2025.
 
Project Cost: $58,049                                                              Project Completed: 2025
     The Fund for People in Parks: $38,812
     Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association: $10,508
     Matson Logistics: $8,729

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."
          -Ben Hayes, (former) Interpretation and Education Program Manager, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park