Skip to content
Locrawl

Things to do with kids in Hilo

6 family-friendly places in Hilo: zoos, aquariums, playgrounds and more.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Things to do with kids in Hilo

  1. Buy

    Basically Books

    This family-owned independent bookstore in the heart of Downtown Hilo is the perfect place to purchase books on Hawaiian culture, history and language. Excellent selection of Big Island maps.

  2. Eat

    Coconut Grill

    Excellent entres including Chicken Mauna Kea, Fillet Mingnon, fresh fish dishes and desserts such as Naughty Hula Girl Mud Pie (enough for a family of 4!) and mac nut ice cream.

  3. Buy

    EightyTwo Creations

    Eightytwo creations has two sections in its business: retail clothing and art in the showroom, and full-service custom printing in the back. The retail section includes clothing from 808 Empire, Lemon Hawaii, Upper Playground, Restless kids, Fumanchu, Acrylick, American Apparel, etc. They also feature art by local artists. Printing services include stickers, banners, wall graphics, t-shirts, hats, and heat transfers.

    Mon - Sat 10AM-5PM

  4. See

    Mokupāpapa Discovery Center

    Provides information for the Hawaiian World Heritage site, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Housed in Hilo’s historic, century old Koehnen Building, Mokupāpapa features a 3,500 gallon saltwater aquarium, interactive educational exhibits, lifesize models of wildlife found in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, artwork inspired by those islands and Hawaiian culture, and many interpretive panels in both Hawaiian and English.

    T-Sat 9AM-4PMfree

  5. Do

    Richardson's Ocean Park

    This is a popular spot for family cookouts, and has occasional waves. Snorkeling is a popular activity here. You can also find people relaxing on the beach or in the grass reading and visiting.

  6. See

    The Lyman House Museum

    This museum features a restored missionary house. They also have a small collection of local artwork, historical exhibits, and the 9th-best mineral collection in the United States. Tours at 11AM and 2PM.

    Mon-Sat 10AM-4:30PM$10/adult, $8/senior, $3/child, $21/family, $5/student, plus cheaper rates for locals

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Hilo (CC BY-SA 4.0).