Kaʻauea

Kaʻauea is an open-air Hawaiian cultural site on the northern rim of Kīlauea, near Volcano Art Center Gallery and facing Halemaʻumaʻu. It centers on two things: a raised kahua hula (hula platform) and a traditional-style hale. Make time for it if you want a cultural perspective on this summit landscape; it is a compact stop whose focus is the platform and hale, rather than a broad volcanic overlook. The area is open to the public.

Kaʻauea appears in Hawaiian chants and oral histories going back hundreds of years. The elevated platform was built in 1979, and outdoor hula kahiko performances are still held here. It faces Halemaʻumaʻu, closely connected with Pele in Hawaiian tradition; the site was selected for hula kahiko with input from kumu hula Edith Kanakaʻole and others.

The current hale dates to 2019, after earlier structures were built here in 1981 and 2009. Its details are worth a closer look: lava-rock slabs form the base, large river stones support the main posts, the floor is covered in ʻiliʻili (water-worn pebbles), and the roof is thatched with loulu palm fronds. Ironwood and kiawe were used instead of ʻōhiʻa to avoid moving Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death pathogens into park forests.

Programs take place outdoors on the platform. Check the current calendar if you want to attend one, and bring a mat or portable chair for the grass. Parking near Kīlauea Visitor Center can be limited on program days, and overflow parking at Kūkamāhuākea (Steam Vents) may mean an added walk.