Hilo's Cultural Heart
Where History Lives & Art Thrives in Hawaii's Rainforest Capital
Written by a Local Expert
Leilani AkoThe Soul of the City – Hilo's Cultural Renaissance
While Hilo's identity is deeply rooted in its resilient past, its present is defined by a vibrant cultural renaissance. The same historic downtown that was rebuilt from rubble is now the center of the island's arts scene. It houses everything from a century-old theater to world-class museums and the sacred heart of modern hula. This is where Hilo's soul finds its voice. In the art, stories, and performances that fill its repurposed spaces.
History isn't locked in museums here. It's etched into the street layouts and building foundations. The stories float on the misty air, animating storefronts with local rhythms and profound strength.
The Grand Dame of Haili Street: The Palace Theater
Standing proudly on Haili Street since 1925, the Palace Theater is more than just a cinema. It is Hilo's enduring cultural living room. It opened in the silent film era with Douglas Fairbanks in "The Son of Zorro." Its stage was graced by the melodies of popular organist Johnny De Mello. He hosted the beloved Mickey Mouse Club for generations of Hilo keiki in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s.
The theater survived the tsunamis. After restoration, it has been revitalized as a cornerstone of the community. Today, its marquee lights up for a diverse array of events. They reflect Hilo's many-sided culture. You might catch an independent film festival. A classical music concert. A rock band. A traditional Hawaiian music performance. A world-renowned hālau gracing its stage.
🎭 Historic Performances
From silent films to modern productions, nearly a century of entertainment history lives within these walls.
🌺 Community Events
Black & White Night and May Day celebrations make it a cherished gathering place for all ages.
🎪 Palace Theater
- Built: 1925
- Location: Haili Street
- Style: Historic
- Events: Films, concerts
- Status: Active venue
🏛️ Museum Hours
Lyman Museum: Tue-Sat
Tsunami Museum: Mon-Sat
EHCC Gallery: Mon-Sat
Mokupāpapa: Tue-Sat
🌺 Hula & Culture
- Merrie Monarch Festival
- Hālau O Kekuhi
- Traditional workshops
- Cultural demonstrations
🗺️ Explore More
The Keepers of the Story: Hilo's Museum Trio
Hilo's story is preserved and interpreted by three remarkable museums. Each offers a different lens through which to view the island's heritage.
Lyman Museum & Mission House
The Lyman Museum & Mission House is Hilo's attic. It carefully preserves the island's layered past. As a Smithsonian-affiliated institution, it holds tremendous credibility. Its galleries showcase the island's unique natural history, geology, and the stories of the diverse immigrant groups who shaped modern Hawaiʻi. The museum's archives are a researcher's dream. They contain papers of kanaka maoli, records from historic businesses and sugar companies, and an amazing collection of about 40,000 photographs and moving images spanning 240 years.
Next to the museum stands the Mission House. Built in the 1830s, it's now the oldest frame structure on the island. A guided tour offers a portal back to the 19th-century world of New England missionaries David and Sarah Lyman. Their lives are intertwined with Hilo's history.
Mokupāpapa Discovery Center
The Mokupāpapa Discovery Center acts as a gateway to one of the most remote and sacred places on Earth. The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Since most people will never visit these pristine Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the center's mission is to "bring the place to the people." Located in the historic Koehnen Building on the bayfront, it uses immersive exhibits to interpret the region's nature, culture, and history.
Visitors can marvel at a 3,500-gallon saltwater aquarium teeming with native fish. They can interact with a mock-up of a deep-sea submersible. They can learn from interpretive panels written in both Hawaiian and English. All free of charge.
East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center
The East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center, also known as the Hawaii Museum of Contemporary Art, is the pulse of Hilo's living art scene. Its location is symbolic of Hilo's spirit of renewal. It's housed in the strong 1932 building that was once the District Courthouse and Police Station. Today, instead of jail cells, the building holds galleries showcasing the work of Hawaiʻi's contemporary artists.
Dynamic Exhibitions
Temporary exhibitions showcase contemporary Hawaiian artists with rotating displays throughout the year.
Community Workshops
Everything from printmaking and ceramics to theater and textile design for all skill levels.
First Friday Events
Monthly art walk ensuring that art remains an active, accessible part of Hilo life.
Hula's Sacred Home: The Heartbeat of the Merrie Monarch
Hilo holds a place of global significance in the world of hula. It is the proud home of the Merrie Monarch Festival. The world's most prestigious hula competition. Named in honor of King David Kalākaua, the "Merrie Monarch" who revived the public practice of hula in the 19th century. Missionaries had suppressed it. The festival transforms Hilo into the center of Hawaiian culture for one week each year.
Hālau O Kekuhi: Forest Culture & Volcanic Energy
To truly understand hula in Hilo is to look beyond the festival to the hālau that are its lifeblood. Among the most revered is Hālau O Kekuhi. A school deeply connected to the Kanakaʻole family and the volcanic landscape of the island. Founded in 1953, at a time when hula was still largely practiced in secret, the hālau carries a powerful lineage.
Kumu hula Nalani and Pualani Kanakaʻole are National Heritage Fellows. They inherited the tradition from their mother and their grandmother, the legendary Edith Kanakaʻole. Their style of hula is unique. It is a "forest culture." It's connected to the environment of Hilo. The lei and costumes are made from plants gathered in the nearby forests. Their explosive, powerful dance style embodies the volcanic energy of Pele. The goddess of fire and lava. Her stories form the core of their repertoire.
This connection reveals a profound truth. For Hālau O Kekuhi, the health of their art is inseparable from the health of the ʻāina. Environmental stewardship isn't a modern political concept. It's a cultural necessity for the continuation of their sacred traditions.
They represent hula not as entertainment. But as a living, breathing form of ancestral memory and environmental kinship.
