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Kapiolani Park
Located within the Waikiki & Honolulu Region on Oahu
Oahu Sights
Things To Do on Oahu
Kapiolani Park, named after the Queen of the same name, is a triangular stretch of grassy land presided over by Diamond Head crater.
This park is chock full of amusements, from the 42-acreHonolulu Zoo to the Waikiki Shell, home to many outdoor concerts and shows. There are also tennis courts, soccer fields, an archery range, and even a 3-mile jogging course, which encompasses part of the Honolulu Marathon Course. Local families and tourists alike enjoy the shady picnic sites and open grassy areas. The Royal Hawaiian Band provides free concerts every Sunday afternoon in the Kapiolani Bandstand.
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Before European settlement, Queen Kapioalani Park was originally an area filled with marshlands and lagoons, and was the site of an ahupua'a. This was royal land that contained all of the community's resources: fertile land for farming taro, trees, and lagoons for farming fish. The ahupua'a was within the watershed, encompassing the land between the mountains and the ocean.
In 1877, King Kalakaua decided to claim the area for himself and drained the marshes and lagoons, added his collections of rare birds, and named the park in honor of his wife.
Kapiolani Park is located at the east end of Waikiki Beach and is bordered by Kalakaua Avenue, Monsarrat Avenue, and Paki Avenue. Metered and free parking are available along the street and in two lots located beside the Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Shell.
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Trade winds are strong right now, with high surf hitting the south shore today. Windward areas are seeing frequent showers through the weekend.
South-facing beaches have dangerous surf today through Sunday—stay out of the water unless you're an experienced swimmer. East-facing shores will build rough water by Sunday or Monday. The bigger picture is a tropical system, Fausto, heading our way. It's weakening but should arrive near the islands by Tuesday or Wednesday as a tropical storm or weaker system, bringing strong winds, rough seas, and heavy rain. The exact track is still uncertain, so check the forecast daily.
Get your beach time and water activities in today through early next week on the leeward side, where conditions stay calmer. Be ready to shift plans by midweek when conditions turn rough.
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Windy conditions across Maui right now, with trade winds gusting strong. South-facing shores have high surf today and will see another big swell Saturday and Sunday—the water's dangerous unless you're an experienced ocean swimmer.
Through the weekend, windward areas will get frequent showers while trade winds stay gusty. The bigger picture arrives midweek: Hurricane Fausto is weakening as it moves toward the islands and should reach Maui as a tropical storm or weaker system Tuesday or Wednesday. That'll bring rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain. Track and timing are still uncertain, so check updates daily.
Hit the leeward beaches and snorkel south Maui coasts today through early next week, but stay out of windward and south-facing waters through Sunday.
0:000:54
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Windy conditions dominate right now with strong trade winds pushing across the island. South-facing shores have high surf today—dangerous water if you're not an experienced swimmer.
Through the weekend, those south shores see another big swell Saturday and Sunday, and east-facing shores will build dangerous conditions by Sunday or Monday. Windward areas get frequent showers. A tropical system—the remnants of Hurricane Fausto—is weakening and headed toward the islands as a tropical storm or weaker system by Tuesday or Wednesday, bringing rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain midweek. Timing and track are still uncertain, so check updates daily.
Leeward beaches on the Kona side stay your best bet today through early next week, but avoid the water on the windward and south shores through Sunday.
0:000:57
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Strong trade winds are pushing showers across windward areas through the weekend. On Kauaʻi, expect frequent showers on the windward side.
High surf is running on south-facing shores today and will build again Saturday and Sunday—stay out of the water unless you're an experienced swimmer. East-facing shores will also see dangerous swell by Sunday or Monday. Hurricane Fausto is weakening as it moves toward Hawaii. By Tuesday or Wednesday it should reach the islands as a tropical storm or weaker system, bringing rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain. Track and timing are still uncertain, so check updates daily through midweek.
Beach time on leeward shores works through early next week. Plan water activities for today, but be ready to shift if Fausto's track becomes clearer—conditions will deteriorate by midweek.
Created with AI from the official NWS forecast discussion · verify with NWS before heading out
