Department of Parks and Recreation

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION​

Ka ʻOihana Mālama Pāka a me nā Hana Hoʻonanea

Ala Moana Regional Park

Table of Contents

Magic Island_Aina Moana_Aerial Picture
Honululu Department of Parks and Recreation lawnmower at Ala Moana Regional Park field
Ala Moana Regional Park's Beach

Ala Moana Regional Park as we know it today rests on reclaimed land that was once swampy marshland. It was part of historic change in land-use, a large development of open areas needed for additional space beginning in the 1920’s.

Structural construction of the park began soon after the land was created in the 1930’s. A Sport Pavilion, Banyan Court, lawn bowling green, Bridle Path Bridge, and the Roosevelt entry Portals were some of the initial park amenities. The two ponds and drainage canals were additionally dredged around 1932 for both aesthetic and the practical purpose of control local water run-off. The park was dedicated in 1934 by then president Franklin Delano Roosevelt and dubbed “The People’s Park”.

Following the use of the park as a military battery and staging area during WW II, the park experienced restoration and evolution throughout the 1990’s.  Beginning in 1954, the mile-long sandy beach fronting the park was constructed. Today that beach requires periodic sand replenishment due to erosion. Nourishing the beach is an element of the Master Plan. From 1957 to 1961 several park features were added, including concession and bathhouse facilities at both the Diamond Head and Ewa ends of the park. In 1962, the 47-acre ʻĀina Moana (Magic Island) was constructed. Originally conceptualized as a major resort area, it was later added to the park as additional open space. 1975 saw the addition of McCoy Pavilion and later in the 1990’s additional bridges were added over the canals.

In 1988, the park was added to the State Register of Historic Places. Preservation and restoration of these structures is a key element of the current Master Plan.

Today, the significance of the park remains paramount in the lives of local residents and visitors.  As one of the state’s oldest and busiest parks,  currently seeing an estimated four million users every year, Ala Moana Regional Park has become an integral part of our island community. The city hopes this facility will continue to be a resource that the public treasures, all while hosting annual events, such as the Lantern Floating Ceremony, and special occasions, such as the return of the Hōkūleʻa from the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage in June 2017.

Maps of Picnic Sites for Permitting

Ala Moana Regional Park_Picnic Site Map

With 40 designated picnic sites across the 119 acres of Ala Moana Regional Park there is plenty of space for your to enjoy “the People’s Park!” You can use these facilities on a casual, first-come-first-served basis during regular park hours from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, or you can permit these locations if: 

  • Conduct any organized activity, e.g. sports tournaments, meetings, or workshops.
  • Reserve the use of the facilities including fields, rooms, tables, and benches.
  • Have a group picnic of 50 or more persons.
  • Utilize / set-up large structures such as inflatable bounce houses. 
  • Drive any vehicle on grassed areas.
  • Play or amplify loud music or use loudspeakers.

To begin the permit process, first call the friendly Ala Moana staff at 808-768-4611 to coordinate. Then  fill-out a “Use of Park Facilities” application and submit it at least three weeks prior to your event. Then enjoy the park! 

Magic Island_Aina Moana_Picnic Site Map

Latest News

After nearly five years of improvement projects and pandemic closures, the famed Lester McCoy Pavilion is expected to reopen in early 2025!

The popular facility has been closed since late 2019 due to several different improvement projects and the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, the pavilion closed for a project to improve the Auditorium’s air conditioning. That was completed in the midst of pandemic closures, and rather than reopen the pavilion for a few months in-between projects (during which time we likely would not have been able to use it for public purposes) the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation decided to keep it closed until the next projects began.

We appreciate the patience and understanding of Ala Moana Regional Park users and event organizers who have waited patiently for the reopening of this iconic facility. This includes the tennis and pickleball court players, utilizing the courts around the pavilion, who have been directly impacted by the construction.

Inside Lester McCoy Pavilion at Ala Moana Regional Park

Previous Park Improvements

Ala Moana Regional Park LED Light Conversion Feb. 2020
Ala Moana Regional Park MSS Bathhouse Renovations March 2024

Master Plan

The Master Plan outlines a variety of short and long-term projects and park improvements to restore, revitalize, and enhance Ala Moana Regional Park, initiated under the Mayor Kirk Caldwell administration. Proposed actions include:

  • Sand replenishment and long-term beach nourishment
    • Mitigate stresses to the beach including: erosion, sea level rise, King Tides, no natural source of sand
    • Raise elevation and widen beach
  • Reconfiguring parking layout without losing stalls and improving the roadway
    • Increase the total number of stalls in the park. Currently 950 stalls exist within the park
    • Removing parallel parking along Ala Moana Park Drive and adding perpendicular parking along the mauka side of the road. Additional plans for loading and unloading zones. 
    • Two-way traffic flow remaining
    • McCoy Pavilion Keyhole parking lot expansion/redesign
    • Elongating ʻĀina Moana parking lot
    • Repaving Ala Moana Park Drive
  • Renovating McCoy Pavilion and the Banyan Courtyard
    • Renovating and ehancing the entryways
    • Additional seating and greenery ourtside of the facility
    • Air condition replacement 
    • Added pathways and activation of the Diamond Head side 
    • Preserve historic structures 
  • Enhancing entrances into the park
    • Widening pedestrian access at Pi‘ikoi and Queen streets
    • Covering drainage canals for easier access
    • Repairing the historic walls and structures at Kamake‘e and Atkinson entrances 
    • Widening sidewalks at the vehicular entrances
  • Expansion of promenades along Ala Moana Park Drive and the Ala Wai Boat Harbor
    • Provide more seating, shade trees, and greenery 
    • Wider path for pedestrians and bicycles 
    • Improvements to the canoe launch ramp and crosswalk
  • Improving to the central raised area
    • Repairing and enhancing the terrace 
    • Redesign for additional access 
  • Improving the edges of waterways
    • Hardscaping and enhancing pond edges 
    • Drainage canal coverings 
  • Incorporating a multi-use facility into the Lawn Bowling area
Ala Moana Master Plan Summary Picture
Ala Moana Regional Park History Collage
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