With 3,472 votes cast as part of a three-week public poll, Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden will be closed every Thursday beginning on January 8, 2026.
As part of the poll, participants were given the choice of whether to close the botanical garden every Tuesday or Thursday. With 76% in favor of Thursday, and 24% for Tuesday the decision was confirmed.
“Mahalo to everyone who participated in this survey to give our beloved Ho‘omaluhia a day of rest,” said Honolulu Botanical Garden Director Joshlyn Sand. “Through the process we also gained lots of other valuable insight from the neighboring community on their experiences with the botanical garden, including the impact garden visitors and their vehicles have on the ‘ōpala pick-up for residents on Luluku Road. Closing on Thursdays will help ensure garbage collectors can regularly access their bins, reinforcing the benefits of providing the garden with a day of rest on this day. The whole survey and planning process was a great exercise in public collaboration, and we greatly appreciate the public’s participation and understanding of the reasons why this natural treasure needs more time to recuperate every week.”
Spanning 400 acres at the base of the lush Ko‘olau Mountains, Ho‘omaluhia is the City and County of Honolulu’s most popular botanical garden. Along with offering scenic beauty and a biodiverse collection of plant life, it hosts a variety of no-cost or affordable activities such as camping and fishing.
Since opening in 1978, Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden has served as “a peaceful refuge” to millions of visitors and locals alike. Over the past decade, Ho‘omaluhia has seen a near steady increase in attendance, particularly over the last several years during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This continuous increase recently culminated with 723,495 visits tallied at the botanical garden from July 2024 through June 2025.
With the one-day-a-week closure every Thursday, the garden’s natural environment will be given more time to rejuvenate. It will also give the dedicated staff an opportunity to conduct much-needed maintenance and recreational programming improvements without disruption. The garden is also closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day.
If you need an auxiliary aid/service, other accommodations due to a disability, or an interpreter for a language other than English in reference to this announcement, please contact the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, Botanical Gardens at (808) 768-7135 on weekdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or email hbg@honolulu.gov at least three business days before the scheduled event. Without sufficient advanced notice, it may not be possible to fulfill requests.
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