Free & Cheap Things to Do in Hilo

Parks & Gardens

A free 24-acre Edo-style Japanese garden right on Hilo Bay — the largest authentic Japanese garden outside Japan. Wander past koi ponds, arched bridges, stone lanterns, and a traditional teahouse, all framed by ancient banyan trees and ocean views. Open daily from before sunrise to evening, completely free, and one of the most peaceful free experiences on the Big Island.

Address: 189 Lihiwai St, Hilo, HI 96720

Tip: Open daily 5:45am to 7:30pm. Walk across the small footbridge to Coconut Island for an extra free experience. Free parking lot on site.

Parks & Nature

A 132-acre free state park in the heart of Hilo, anchored by a striking 14-foot bronze statue of King Kamehameha the Great. Walk the lagoon paths, see the Vietnam War Memorial, fish in the spring-fed pond, or just picnic under tropical trees with the mountains in the background. One of the most accessible free green spaces in Hilo.

Address: 200 Piopio St, Hilo, HI 96720

Tip: The Kamehameha statue here is the original 1960s casting (a duplicate stands in Honolulu). Combine with a walk over to nearby Liliuokalani Gardens for an easy free morning. Open daily.

Scenic & Historic

A scenic free drive (or walk) along the Waiakea Peninsula in Hilo, lined with massive banyan trees planted between 1933 and 1972 by visiting celebrities — Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart, Franklin Roosevelt, King George V, and many others, each with a small plaque at the base of their tree. A free, easy way to combine a stroll with Hilo history and stunning bay views.

Address: Banyan Dr, Hilo, HI 96720

Tip: Best done as a slow walk rather than a drive — the plaques are easy to miss from a car. Connects directly to Liliuokalani Gardens for an easy free loop.

Markets & Food

A famous open-air market in downtown Hilo with free entry — fresh tropical fruit, local fish, baked goods, coffee, plate lunches, and crafts from over 200 local vendors. The cheapest way to taste authentic Hawaii. Big Wednesday and Saturday markets are not to be missed; smaller daily markets run the other days.

Address: 400 Kamehameha Ave, Hilo, HI 96720

Tip: Big market days are Wednesdays and Saturdays from 6am to 3pm. Bring small bills — many vendors are cash only. Try a fresh coconut or a $5 plate lunch.

Parks & Nature

An 80-foot waterfall on the Wailuku River right inside Hilo's downtown — famous for the rainbow that forms in its mist on sunny mornings. A paved overlook is steps from the parking lot and Hawaiian legend names the cave behind the falls as the home of Hina, mother of the demigod Maui.

Address: Rainbow Drive (off Waiānuenue Ave), Hilo, HI 96720

Tip: As of January 2026, Wailuku River State Park charges parking and entry fees (credit card only). Park hours 7am–5:30pm; gates lock at 6pm. Best rainbows in the morning between 9–10am. Your fee also covers Boiling Pots a mile upstream — go for both.

Parks & Nature

A short 0.4-mile paved loop through dense Hilo Coast rainforest delivers two of the island's most photogenic waterfalls — 100-foot Kahūnā Falls and the spectacular 442-foot Akaka Falls plunging into a fern-lined gorge. 11 miles north of Hilo, easily the best waterfall return on time and money on the Big Island.

Address: Akaka Falls Rd, Honomu, HI 96728

Tip: Credit card only at the entrance kiosk. The loop trail is paved and stroller-friendly. Water and the comfort station are CLOSED as of March 2026 (portable toilets only) — bring water before you go. Combine with the Hawaiian Tropical Bioreserve & Garden on the Onomea Bay drive.

History & Museums

A compact museum housed in a restored 1930 First Hawaiian Bank building on Kamehameha Avenue — the same waterfront stretch hit hardest by the 1946 and 1960 tsunamis that destroyed downtown Hilo. Survivor video testimony, scientific exhibits on Pacific tectonics, and oral histories from people who lived through the waves.

Address: 130 Kamehameha Ave, Hilo, HI 96720

Tip: Currently open weekends only, 10am–2pm — call (808) 935-0926 before you visit on a weekday. The building itself survived both tsunamis. Combine with a walk along the Kamehameha Avenue tsunami memorial markers built into the sidewalk.

Museums & Galleries

A 40,000-square-foot science center on the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo campus that pairs Mauna Kea astronomy with Polynesian wayfinding traditions. Highlights: a 120-seat full-dome planetarium, immersive theater shows about the Mauna Kea observatories, and an exhibit hall connecting Native Hawaiian star navigation to modern astrophysics.

Address: 600 ʻImiloa Pl, Hilo, HI 96720

Tip: Open Tuesday–Sunday 9am–4:30pm; closed Mondays. Kamaʻāina keiki (HI resident kids 5–12) pay just $9. Planetarium shows run on a schedule throughout the day — pick one when you buy your ticket. Free parking on site.

Wildlife & Education

NOAA's free interpretive center for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument — the vast remote-island chain northwest of Hawaiʻi that visitors can't reach in person. Centerpiece is a 3,500-gallon saltwater aquarium with reef fish from the monument, plus life-size models of the islands' wildlife and bilingual exhibits in Hawaiian and English.

Address: 76 Kamehameha Ave, Hilo, HI 96720

Tip: Open Tuesday–Saturday 9am–4pm; closed federal holidays. Right on the downtown Hilo waterfront — easy to combine with Mokupapapa, the Tsunami Museum, and the Hilo Farmers Market in one morning. Allow 45 minutes.

Family Fun

Hilo's flagship chocolate and shortbread factory — the original 1977 family-owned operation in a polished showroom where you can watch the chocolatiers and cookie-dippers at work through the glass-walled production floor. Free samples are handed out at the door and a free coffee bar is set up for visitors.

Address: 585 Hinano St, Hilo, HI 96720

Tip: Open daily 8:30am–5pm. Self-guided viewing of the factory floor; weekdays show the most production. Their chocolate-dipped Hawaiian shortbread is the signature; small bags start around $7 and make good cheap gifts. Free parking on site.

History & Museums

A Smithsonian-affiliated museum in downtown Hilo pairing a natural-history wing on Hawaiʻi's volcanoes, minerals, and ecosystems with an Island Heritage gallery on Native Hawaiian and immigrant cultures, plus guided tours of the 1839 Mission House, the oldest wood-frame building on the island.

Address: 276 Haili St, Hilo, HI 96720

Tip: Admission covers both the museum and a guided Mission House tour, and kamaʻāina (Hawaii resident) rates run about half the visitor price. It's a short walk from the Hilo Farmers Market and bayfront — easy to fold into a downtown morning.