Public invited to experience the final draft of Hoʻomaluhia’s long-range plan

Presentation scheduled for Aug. 5, 2026 beginning 6 p.m. at Windward Community College

The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is inviting you to an in-person presentation of the Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden’s long-range plan, after months of community coordination and in-depth research. 

Garden staff, consultant studioOutside, and participating community members have been hard at work this past year drafting the botanical garden’s first-ever master plan. Since Fall 2025, input has been gathered through workshops, focus groups, and stakeholder meetings, with that feedback reflected in the final draft long-range plan. A draft of this final plan will be shared at our upcoming informational session, scheduled for Wednesday, August 5, 2026 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Windward Community College’s Hale ‘Ākoakoa Room.

Throughout this master planning process, the goals of this effort have remained steadfast and consistent, which include:

• Enhancing the Visitor Experience: Ensuring a meaningful, inclusive, and educational experience for all who visit the botanical garden, with an initial focus on managing visitation and alleviating congestion to improve public safety.
• Engaging the Community and Provide Accessibility: Expanding the Garden’s role as a community resource, while being responsive to the needs of Koʻolaupoko residents.
• Preserving Environmental, Cultural, and Historical Resources: Acknowledging and integrating the cultural heritage of the ʻāina, and its historical significance in the botanical garden’s future development.
• Providing Botanical and Facility Development: Planning for the future improvements and care of the diverse plant collections, garden infrastructure, public facilities, educational spaces, and visitor amenities.

A dedicated website about this effort will continue to provide updates and future meeting details, and will host this final draft of the master plan once it is delivered at the above-mentioned public presentation. That website is available at: honolulu.gov/dpr/hoomaluhia-long-range-planning/

Since opening in 1982, the 400-acre Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden has become an essential part of the Windward Oʻahu community. With nearly 724,000 visitors in Fiscal Year 2025 (July 2024 – June 2025), the garden continues to thrive as a cherished wahi pana (storied place) for relaxation, education, and recreation. As a result of this record-breaking attendance, a one-day-a-week closure every Thursday began in 2026 to help preserve this natural treasure. January 2026 also saw the completion of an extensive road repaving effort, which revitalized the garden’s main vehicular and pedestrian thoroughfare.

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 at (808) 768-3003 on weekdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or email parks@honolulu.gov at least three business days before the scheduled event. Without sufficient advanced notice, it may not be possible to fulfill requests.

—PAU—

Follow the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation online and on social media:

YouTube: bit.ly/DPRyoutube    Twitter: @honolulu_parks   Instagram: @honolulu_parks 

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Website: honolulu.gov/parks