Having been to the top of Mauna Loa on an earlier trip, it was a treat to be able to look through the telescopes from the Onizuka Center. It had a nice mix of films, printed material, displays and interactive activities. Plus there was a nice garden and a nice restaurant to take a break in and to fuel up... More

The free telescopes observation after dark in unique and fantastic, when coming down from th summit. More

We thought that we would have lunch before the big climb but they only have cup noodles and some crisps and nut bars and cookies. But a lovely place to have a picnic on the outside tables. Not too far from Hilo to drive to a night and there is a good paved road to the centre if you want... More

This is the center just off Saddle Road, part of the visitor center. If you are going for sunset and stargazing bring something warm to wear when the sun goes down. There is a hiking trail across from the center (easy to moderate) that you can take to get a good view of the sun before it slips into the... More

great free event from 6-9pm daily with video and telescope tour of the amazing night sky atop Mauna Kea. a must do More

Although you can star gaze from a lot of places in Hawaii, this was a pretty neat place to visit. We visited on a Thursday evening in December and it was packed. It was very cold and windy, be sure to dress warm if you want to go outside to see the stars. There are restrooms with running water, a... More

The best time to visit this place is in the late evening when you can actually do some star-gazing with one of the few portable telescopes set up for this purpose. However due to our schedule, we did a day trip to this place. The overall drive from Hilo to the Observatory, on the Saddle road, is great, with breathtaking... More

go for the stargazing program every night at 6 - staff and volunteers put telescopes out on the patio and explain what you're looking at. wear warm clothes. More

The Onizuka Center for International Astronomy seems to serve a few purposes up on Mauna Kea. First, it is a visitor's center where you can buy souvenirs/snacks/hot cocoa, get tips about going to the summit/safety/health, and use the restrooms. Second, it is home to a free nightly stargazing program. Third, it has a lot of information about the science that... More