November Updates & Events at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

News Release Date: October 15, 2026
Contact:HAVO Public Affairs

UPDATES

Kīlauea Visitor Center (KVC) renovations are now 95% complete and the hub of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is on track to reopen in late 2026. Visitors will immediately notice the transformation: a refreshed, roomier interior and the adjacent new hālau (a spacious outdoor gathering place) is now easily visible from Crater Rim Drive West.

Visitors can also look forward to larger, modern restrooms relocated to the east side of the building, plus convenient direct access to KVC from the roundabout that opened in July 2025. In the weeks ahead, park rangers and the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association staff will transition from the temporary Welcome Center at Kilauea Military Camp back to the renovated KVC.

Some familiar exhibits may make a return while new interpretive experiences are being designed and fabricated in both English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. Wayfinding exhibits for the hālau are slated for installation in Fall 2027 and the fully reimagined KVC exhibits will debut by late 2028.

Kīlauea Volcano Eruption. Change is underway at Kīlauea summit which remains highly pressurized with increased seismicity, multiple short-lived lava overflows and sporadic low dome fountains from the north vent. Forecasting is not possible due to the irregularity in inflation and deflation, and a change in eruptive activity and location could occur quickly at the summit. Some park closures are in place during this time of unpredictability. Visit the eruption page on the park website for updates, safety tips, viewing areas and more.

Before your visit, check the park website Current Conditions web page for alerts.

EVENTS

Fee-Free to Honor U.S. Military Personnel on Veterans Day. The National Park Service invites U.S. citizens and residents to honor our country's veterans by visiting any National Park Service site for free on Veterans Day. U.S. Military veterans, Gold Star Family members and current U.S. military members are specifically eligible for free NPS annual and lifetime passes available online or at the entrance station at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
When: Wednesday, November 11
Where: All fee-charging national parks in the U.S.

Stewardship at the Summit Rainforest Restoration. Volunteer to help remove invasive, non-native plant species that prevent native plants from growing in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring a hat, rain gear, day pack, snacks and water. Gloves and tools are provided. Under 18? Parental or guardian accompaniment with written consent is required. Visit the park website for details.
When: November 7, 21 and 28. Meet at 8:45 a.m.
Where: Meet project leaders Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center parking lot on the dates above. (The meeting place is open during the visitor center renovation.)

ʻUkulele Concert and Kanikapila. Keoki Sereno and his fellow ʻukulele aficionados will share favorite mele (music), followed by kanikapilia (musical jam session). Bring your ʻuke and play along! Chords and words will be projected on a large screen in the Visitor Contact Station.
When: Saturday, November 14 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Turn into Kahuku near the 70.5-mile marker on Hwy 11 in Kaʻū.

Chegamos: We Arrived. Learn about Portuguese immigration and contributions to Hawaiʻi through this new interpretive living history performance. Almost 16,000 Portuguese immigrants sailed to Hawaiʻi in the late 1800s to work the sugar cane fields, with the settlers described as "sober, honest, industrious and peaceable." Jackie Pualani Johnson directs the performance that shares the immigration story of those who arrived primarily from the Azores and Madeira. The performance is produced by Kāhealani Martins Curammeng and features Steve DʻAssis, Salome Lagman, Randal McEndree, Catherine McPherson-Tampos and Evette Ewalani Tampos.
When: Saturday, November 21 at 11 a.m.
Where: Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Turn into Kahuku near the 70.5-mile marker on Hwy 11 in Kaʻū.

Ranger-Guided Programs at Kīlauea Summit. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park offers free guided programs nearly every day. Experience Life on the Edge at Uēkahuna, Explore the Summit and other ranger programs by checking the park calendar for dates, times and descriptions or drop by the Welcome Center to read the program board.
When: Almost daily
Where: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Kīlauea summit

All events are free, but park entrance fees apply. Some programs are sponsored by the Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association. Programs are subject to change or cancellation without notice. Check the park calendar for more information.

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