ALOHA!

Lyon Arboretum is part of the University of Hawaiʻi and a public botanical garden. We are nestled in the back of Mānoa Valley, just five miles from the bustle of Waikiki. The Arboretum has over seven miles of hiking trails and boasts more than 6,000 taxa of tropical and sub-tropical plants on our nearly 200 acres.

To learn more, click on the topics on the navigation menu above.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Closures

Due to internal operations, we will be closed to the public on the following days:

  • Thursday, June 12th
  • Friday, June 20th

Thank you for your patience!

School Tours for SY 2025-2026

We will take requests for K12 school tours starting July 21st. Please fill out the online request form which will be available on July 21st. Do not email requests to visit. Mahalo for your understanding!

⚠️No reservations 05/23/25 – 06/30/25⚠️

We are currently not taking reservations due to ongoing construction work which affects the accessibility of our road.

If our gate is completely open, you can drive up or walk up via our pedestrian access trail.  When the gate is fully or partially closed or the entrance is coned off, no public access is allowed including pedestrians. Visitors must be aware that there may be delays coming and going on our access road due to ongoing renovations.

All visitors must check in at the Gift Shop.

Organized groups such as schools, churches, millitary groups must make arrangements with the Lyon Education Department prior to visiting. A fee will be assessed for coordination. See below for more information.

Thank you for your understanding and patience!

SCHEDULED CLOSURES

  • Thursday, June 12th – All day closure for internal operations
  • Thursday, June 20th – All day for private event
Click here to view the Events and Closure Calendar

VISIT

Visiting? Please read the following information

  • Open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 am until 3 pm, closed on weekends, State and Federal holidays . 
  • Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated. The suggested donation amount is $10 per person.
  • Due to ongoing construction of our Seed Conservation Lab, there may be traffic delays entering and exiting the Arboretum.
  • Organized groups (schools, homeschools, mommy groups, churches, business groups, etc.) with 8+ participants are REQUIRED to make arrangements with the Lyon Education Department (email Lyonedu@hawaii.edu).

For reservation questions, call the MAIN OFFICE at (808) 988-0456. Mahalo!

Last updated: 06/09/25

Community Classes and Events

The community classes will be taking a short break during the summer. We will start up again in August. Mahalo to everyone who came out and supported the Arboretum by participating in one or more of our community classes!

Camps and School Tours

Fall Camp 2025: Our next Nature Day Camp will be offered during the DOE Fall Break. For general information about our Nature Camps, click here: Lyon Nature Day Camp Information

School Tours: We will be taking reservations for school tours for the 2025-2026 school year on July 21st. We are currently only taking tour requests for the summer. We do not take requests over the phone or email. Please fill out our online request form. More info here: LYON SCHOOL TOURS

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