The name Richardson comes from its original owners, Elsa and George Richardson, whose home still stands there.[2] George Richardson was the former Chief Detective of the County of Hawaii, and received the land as a gift of gratitude from the Malo family. In 1920, when the entire Malo family was stricken with typhoid fever, Elena, the least severely afflicted of them all, walked to the home of George Richardson on Reeds Bay to seek help.

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Liliuokalani Gardens, named after Hawaii’s last reigning monarch, Queen Liliuokalani. This beautifully landscaped park features arching bridges over fishponds, rock gardens, pagodas, Japanese stone lanterns and a teahouse. Views of Hilo Bay and Mokuola (Coconut Island) enhance this peaceful setting. With so much to see, this is a popular park for families to explore while they’re visiting the Hilo area.

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The pictured statue stands prominently in front of Aliʻiolani Hale in Honolulu, Hawaii. The statue had its origins in 1878 when Walter M. Gibson, a member of the Hawaiian government at the time, wanted to commemorate the 100-year arrival of Captain Cook to the Hawaiian Islands. The legislature appropriated $10,000 for the project and made Gibson the director of the project, which originally included native Hawaiians but they soon were off the project and Gibson ran the project by himself. Gibson contacted Thomas R. Gould, a Boston sculptor living abroad in Florence, Italy to create the statue.

• Admission Ticket Free

At Rainbow (Waiānuenue) Falls, the Wailuku River rushes into a large pool below. The gorge is blanketed by lush, dense nonnative tropical rainforest and the turquoise colored pool is bordered by beautiful, although nonnative, wild ginger. Monstera is also in abundance.

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Experience the most recent volcano eruption. Feel the heat up close, see the most recent flows.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free