Oahu - Hawaii with Kids - page 115

offered 2 days before, during, and 2 days after the full moon, from 7 to 9pm;
the cost is $7 for adults and $5 for children.
151 Kapahulu Ave. (between Paki and Kalakaua aves.), at entrance to Kapiolani Park. & 808/971-7171.
www.honoluluzoo.org. Admission $6 adults, $1 children 6-12. Stroller $7 for single. Daily 9am-4:30pm. Bus:
2, 8, 19, 20, or 47.
Polynesian Cultural Center All ages. You can experience the natural
beauty and culture of the vast Pacific in a single day at the Polynesian Cultural
Center, a kind of living museum of Polynesia. Here, you can see firsthand the
lifestyles, songs, dance, costumes, and architecture of seven Pacific islands—Fiji,
New Zealand, Marquesas, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, and Hawaii—in the re-created
villages scattered throughout the 42-acre lagoon park. A recent $1.1-million ren-
ovation project remodeled the front entrance and added an exhibit on the story
of the Polynesian immigration.
You “travel” through this museum by foot or in a canoe on a man-made fresh-
water lagoon. Each village is “inhabited” by native students from Polynesia who
attend Hawaii's Brigham Young University. Plenty of activities at each village for
the kids to do (from pounding a drum in a Fijian Village to face painting to
Hawaiian bowling). The park, which is operated by the Mormon Church, also
features a variety of stage shows celebrating the music, dance, history, and cul-
ture of Polynesia. There's a luau every evening. Because a visit can take up to 8
hours, it's a good idea to arrive before 2pm. Just beyond the center is the Hawaii
Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which is built of vol-
canic rock and concrete in the form of a Greek cross and includes reflecting
pools, formal gardens, and royal palms. Completed in 1919, it was the first Mor-
mon temple built outside the continental United States. An optional tour of the
Temple Visitors Center, as well as neighboring Brigham Young University,
Hawaii, is included in the package admission prices.
55-370 Kamehameha Hwy., Laie. & 800/367-7060, 808/293-3333, or 808/923-2911. www.polynesia.com.
Admission $49 adults, $33 children 5-11. Admission, IMAX, luau, and nightly show $79 adults, $55 children.
Ambassador VIP (deluxe) tour $109-$175 adults, $75-$115 children. Mon-Sat 12:30-9:30pm. Take H-1 to
Pali Hwy. (Hwy. 61) and turn left on Kamehameha Hwy. (Hwy. 83). Bus: 55. Polynesian Cultural Center coaches
$15 round-trip; call numbers above to book.
Sea Life Park All ages. This 62-acre ocean theme park, located in East
Oahu, is one of the island's top attractions. It features whales from Puget Sound,
Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins, California sea lions, and penguins going
through their hoops to the delight of kids of all ages. Allow all day to take in the
sights. There's also a Hawaiian reef tank full of tropical fish; a “touch” pool,
where you can touch a real sea cucumber (commonly found in tide pools); and
a bird sanctuary, where you can see birds like the red-footed booby and the
frigate bird. The chief curiosity, though, is the world's only “wholphin”—a cross
between a false killer whale and an Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphin. On-site,
marine biologists operate a recovery center for endangered marine life; during
your visit, you'll be able to see rehabilitated Hawaiian monk seals and seabirds.
41-202 Kalanianaole Hwy. (at Makapuu Point), Honolulu. & 808/259-7933. www.sealifeparkhawaii.com.
Admission $25 adults, $13 children 4-12. Daily 9:30am-5pm. Strollers $4 single. Parking $3. Shuttle buses
from Waikiki $5. Bus: 22 or 58.
USS ArizonaMemorial at Pearl Harbor Ages 5 and up. On Decem-
ber 7, 1941, the USS Arizona, while moored here in Pearl Harbor, was bombed
in a Japanese air raid. The 608-foot battleship sank in 9 minutes without firing