One of the most famous of all Hawaii's attractions is Oahu's Polynesian Cultural Center which was built in 1963 in Oahu's coastal town of Laie. This is actually considered to be the largest paid attraction in the state. Located on the North Shore of Oahu the Polynesian Cultural Center is about an hour's drive from Waikiki but that does not stop droves of visitors from visiting it and if you don't have a car there are buses to take you there.
Polynesian Cultural Center Tickets
Polynesian Cultural Center tickets should be purchased early. During busy times tour tickets can fill up.
Why is it so Popular?
The reason for its popularity has to do with the fact that it's concept is so original and compelling. The idea behind it is that small villages representing eight of the major cultures of the South Pacific have been created here for you to walk through and enjoy. You will be able to walk from a small Tahitian village to a Samoan village to a Fijian village and so forth and see the designs of their huts and see the way they lived inside. The other cultures represented here are the Tongan, Hawaiian, Maori and Marquesas Islands. Actual islanders will be there dressed in their traditional garb and ready to answer any questions you might have. You'll be able to play traditional games and watch them as they produce useful everyday items out of materials found in their natural environment.
Later in the evening you will be treated to a Luau or a Hawaiian show and also a large extravaganza featuring all the song and dance of the South Pacific regions. There is also an exciting IMAX presentation and a lagoon which which flows through the facility allowing for canoes, native cultures and special pageantry to parade before you with great spectacle.
The Polynesian Cultural Center is one of the true Hawaiian success stories. In an attempt to provide an education for the youth of the variety of Polynesian countries a non-profit organization was set up by the Church of Latter-Day Saints who had originally operated a church on the North Shore of Oahu in the area known as Laie. The organization has provided scholarships to thousands of students who have attended the nearby campus of Brigham Young University. It is estimated that about 70% of the working staff of the property at any given time is manned by university students who are permitted to work a total of 20 hours each week... read more.
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Considered to be the largest paid attraction in the state of Hawaii, the Polynesian Cultural Center on the North Shore of Oahu is a Hawaii 'icon' and is a 'must visit' when you come to Oahu. All the major cultures in the Pacific Rim are spread out in replicas of island villages with traditional housing and complete with actual South Pacific islanders dressed in traditional garb who are there to interact with you regarding all aspects of their island lifestyles. More Info / Buy Now
If you are staying on one Hawaiian Island but would like to visit the highlights of another island in the chain then the one-day inter-island flights and tours offered by Aloha Sunshine Tours are just what you're looking for. These inclusive tours simplify your itinerary and make your touring experience 'care free'. More Info / Buy Now
On the island of Oahu, we have one of the largest visitor attractions in the state of Hawaii, the Polynesian Cultural Center.
This is something that almost all visitors try to get to if they can. It's certainly one of the most worthwhile things you can do on the island of Oahu. Let me show you where it is to begin with. Let's get that happening. Oahu is here. You're down here in Waikiki most probably. This is located on the complete opposite shore way over here on this coastline.
It's a distance. It's an hour or maybe a little bit further depending on the day you're going and traffic and that sort of thing, but you can certainly drive out there. Not a problem with that. Enjoy the North Shore coastline on the way up, depends on which way you go, North Shore or you can go up this way along the eastern coast, and get a little bit of seeing the island. You can actually go one way. On the way back, you can come the other.
In any event, you can drive up there or you can be picked up. Pickup is at your Waikiki hotels. There is an additional charge for that. If you decide to go up on your own, they don't open until after noon, after 12:00. Then they go through the entire day. They have Dinner and a Big Show and such in the evening. It's nice to get there in the early afternoon and just enjoy what's there, because there's so much.
Essentially the way it works is this. Let's go back to this again. The way they have it set up is they have essentially seven separate villages that are representative of the various cultures that you'll find in the South Pacific, Fijian, Samoan, Tahitian, Maori, et cetera. You'll actually be able to go to a village. The village is set up. The huts and the homes that you see are the traditional architecture that you'll find in that culture. Then there'll be someone that is there that is a native from that particular culture that'll kind of be able to explain things that you're seeing in the village. They'll have little demonstrations, maybe how to ... little games that happen or how to make some of the little artifacts that they make or that they use in their daily life, explain a little bit about the construction of the huts and the homes that you're seeing.
You'll be able to have an interaction with these people and actually ask them questions and so on. You can do this on your own. You can walk through and see all the different villages and enjoy it that way, or you can sign up with a docent or a little tour guide that'll take you through and make sure that you see all the different villages, and kind of like get you in all the right areas at the right times so you don't miss anything. That's up to you, however you want to do it.
The idea basically is through the afternoon, you're really getting immersed into the culture, the various cultures of the South Pacific, and getting an understanding of what's going on in those cultures. There's also an IMAX theater that's there that talks about the South Pacific, and you can see things from a film production perspective of the South Pacific.
In the evening, they kind of go into a couple different things. They have a Lu'au that you can be involved with, and certainly all the lu'au food and so on. Then there is a big ... kind of a production that they do as the very last thing that deals with all the cultures of the South Pacific, and does a medley of dances and the pageantry and the costumes and the chants. It's just kind of a huge production that you can wind up your time there at the Polynesian Cultural Center with.
This is a great way to spend your day. It's very educational. If you've got children, this is a wonderful place to be. Just make sure you don't miss it. It's one of the experiences you won't find on any other island, and you should just set aside time, one day, to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center. If you have any questions about Tours or Activities in Hawaii, just give us a call or check out tombarefoot.com. We're here to help.
