(BIVN) – The Kīlauea Visitor Center (KVC) in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park will close in two months for extensive renovations.

The closure will start on Sunday, February 17, 2025 at 5 p.m. HST. Previous news releases from the National Park Service have stated the project that is expected to take up to two years to complete.

“KVC restrooms, sidewalks, water station and about half of its parking will be unavailable during the construction project,” a National Park news release reported. “Visitors should plan ahead and be prepared for limited services and parking. Volcano House and the Volcano Art Center Gallery will remain open.”

The KVC renovations include:

• The addition of a covered hālau (pavilion) on the west end of the building
• New and improved restrooms relocated to the east end of the building
• Full accessibility
• Converting offices to expand visitor space
• More space for the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store
• New bilingual exhibits in English and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi

Artistic rendering of the hālau (outdoor pavilion) that will be constructed on the west end of Kīlauea Visitor Center in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (OTAK & Mason Architecture)

From the National Park Service:

Park rangers and the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store and staff will continue to serve visitors. A few days after KVC closes, they will relocate to a temporary welcome center at Kilauea Military Camp’s accessible Koa Room, just 1.2 miles west of the park entrance. Parking is available at the nearby ballfield.

While some ranger programs will continue, visitors should plan ahead, come prepared and expect limited services. The park film and programs like After Dark in the Park and Nā Leo Manu are suspended until KVC reopens. The project could take up to two years to complete.

KVC is the only visitor center in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and is too small and outdated to serve the 1.5 million or so people that venture to the park each year. Jaggar Museum was removed earlier this year due to damage it received during the 2018 eruption and summit collapse of Kīlauea.

The deconstruction of the museum and restoration at Uēkahuna is part of the 2018 Disaster Recovery Project. Jaggar Museum and the former USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory buildings have been removed. Workers are currently restoring Uēkahuna to a more natural state that enables uninterrupted views of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera). The restored Uēkahuna is expected to reopen by summer 2025.