Lodging & Dining

Staying at Volcano House

In 1846, Benjamin Pitman built the first Volcano House on the northeast side of the Kīlauea Caldera. The thatched structure was specifically for visitor use. A second Volcano House followed in 1866, constructed by J. L. Richardson and Company. It was here that Mark Twain stayed that same year. In 1877, the building was enlarged with many of the finished materials coming from Honolulu. It was the first truly wooden hotel on the island that used lumber, and commercial doors and windows.

In the late 1800s, the hotel on the rim of Kīlauea changed hands several times, until a larger, Victorian structure was erected. In 1904, George and Demosthenes Lycurgus took over management and became the principal stockholders. Their ownership lasted until 1921, when the hotel was purchased by the Inter- Island Steam Navigation Company. In 1932, George Lycurgus reacquired the hotel, and he and his son, Nicholas, managed it for more than 30 years.

In 1940, a devastating fire completely destroyed the Victorian hotel built in 1891. Fortunately, the section of the hotel that had been built in 1877 had been moved so that this relic of Kīlauea's by-gone days escaped unharmed. The 1877 structure is now the Volcano Art Center. The current hotel was built in 1941 at the edge of Kīlauea Caldera, with addition of the Deluxe Wing built in 1962. In the late 1960s, the Lycurgus family sold Volcano House to C. Brewer and Company. C. Brewer operated the hotel for a short time and then hired Sheraton Hotels to manage it. Volcano House was sold to the current owner, Ken Direction Corporation, a local family-owned and operated company.

In 1989, extensive work began in an attempt to restore the casual elegance that made Volcano House world-famous in the Lycurgus years. 

The hotel has a new kitchen, beamed ceilings and 42 rooms outfitted with rare koa wood furniture and Hawaiian-style quilts. 

Many dignitaries, including Mark Twain (1866) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (1934), have visited Volcano House, as have many modern-day celebrities and royalty. Today, you can stay year-round at Volcano House, the oldest continuously operated hotel in Hawai'i and the only hotel in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. 

You have the opportunity to share the warmth of the historic lava-stone fireplace in the lobby. In 1935, Ripley's Believe It or Not stated that the hotel's fire had been burning continuously for 61 years. For over 132 years, the Volcano House fireplace, that symbolizes the hotel's warmth and its spirit of "Aloha," has burned bright.

Volcano House has two gift shops which carry a variety of items including souvenirs, books, videotapes, film, clothing, jewelry, local arts and crafts, and camping supplies. Other facilities include a snack shop, a bar and a restaurant. Box lunches, if ordered by 8 a.m., can be prepared for you to take along on a picnic. Pets are not allowed. Major credit cards accepted include VISA/MC/AmEx/Diners/JCB. -

Volcano House also operates year-round camper cabins with the use of showers at Nāmakanipaio Campground, three miles west of the park entrance on Route 11. Each cabin contains one double bed and two single bunk beds for a maximum occupancy of four people; linen, soap and a blanket are included. It is recommended that you bring an extra blanket or sleeping bag since the cabins are not heated. Outside each cabin is a picnic table and barbecue grill. You must provide your own charcoal and cooking utensils. There are electric lights but no outlets.

Overnight Reservations

It is best to make advance reservations for Volcano House or the camper cabins at N¯āmakanipaio, especially for July and August. Contact Volcano House, P.O. Box 53, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, HI 96718; (808) 967-7321 (phone); (808) 967-8429 (fax); or visit online at www.volcanohousehotel.com.

Other Accommodations

If you are a member of the military (active, reserve or retired, or Department of Defense civilians, their dependents or guests), you and your family may find accommodations at the Kīlauea Military Camp, a Joint Services Recreation Center, which is located one mile west of Park Headquarters. From O'ahu, you may call (800) 438-6707 to make reservations. For out-of-state requests, please call (808) 967-8333.

Bed-and-breakfasts are available in the nearby communities of Volcano and in Hilo, which is 30 miles (48 km) northeast of the park. Call the Hawai'i Visitors Bureau at (808) 961-5797, or go online at www.gohawaii.com.

Dining at Volcano House

The only public dining facilities in the park are at Volcano House. The Ka O—helo Room, snack shop and Uncle George's Lounge all offer spectacular, panoramic views of the Kīlauea Caldera. It may be the world's only restaurant overlooking an active volcano!

Enjoy the ever-popular buffet for breakfast or lunch, or a romantic sunset dinner at the Ka O—helo Room. The food is hearty, delicious and competitively priced. In the Ka O—helo Room, you can enjoy award-winning cuisine along with a dramatic view overlooking the Kīlauea Caldera. The Ka O—helo Room is open daily. Breakfast buffet is served from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and the lunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The snack shop is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and dinner is from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dinner reservations are recommended. Uncle George's Lounge is open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Volcano House accepts all major credit cards. -

Dining Outside the Park

A number of restaurants in Hilo offer a variety of cuisines. There are also restaurants at Volcano Golf Course and Volcano Village, including Kīlauea Lodge, Thai Thai, Kiawe Kitchen, and Lava Rock Cafe, which are located just outside the park.