The Polynesian Cultural Center, on Oahu's North Shore, is a perennially popular one-of-a-kind theme park. It could be called a living museum where a cast of hundreds of Polynesian islanders bring their exotic customs, culture and tradition alive in an environment that invites interaction and is sprinkled with a touch of magic.
The top paid visitor attraction in Hawaii, the Center will appeal to all ages with a line-up of activities that runs from early afternoon into the evening.
The Center's newest attraction is a $2.65-million canoe house called Halau Wa'a. The facility houses a 57-foot double-hulled voyaging canoe, carved and launched in La'ie. The canoe, Iosepa, is hand-carved out of dakua wood transported from Fiji. When it is not out on sail, it will be housed in the Halau Wa'a. The canoe house is also being used for interactive activities associated with Polynesian navigational practices.
Seven native villages populate the grounds of the 42-acre Center. Here visitors will have an opportunity to participate in the lives and adventures of Hawaiian and South Pacific cultures. A canoe pageant, an award-winning luau and an extravagant evening show with a cast of 100 native performers are some of the highlights of the day. The Ali'i Lu'au, Hawaii's largest, features dancers, musicians and fresh flower leis for each guest.
Children can use PCC's Passport to Polynesia as a guide for navigating activities and earning points for prizes. The Passport also includes information about games. like lafo, or Tongan shuffleboard, Hawaiian-style checkers and bowling, Samoan fire-making and fireknife twirling, pig hunting in the Marquesas tradition and, in Fiji, parent-approved traditional, wash-away tattoos are the attraction.
The Center, in La'ie about an hour's drive from Waikiki, was founded in 1963 by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to help support student attendance at the church's nearby college, Brigham Young University-Hawaii. Over the years, 32 million people have passed through its gates making it one of the most successful cultural theme attractions in the world.
Several restaurants and a wide range of gifts, souvenirs and Polynesian handicrafts are available on the grounds. PCC is open from 12:30 to 9 p.m. daily except Sundays. Island villages open at 1 p.m. A visit to the Center can fill up a full day or less depending on your inclination.
