Wish You Were Here!
Welcome to the Ala Moana Regional Park
Created with the vision of being a park truly for the people, the Ala Moana Regional Park (also known as the Ala Moana Beach Park) without a doubt delivers, hosting tennis courts, a lawn bowling arena, a volleyball court, public restrooms, barbeque and picnic areas, jogging paths, concession stands, ample beach access, and much more! There is also plenty of free public parking, which is not to say that it can’t fill up quickly on a weekend, however, only a short drive from Waikiki, the vibe here is much less touristy and it feels much more spacious.
What is now the Ala Moana Regional Park, as well as virtually all of the modern Honolulu coastline, was once a shallow reef, reclaimed through massive efforts to make the city more accessible to private citizens, tourists, industry, and the military, though this is more evident on the ground in some places rather than others. Though much has been added since, it was during the Great Depression that the Park began to take its modern shape (figuratively and literally), with help from several New Deal programs. As a matter of fact, it was FDR himself who dedicated the park and declared it as “The People’s Park” (Historic Hawai‘i Foundation, 2018). Over the next few decades, the park continued to expand, and in 1962, the adjoining “Magic Island” (which is not now, nor ever has been, an island) was added to the coastline, jutting out abruptly to form a small peninsula.
Activities in the park are endless; on a brief walk you can see families having picnics, university students playing frisbee, old men fishing and smoking cigars, couples getting married, and more! Offering its own lagoon, ample opportunities for family or solo fun, or just a place to relax by the ocean without being overcrowded by tourists, the Ala Moana Regional Park is a must visit!
Want to know more?
Check out this Transformation of Ala Moana Coastline article by Peter Young (2019), to learn more about the park’s history and see its transformation through photos and chars over the years!
You can also see current beach conditions, including water temperature, UV Index, and wave height, as well as permitted and prohibited activities and beach hazards via the SafeBeachDay website.
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More Photos!
