Polynesian Cultural Center

The Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie on the north shore of Oahu is the largest paid visitor attraction in Hawaii, welcoming more than one million guests annually to a 42-acre campus showcasing the living cultures of seven Pacific island groups. Founded in 1963 through an initiative of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and operated in partnership with Brigham Young University–Hawaii, the center employs hundreds of Pacific Island students who staff and perform in recreated island villages. The core of the experience is a self-guided tour through seven distinct island villages — Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Aotearoa (Maori New Zealand), Tahiti, Fiji, and Marquesas — each staffed by student-practitioners from that culture who demonstrate traditional crafts, music, and skills. Demonstrations include tapa cloth-making, coconut palm weaving, fire-walking preparation, outrigger canoe paddling technique, and hula. The village experiences are interactive: visitors can attempt coconut husking, join a poi-pounding demonstration, or learn basic hula movements. The afternoon centerpiece is the 'Islands of Polynesia' canoe pageant, a 45-minute water parade in which performers from all seven cultures travel along the central lagoon in costumed outrigger canoes, performing dances, music, and chants specific to their islands. The evening is anchored by 'Ha: Breath of Life,' a 90-minute theatrical production tracing the journey of a Polynesian boy from birth to fatherhood through song, fire-knife performance, acrobatics, and elaborate stage effects. The show is widely considered one of the most impressive evening productions in Hawaii. Admission is sold in tiered packages combining village access, the canoe pageant, dinner, and the evening show at varying price levels. The Ali'i Luau package includes a traditional imu-cooked feast with reserved seating. The center is located approximately 60 miles north of Waikiki in Laie and is closed on Sundays. Transportation packages from Waikiki hotels include round-trip coach transfers.