Polynesian Cultural Center

The Polynesian Cultural Center in Lāʻie calls itself a living museum dedicated to perpetuating the cultures of Polynesia while helping support students at Brigham Young University-Hawaiʻi, and it is a nonprofit affiliated with the university. Most of its paid workforce are BYU-Hawaiʻi students. Its island villages present the cultures of Hawaiʻi, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Tahiti and Aotearoa, with cultural presentations and hands-on activities. The center opens at noon, the Island Villages run through the afternoon, Huki: A Canoe Celebration takes place on the lagoon in the early afternoon, and canoe rides are free. Dinner is the Aliʻi Lūʻau, a traditional Hawaiian feast of kalua pork with hula, live music and a royal procession, or the Gateway Buffet. The evening ends with HĀ: Breath of Life, a show of fire, song and dance by Polynesian performers. Tickets come as packages, from Islands of Polynesia, a daytime ticket for the villages, to packages that add the evening show, dinner and a guided visit through the villages, and pricing may adjust with seasonal demand. A free pass lets you come back to the villages on consecutive business days after your first visit. To check in, bring a valid photo ID, the credit card you paid with and your confirmation email, and reservations can be canceled without penalty until the late afternoon of the day before. The center is closed on Sundays and Wednesdays, apart from listed Wednesdays, and on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. From Honolulu, allow plenty of time for the drive along Kamehameha Highway past Kualoa, Mokoliʻi Island and Kahana Bay, especially in weekday afternoon traffic; parking is free, with a shuttle from the lot to the entrance, and a motor coach runs from Waikīkī for a fee. Alcohol is not served or permitted anywhere on the property, shoes and shirts are required, bathing suits are not allowed, and photography and video are prohibited during HĀ: Breath of Life. You may bring outside food and nonalcoholic drinks for yourself, but not in large coolers or glass containers, and nothing that needs heating or refrigeration.