Liliuokalani Botanical Garden

The wind in the trees lured me in. The soft sound of water falling slowed my steps. The spirit of the trees beckoned me to sit down and enjoy the serenity. If you love trees, then you will love this park.
The laundry line gently blew in the wind. The old tenant buildings drew a stark contrast against the fence line. The sprinkler hit it’s target spot on and provided a nice mist.
Walking farther towards the far end of the park, I discovered an abandoned boarded up two story building. It looked so forlorn, hoping to be filled with people again someday.
Noticed a girl walking towards me from the occupied building, muttering and talking to herself and an imaginary friend. We walked alongside each other for a time, but she did not see me. Hope her imaginary friend is good to her.
Lie down on a blanket under the trees. Listen and watch as the wind gently caresses the trees leaves. If you stay long enough you can hear the trees speak. They are strong here.

Used to be my neighborhood as a kid growing up. Back then this place was hub bub for juveniles who love to jump off the waterfalls, there were frequent accidents. Now this place became monumental and serene park. Good place to do yoga, tai chi and meditation.

So as a tourist I was really disappointed to see a garden walk with so much potential! From
My view-​I seen beautiful trees & a great waterfall was great!
Pros: lush greenery !! & free parking!
Cons– shoes, milk cartoon, dresser!! yes dresser smh & dirty clothes spilled all over the lake! I do recommend someone comes & cleans the garden & lake area up !! Some of the flowers & trees was a missed rainfall away from been dead… I seen a no-​smoking sign from the parking lot and that was funny to see me Bc this should be the lease of anyone’s concern — but no seriously the garden needs a lil tender loving care!!!

Cyndy’s Bottom Line: A beautiful garden to explore and wander around on a nice sun shiny day in paradise!
The gardens are lush with a variety of plants and trees that are labeled.
There are two waterfalls one at the N. Kuakini street entrance and another larger one at the School street entrance.

It’s a little slice of heaven, but neglected. I went to the Foster Botanical Garden to look for native Hawaiian plants and learned that they don’t have many. They mostly have exotics. They suggested this garden but noted it was «very small.»
It is small in comparison, but has a lot of potential.
It is sad that a garden named in honor of this historic woman is treated with such disrespect.

Very dirty and has graffiti around the area. Felt very sketchy when I was parking. Came, walked in, and left.
Parking lot is small. Google Maps does not take you here. Search based on the address.
Not worth the minute visit.

I used to go to this park 20 years ago and I loved it then. Do not bother to go there now because there is no parking at all now. The small parking lot on Kuakini St. was closed and locked when I tried to show my mother it Saturday at noon time. There is no real parking from the School street access either. The bathrooms are bordered up and the water fountain for drinking has been capped off. The area was pretty clean though. Basically it seems that the area in now considered for use of only the residences and buildings around there since there is no bathrooms. You can forget anyone with a physical handicap that needs help walking because they seem to have no walkway from the School street side except a tiny hole in the concrete/​rock wall– in other words no sidewalks only a dirt pathway or grass. Forget street parking because all the people living or working in the buildings have taken it all up. Without bathrooms — I would not take any kids there. This place looks nice with the grass cut but most kids would want to play in the stream — and if you research you will find that most streams in this state are not considered safe to drink or enter if you have a cut or even get a mouthful of water if you swim in it. People still go there for taking pictures and outings — but i think they must live close by if they have to go to bathroom– and there are no public bathrooms for a mile or so like at MacDonald’s. So at this rate the place will start getting stinky from people who need to go– ugh.

For anyone interested… Hawaii Pacific University Student Nurse’s Association is sponsoring a clean up of Liliuo’s garden on Thursday, May 7, 2014 from 0900 — 1100. You can stay longer of course, but students are studying for finals!

I love this park. It’s a small piece of heaven in the middle of Babylon. Too bad the authorities don’t take care of it the way it deserves. Trash and debris can be seen in the stream and its surroundings. The bathroom is not conveniently located and it doesn’t work now. The lack of care makes it a great location for the less fortunate to hang out

Filthy water and rubbish all over the place. No restrooms to use. Small garden lacking care. Garden surrounded by buildings looks like government housing.

Located in Nu’uanu valley, this lush garden is an absolute gem! This garden always takes my breath away so if you are in the area or looking for a break from the townie lifestyle, visiting the gardens is a must!
The hours are a bit annoying as well as the security guard, but this place is a well kept secret and I’m glad it is!
After the rains, the waterfall located closer to school street side becomes a serene spiritually invigorating spot and is amazing to sit next to
The parking located on Kuakini side is small, and the mosquitoes here are horrendous! So make sure to bring bug spray and a light jacket in case it begins to sprinkle.

i love to come here. it’s so beautiful. a place where you can go to get away from the stress in your life. its also good for powerwalks and jogging

A slice or heaven awaits and greets you here at the Liliuokalani Botanical Gardens in urban Honolulu. It is really a scenic enclave of stunning plans and landscaping that you would not believe that this is here. Almost like stepping into a rainforest of sorts, this oasis is a visual representation of what is awesome about Kalihi. I stumbled upon the Liliuokalani Botanical Gardens by chance when I was walking to my doctor’s office on Liliha Street on a recent weekend and made a detour while looking at my Unilocal iPhone app on what was nearby that looked interesting to check out.
Enter the botanical gardens. Located in Kalihi on Kuakini Street, this gorgeous place can be forgotten in the hustle and bustle of urban living. These gardens are a gentle reminder that nature is the place to be and to not admire it would be a shame. There are a plethora of street parking abound in and around the property, so you can get here with ease. If you are like me, TheBus route #13 comes through here directly, although bus routes #1L and #2 stop on Liliha Street /​School Steeet, but you would have to walk up to the gardens, which is like 2 – 3 blocks from the bus stop.
The scenery is both breath taking and spiritually rejuvenating. I could spend a good half day here before venturing out and doing other things. Peaceful and the meaning of human existence can be found, reexamined, and rediscovered through thinking and being in this place. I know I have solved even the complexities of the world’s problems coming through here and just let go. It’s how powerful this place can be. The silence felt through the trees and various plant foliage provides the necessary ingredients for a respite oasis that is really 1^st class, except for those hikes around the island that always takes your breath away.
Not really sure if the Liliuokalani Botanical Gardens charges any admission fee when I went, but I would have spent up to $ 5, just because this place is just too darn awesome. I just love to be around nature and hope there are others who are as enthusiastic about the outdoors and the environment as I am. Clearly, I am enjoying this place and hope to make it a regular thing — if only 15 minutes during my lunch breaks during the work week. Definitely recommended if you are in the area. You won’t regret it!
Support nature!
A+

The small parking lot is on Kuakini Street, and you will see plenty of palm trees and lush vegetation, plus a small waterfall once you get towards the other side of the park, which isn’t something you’d expect to see around the Downtown area. The main features of the garden are the aforementioned waterfall, a pedestrian bridge, and stream. Plenty of shade and several picnic areas, but you should use mosquito repellent just in case.

Sprouting out of the inland Nu‘uanu neighborhood, (nestled behind Nu‘uanu Park Place condos), springs Lili‘uokalnai Botanical Garden. Cool shade aplenty blankets this lush shred of virgin landscape. A manageable downhill trail trimmed by flourishing vegetation leads to the park’s heart: a bridge spanning Nu‘uanu Stream and a full-​on sight of the simply fetching Waikahalulu Falls flowing under N Kuakini St. I fully enjoyed my time here. Queen Lili‘uokalani’s park peeking out of Nu‘uanu is a green diamond shimmering against much modernization.

This park is a slice of nature in a relatively congested area. Who would think there would be a water fall so close to downtown? It is not a high dropping one, but a cascading waterfall.
Four star is a little high. But I give it high marks because it’s a unique park hidden in a urban environment.
—-Random tidbits — –
–Bring your mosquito spray in case the bloodsuckers come out
–Picnic table and green lawns
–Tight parking space
–The bathroom from the outside seems a little creepy
–Across the river from the Japanese Consulate
— 7 – 11 nearby and Foodland not too far

Took a wrong turn while I was heading to my haircut appointment in the area and ended up at this beautiful botanical garden. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this place as the beautiful waterfall always captures my peripheral while I zoom past on the freeway.
Now faced with this slender piece of oasis, I am reminded of my grandma’s story of when she was dating my grandpa and how he liked to come here with his kolohe (rascal) cousins and skinny dip and how scandalous that was back in the day. Well, it still would be. I remember her telling me this as a teenager and thinking, ‘you go, gramps’. So the fact that a wrong turn brought me to this memory only reinforced its telling decades ago and emphasized the connection I have with this garden via my grandpa. I can see why he loved this place.
Tempted to drop trou and take a dip in the rushing waters, I resist as a ‘halau troop poses for pictures nearby. The best wrong turn I ever took.
#Yelp 365: ⁰³⁶⁄₃₆₅

This is one of the hidden treasures of Honolulu. It’s a botanical garden park that Nuuanu stream cuts through between School and Kuakini Street. It is a «bring your camera» place you have to visit at least once in your life.
Not the botanical garden like Foster Garden or Wahiawa Botanical Garden; but none the less, a place that is very special because of Waikahalulu Falls. Yes, there is a waterfall so very close to the heart of downtown Honolulu.
The main entrance to the Garden is off of Kuakini Street. There is a small parking lot for about ten cars. You can also access the park through Waikahalulu Lane off of North School Street. Waikahalulu Lane is about a quarter mile west of Nuuanu. There is no parking lot on this side and this a pedestrian access for those jogging or walking.
The stream, waterfall and a pedestrian bridge are the main features of this garden. The flora of the botanical garden still need some time to grow. It is a very peaceful setting for those that enjoy God’s natural beauty.
The park is generally very well manicured and you can stay on the path, which takes you to the bridge or go down to the stream and hop, skip and jump from river boulder to boulder.
When you’re on the bridge you can see the sparkling beauty of Waikahalulu Fall. Turn around and see Nuuanu stream flow under the freeway and in the distant and on the left is the entrance to Foster Garden.
During the spring the white, yellow and shell ginger are in bloom. You can smell the fragrance of the white ginger in the air, from he bridge.
Slap! Slap! Slap! Hmmmm! The irritating sound you hear is the mosquitos that are annoying; but something you have to put up with when you are around a stream and pond.
Waikahalulu Fall fills a grayish-​brown pool at its base. Be warned. DON’T EVEN THINK OF SWIMMING IN THE POOL! Don’t blame me if your hair falls off if you do!
There are some picnic tables around if you incline. But because of the mosquitoes, this park is more for walking, jogging, wading in the stream and catching crayfish.
The restrooms are not very clean but then I’ve only been on the men’s side.
I think allot of you have never heard of or been to Queen Liliuokalani Botanical Garden. If you are into nature, take my advise and take some time to experience this park.