Community members are invited to celebrate the restoration of an ʻĪao Valley cultural facility with the blessing and grand reopening of Hale Hawaiʻi at Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens (below the state park) on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 10 a.m., the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) announced.

The new Hawaiian hale is 25-feet wide by 40-feet long and constructed on the existing rock and concrete platform to feature the Hale Halawai open-ended style. The DPR project required that construction of the indigenous Hawaiian architectural structure had to be supervised by a certified Hawaiian hale builder.

“Restoring this hale represents more than rebuilding a structure — it honors the people, traditions and stories of Hawaiian history,” DPR Director Patrick McCall said. “We are deeply grateful to the builders, cultural practitioners and community members who guided this project with such care. We welcome everyone back to this space to learn, connect and celebrate the rich heritage that continues to shape Maui.”

A fire destroyed the original Hale Hawaiʻi in 2003. When the reconstructed building needed repair in 2019, it was closed that year for upgrades.

Constructed in the 1960s and early 1970s, Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens is a 7.2-acre County-owned park at 870 ʻĪao Valley Road. The well-known area features ethnic displays, including buildings, gates and gardens, that honor cultural groups significant to Hawaiʻi and Maui history.

Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens holds Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and early American areas, along with picnic pavilions and restrooms.

For general County DPR information, visit www.mauicounty.gov/parks.