Honolulu's Waikiki beach area can be accessed from Kalakaua Avenue. Along the long stretch of sandy beach are areas for swimming, surfing, body-boarding, kayaking and snorkeling. Activities aren't limited to the daytime: on weekend nights, Waikiki hosts "Sunset on the Beach," which provides free screenings of movies on a 30-foot screen at Queen's Beach. At night, vendors sell plate lunches and other treats at beachside concession tents. Off of Ala Moana Boulevard is another beach area: Ala Moana Beach Park, which has picnic areas adjacent to a long stretch of shore. Several areas of the beach have ideal snorkeling and swimming conditions and surfers and body-boarders can be seen at all hours of the day there. Every Friday evening there is a fireworks display at Ala Moana that is visible even from other areas of Honolulu.
Across the street from the beach at 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. is Ala Moana Center, which is the largest shopping center in the state of Hawaii. At the center stage pavilion, Ala Moana Center holds events such as fashion shows and talent competitions, as well as showcasing hula and music performances by local groups. Those who wish to do their shopping after a day at Waikiki Beach can stop by any of the luxury stores on Kalakaua Avenue or head to the Royal Hawaiian Center at 2201 Kalakaua Ave. A list of stores on Kalakaua Avenue and at the Royal Hawaiian Center can be found on Waikiki.com and the Royal Hawaiian Center official website, respectively (see Resources).
A few blocks from Waikiki Beach is the Waikiki Aquarium, which contains several large exhibits, including a tank full of sharks and manta rays. There are also displays of living coral formations and a self-guided tour that takes visitors through a maze of sea life. The aquarium also holds weekly events: young children can partake in educational groups and there are also craft and play activities for all ages. The official Waikiki Aquarium website has further information and operating times. A few blocks away from the aquarium is the Honolulu Zoo, which is Hawaii's only zoo and hosts several exhibits, including elephants, several species of monkeys and two Sumatran tigers. A children's zoo caters to younger zoo-goers and contains kid-friendly exhibits and a petting zoo. The zoo allows food to be brought in, and picnicking families are often seen on the zoo's grassy main lawn. Hours of operation and ticket prices can be found on the Honolulu Zoo's official website (see Resources).
The Hawaii Army Museum is close to Waikiki and is free to visit. Several exhibits on World War II and Pearl Harbor are hosted here, as well as educational exhibits featuring ancient Hawaiian warfare. Downtown is the Bishop Museum, which has an entire building dedicated to Hawaiian history and artwork. Another building holds ongoing temporary exhibits. Operating times and exhibit information for both the Hawaii Army Museum and Bishop Museum can be found on their respective official websites (see Resources).
Downtown and off of Kalakaua Avenue is the Hawaii State Capitol Building. Daily tours are given from Monday to Friday starting at 1:30 p.m. The tour covers the history of the state legislature and the Hawaii capitol itself. More information can be found at HawaiiWeb.com. Nearby the Capitol Building is 'Iolani Palace, which has several exhibits of art and historic artifacts related to Hawaiian history. There are also weekly demonstrations of ancient Hawaiian crafting, and The Royal Hawaiian Band performs at the Palace every Friday. Operating times for 'Iolani Palace can be found on the official website (see Resources).
