Onizuka Center

First off please understand that their is a Mauna Kea Visitor center but this is the ONIZUKA Center that is found ON mauna Kea. There is a big difference!!!
I was a bit concerned about the drive since everyone talks about how steep it is and I only had a 2WD compact. The road up to the Onizuka center was completely paved and easily done. Yes it does get steep so on the way up I really had to push my car for a few moments and on the way down I had to go very slowly and ease off the brake a bit so I didn’t destroy them. I did not do the road to the very peak because of all the warnings of not doing 2WD and the fact that it was winter. Also, the rental I was driving needed quite a push when it was going steeply. If you want to see for yourself, there are actually a few YOUTUBE videos about the drive past the Onizuka center that you should view. The drive doesn’t actually look too bad and I did see a few cars that were 2WD that drove past the Onizuka center when I was there. Now, whether they actually made it to the top, I don’t know.
Anyway. The Center is pretty simple. There is a space for viewing videos that the continuously play. The other half of the space is the gift shop. There you can but various things like mugs, shot glasses, hoodies and they also see cup noodles, chips, freeze dried foods, teas, coffees etc. Hot water and cups are available outside the center for your purchases that require it. Anyone has access to the hot water and cups, you just need to pay a couple of dollars to spice things up.
For sunset, there is a hill that the park people can direct you to. It is a pretty steep climb but easily doable if you are in decent shape. I would not recommend that hike for anyway with joint or imbalance issues. On that hill you get an incredible view of the sunset that is unobscured. I may never know if it is as good as going to the top but it sure did feel like I was at the summit.
After sunset there are park volunteers that set up telecopes for you to do some stargazing. It was pretty neat except there were 5 telescopes and 3 of them were on the Orion Nebula and 2 of them were on the Pleiades. Yikes, how about a little more variety. The volunteers will do some neat stuff like point out obvious constellations and satellites but then they start becoming like a broken record and point out the same thing over and over again. It gets really dark by 7pm and you have such a great view of the night sky. I have never seen so many stars before in my life! At a good angle, you can also see the glow from the Halemaumau crater too! At 7:15pm they start their laser guided star gazing and a volunteer points out certain constellations with their Greek mythologic story (e.x. Pegasus, Casseiopeia, Andromeda, Perseus, Orion, Taurus, the seven sisters, Canis Major etc). they also point out specific stars in the sky (Betelgeuse, Polaris, Sirius, Canopus etc)
Recommendations for dress: Dress in layers and definitely wear a sweater and at least a thick fall jacket. Unless you plan to be there late late night, there is still some warm left over from the day time up till at least 8:30 pm so it isn’t so cold you need scarves and gloves and ear muffs.
I definitely recommend doing this as one of your excursions. You really just get such a beautiful view of the stars.

Beautiful drive up here. It’s the preeminent place on earth to see stars. The conditions are deemed perfect: elevation, lack of light pollution (they have laws about that on this island specifically to protect the viewing) and some thing to do with the wind and air or such in this part of the tropics.
There are 12 telescopes set up by volunteer astronomers and park rangers that you can use. All you need are your eyes. You can see satellites buzzing by with the naked eye. They use a laser to point out constellations. There is a short film in the center which is worth while.
Dress warm. It is COLD up here. 40 degrees.
There are 11 countries with major observatories up here at the summit.
There is a visitors center that sells gifts, hot cocoa and hot tea. There are restrooms. Oh, and did I say all of this is FREE!!! (Except the hot drinks.).

I would give this place 100 stars, if I could!!!
OMG! I couldn’t believe what I have seen.
SO SO SO SO SO amazing sky full of stars.
And meteors were non-​stop. I could see one every five minute.
Please!!! I am begging you. Come to this place when you visiting the big island.
If you don’t visit, don’t tell others you have been to big island.
Advise: It’s really cold up there, don’t forget to bring your coat with you!

Too bad the actual Visitor’s Centre was closed till further notice during our 4^th July 2015 visit. Also active protesting prevented us from accessing the actual Mauna Kea summit. But we were able to hike to adjacent hills to view the stars. WOW! Most stars ive seen in my life on a clear night.
Got to see Venus and Jupiter aligning themselves. They wont align again for another 20+ years as so i was told. Having immigrated to foggy San Francisco, i didnt find it too cold at the visitor centre. Maybe 14C so a light jacket is a good idea if you plan to stay for long.
Scuba divers! Plan this trip early on in your trip. Dont even think about nudging up Saddle Rd after a dive too or the bends will get you.

The Best Light Show on the Island — maybe the entire Planet… and it comes w/​its very own protest
The Mauna Kea Visitor’s Center sits up at 9200 feet, allowing access to the best Universe gazing around — I say Universe b/​c we saw not only Stars, but other Planets, Galaxies & Nebulae
Driving there has gotten much better over the years & if it’s foggy /​rainy where you are, still come on up — this is so high, it’s often above whatever weather elements are at your resort. Drive up & up & up the hill… through the cloud layer & rain… inching our way up the mountain, wondering if this is even worth it when BOOM, there are no clouds, the road is visible & you’re looking at a sky filled w/​nothing but blue sky
The volunteers at the Visitor Center are there every night until 10 PM & we could tell they really love their jobs — Telling stories about different points in space, getting excited by all of our excited reactions — it was a universal love fest!
Except for the protesters who had setup across the street to protest the building of a new telescope on the summit… whatever!
We sat in the center, watching a video on the Observatory & how it came to be & how Mauna Kea was the perfect location, all about Space & some great definitions of the wondrous things we were about to see… all this while the Star Guides were setting up their telescopes to show us:
Saturn w/​its RINGS & MOONS — Clearly Visible!
Jupiter w/​its Moons
Venus
Fuzzy Nebula
Southern Cross
Leo /​Virgo /​Scorpio
Big Dipper /​North Star
Little Dipper
Many, many other things too! And all I can say is… ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!
Oh, and bring layers! It was around 53 degrees at the Visitor’s Center & windy as all get out… nuff said

We went on a cloudy night. Too bad for us. They couldn’t even take out the telescopes after that far drive up 9000 feet. The kids loved the hot chocolate and expensive cup o noodles. Wish we could’ve seen more.

Awesome! As an amateur astronomer, this had to be a stop during our vacation to the big island. We were a little worried since the day we chose to go was overcast and raining. But, my aviation weather sources said the location had clear skies, so we drove up the mountain. We went into the clouds around 4000 feet and broke out around 8700. So the station did indeed have clear skies! And the experience was wonderful.
The Good:
— They set up telescopes for viewing. There are people who man the scopes for you and focus them in on different sights. Saturn was in a prime location that night and you had an excellent view.
— Small store for buying souvenirs and hot chocolate.
— Bathroom available.
— The tour of the sky was very professional and interesting. They used a laser to help point out different stars for those who were unfamiliar.
— Gorgeous sunset!
— Go well before sunset so you can explore a couple of trails around the visitors center.
The Not So Good:
— Cold at times, so plan accordingly if you are vacationing and plan to go here.
Bottom Line: I’ve lived where there is not much light and have had great views of the night sky, but this was beyond anything I’d ever seen. It was fantastic and the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. I’d go back in a heartbeat.

I came here for stargazing and it was amazing. From the visitor center, you already have crystal clear views of the night sky — more stars that you’ve ever seen. In addition, they have a bunch of telescopes set up already aimed at certain galaxies and stars. There is a video you can watch and people there to answer questions and guide your mini-​telescope use. There is also a gift shop where you can purchase hot chocolate for consumption. If you’re lucky, you won’t have a giant tour group there. But if there are, you can still get to see everything.
I recommend coming here about an hour after sunset so it’s completely dark. Be sure to wear winter gear. It’s freezing!
I didn’t get a chance to go to the very top, but you need an ATV.

Long drive and quite scary while driving up the mountain at night, through the clouds and wet roads, but once there… wow! I’ve never seen stars the way I did that night. The guy educating the audience was funny, yet very educational. It was 49 degrees while we were there, less than 2 hours after leaving the 84 degree weather of Waikoloa. Definitely dress warm so you can enjoy the star educating and gazing. They have a few telescopes available to look through, and even a little store that sells memorabilia and even hot chocolate for $ 1 or $ 2 (premium hot chocolate). Definitely try to fit this in your vacation. They said there were only 12 days in 2013 that were cloudy at that elevation, which gives you a pretty good chance of being able to see the sky as it was meant to be seen.

«It’s full of STARS!» — Dave Bowman, 2001: A Space Odyssey
This is as far up Mauna Kea as you’re going to get with a regular 2 wheel drive car on the paved road. In order to get to the summit where the observatory is, you better have 4 wheel drive because it becomes a gravel road on up from 9400 to 13,000 ft. If your vehicle is a rental, some companies don’t want you making this drive because it’s a grueling toll on the car’s engine & transmission.
The Visitor’s Center at 9,400 ft is accessible and on a good night, it can get pretty crowded, where you’ll have to park on the side of the road. It gets nippy at night, down into the mid 40’s, so bring an extra sweatshirt or fleece jacket. Pack a picnic dinner and wait for sunset. Don’t be discouraged if the skies are overcast and you drive into the fog. As the evening comes, the air below gets cooler, the inversion layer pushes the clouds down to the lower elevations and you’ll have a clear night to look up into sky and contemplate just how small we are in the universe.
Being from New York, we never see more than a handful of stars and most of the time it turns out to be a 737 flying into LaGuardia airport.
The Center shows a movie about Mauna Kea and the Observatory at the summit mixed with some local history. It’s a little drawn out at 1.5 hours and people lost interest real fast. But as the skies darkened and cleared, thousands of stars & celestial objects came out to play. Volunteers at the Center set up a bunch of telescopes and sighted on various objects in the sky. We saw the rings of Saturn and the fiery red surface of Mars. Even the International Space Station made a cameo appearance blinking it’s way across the sky!

What a wonderful experience. We set out from Hilo on the Saddle Road at about 4:00 pm and made it to the center a bit before 5:00pm. As we moved up the Saddle, and even after we turned to the Mauna Kea Access Road, we were socked in with fog. I wondered if it was ever going to clear, and then, miraculously, at about the 8,500 foot level it just cleared and there were clear, blue skies. We hiked up a nearby cinder cone, and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. We hiked back down to the stargazing area, and as the sky blackened, those stars came out… by the millions! I honestly don’t think I ever saw so many stars since my boyhood spent living in a small village in Micronesia. We saw the Southern Cross, Scorpio, and several other constellations. We learned from some of the astronomers how to spot the north star. We looked at star clusters through telescopes, and we were able to see three distinct bands around Jupiter, as well as four of its moons. It was just so awe-​inspiring.
My only complaint was that some of the 20-​something crowd appeared to be a bit inebriated. Knowing that alcohol consumption affects the auditory center, that was the only conclusion I could come to that made sense. Why else would these folks be talking so loud when they are in such a quiet, spiritual place?
Still, it was a wonderful experience, and I would definitely do this again!

The Onizuka Center for International Astronomy Visitor Information Station on Mauna Kea also known as the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station is the only place to stop on Mauna Kea that has 24 hour restrooms. Unfortunately, if you are going to the summit to watch the sunrise sometime before 7 am, you will return hours before the center opens at 9 am.
Check this link for more information including hours & directions:

We arrived just before sunset and were greeted with beautiful skies and an unbelievable view.
We watched several videos inside the visitor center while waiting for it to get completely dark outside. Between 6−10pm every night, the staff brings out telescopes for public use on the deck.
The view of the night sky from this location is breathtaking. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. I got to see the moon, Jupiter (and 2 separate storm systems on the surface of Jupiter), a dying star, Orion, and many other stars and constellations through several high powered telescopes.
They have hot tea, coffee, and hot chocolate available for purchase in the gift shop.
I cannot stress enough to make sure that you are dressed appropriately. It was 36 degrees F and very windy.
This was definitely a highlight of my trip and the best part was that it didn’t cost me a dime except the gas to get there.
I highly recommend visiting Mauna Kea if you are in the neighborhood.

wow, I remember when this was just the place to stop along the saddle road if you had to use the restroom. it is in such a good location, good to see it being used to its potential. Can’t wait to go up one evening & stargaze