A two-year renovation project at the Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park could begin as soon as September, according to park officials.
The planned improvements will require the "complete closure of Kilauea Visitor Center, including the restrooms, water station and sidewalks around the building," according to a June 25 statement.
Park officials at the popular Big Island attraction said visitors should also expect limited parking at the Kilauea Visitor Center and along Crater Rim Drive West as well as a reduction in services while the renovation is completed.
"As a result of the loss of Jaggar Museum due to the 2018 summit collapse of Kilauea volcano, the existing Kilauea Visitor Center [KVC] is too small to meet the needs of current and future park visitors," park superintendent Rhonda Loh said in the statement. "The renovation of KVC will provide expanded outdoor and indoor spaces for new exhibits that convey the rich geology, biology and Hawaiian culture that define Hawaii Volcanoes National Park."
Limited services and the visitor center's retail store will be relocated to a temporary "visitor contact station" near the Kilauea Military Camp, according to park officials, who noted the nearby Volcano House hotel and restaurant and the Volcano Art Center Gallery will remain open throughout the renovations.
Planned improvements to the Kilauea Visitor Center include new exhibits, expanded visitor-use space, upgrades for the facility's restrooms, a new covered pavilion and additional interior retail space for the Hawaii Pacific Parks Association store.
Park officials did note that while September is the soonest the Kilauea Visitor Center would close, a delayed start date for the renovation work is possible, and visitors planning a trip to the Hawaii Island attraction should check the park's website for regular updates.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park welcomed more than 1.6 million visitors last year, according to National Park Service data.