Kula Botanical Garden

This place was beautiful and quiet. Not very crowded. There are so many different paths to take and surprises all over. We loved that the plants were all labeled clearly. The orchid area was just beautiful with some rare items as well. Gift shop had a decent amount of stuff and was reasonably priced. There are other places to see in the area so it makes a great day trip although you will only need at most two hours for this place.

Very much worth making a stop to visit or scheduling a trip for. Large variety of plants and plenty of flowers to take pictures of along with some relaxing areas to soak in the peaceful atmosphere. A good hr and a half+ if you take a lot of pictures like me. Admission is well priced at 15$ and you get your moneys worth in plants! Would highly recommend.

We had our wedding here, and it was beautiful! Prior to this, we did visit quite a few times and enjoyed the variety of flowers and other plants. Very peaceful place to relax and enjoy your way up to Haleakala.

Beautiful experience. Loved walking through all the exotic plants. Peaceful and serene. The koi pond is back and full of beautiful koi fish. Must visit botanical garden while visiting Maui. Aloha!

Great place to visit. Been around about 60 years. Tons of beautiful plants trees and flowers. Going fish pond and a housed garden chameleon. Support local gardens. And they are open 365 days a year.

Family owned botanical garden. Nice little pond and a lot of plants . Small gift shop. It’s 20 miles from Kahului.

Came here during our honeymoon a few years back. Really fun experience to check out the garden and neighboring scenery. Staff was pleasant and gift shop had some cool souvenirs for us to bring home. Def would recommend for those seeking a nice place to walk and relax after a busy day before going back to hotel.

Very pretty small private garden with a large koi pond. Costs $15 to enter. Limited parking. Very friendly employees and a really cool gift shop with unique stuff. It’s a beautiful place to explore.

On a recent day trip to Maui, I wanted to see flowers and spend some time outdoors. I always seek out gardens when traveling, and this seemed worth the trip. It's a quick drive from Kula/Makawao area, further up the mountain. As others have noted, this is a private attraction and collection of plants from around the world. As it is, they have an entrance fee of $10/person, plus a gift shop to raise money to keep it in operation. I felt the cost was worth the visit; you could walk through quickly in just a few minutes, but we meandered slowly and spent about an hour here. Parking is free and easy right at the visitors center. They have seating overlooking the valley below outside, with restrooms, the ticket counter, and lots of Maui-produced goods and souvenirs. You're also given a laminated map to help you explore. The building feels like it hasn't changed much since the 1960s, it has an old vibe. The gardens are organized around a central paved road, with paths leading off on both sides, plus benches and gazebos throughout. Most things are clearly labeled with names and origin of the plants. Many flowers were blooming, so there was lots of colors to enjoy. Their collection is from all over the world, not just Hawaii. The koi pond had been recently repaired after it was damaged by flooding, so it's not yet fully developed. If you're a fan of flowers and the natural world, it's worth a visit.

This place is a gem!!!!! We enjoyed our time here!!!! It's super affordable and the person who helps you is a delight. Everything in this garden is beautiful!!!! The gardens has a few parking spots up front and a clean restroom indoor. There's a cute gift shop that we ended up walking out with tons of stuff. Their prices are competitive and they offer a few items that you cannot find in other places. There's a very helpful map to follow. Every little "trunk" has it's beauty. It's definitely a place to visit to fill your soul!!!

Small garden located in the slopes of Haleakala We stopped at the Kula Botanical Gardens before heading to Haleakalā National Park. Making a quick stop here was worth it for us since it was on the way to our destination. From Kihei it was 28-miles (about a 40-min drive). It was a nice quiet crowd on a Tuesday morning after Labor Day (mostly older folks). Admission was $10/person. I love botanical gardens. We paid at the gift shop and we were shown a map of the gardens encompassing 8-acres of land. The trail was easy to follow. The Koi Pond was the first attraction to see but because of the storm that hit Maui in December 2021 it completely destroyed the pond as 15-ft deep of debris covered it. Sadly, it hasn't recovered and was empty at our visit in September 2022. Elsewhere in the garden we saw some colorful and unique plants and amazing rock formations. The garden wasn't as bountiful of flowers at this time as I expected it to be but still pretty and I still managed to take a lot of pictures. Flowers make pretty photo subjects. There is a carved tiki exhibit which was cool also. The covered bridge, waterfalls, pools, aviary attractions were not accessible or just not there. Review #2698

This was one of my favorite relaxing visit at the foothills of Haleakala. They have beautiful tropical flowers (my wife knows what they are) and as you noticed I took lots of pictures . The garden would have been fully open to the public if not for the recent storms they have that cause some mudslide. In fact it's tragic because they had a koi pond that was wash out. The garden has two sides and areas with theme, but the ones I really enjoy is taking pictures of different , colorful flowers and bees inside getting their juice for honey. I hope they rebuild the areas that has been damage and restore tit like it was with the ponds and koi fish. Again, it's very relaxing to just clear your mind and enjoy the beauty of this side of paradise

If you are out and about in the area this is definitely a good place to drop by and spend an hour. A family-owned garden that's well cared for and informative. I learned a lot about the native plants I saw throughout the rest of my trip thanks to the labeling and nicely grouped areas. The garden is uphill so if you have someone in your group with limited mobility it may take a bit of time to stroll around - but there plenty of benches and places to rest. When we went in November 2022 almost everything except the koi pond was fixed up from the landslide.

This place had some really awesome plants but looks like it needs a little love, it's kinda overgrown and rundown. Small but worth the stop, there were some really cool plants - all labeled - a koi pond, some chameleons and some birds. It was a paved path so doable even in the rain!

Don't listen to the one star reviewer. This place is AMAZING. The first thing you'll notice when you arrive is just how quiet and peaceful it is. Once inside, it only gets better. The woman at the front desk was very helpful and informative, and the provided map makes sure you don't miss anything. I'd even recommend reading the story on the back of the map. So much to look at at your own pace. Great photo opportunities around every corner. Well worth the drive. A nice break from the hustle and bustle of the coastal attractions.

My partner and I were driving around the beautiful island and saw the sign from the road, we stopped to find a BEAUTIFUL super quiet garden with an aviary and an orchid section! There's 3 cute lil' kitties that walk the garden, but don't often come up to visitors. Up at the front gate there's even a Jackson's chameleon cage with adorable little friends! You talk to the wonderful and helpful Karine at the front desk to purchase your tickets, and she gives you a cute lil' map to walk the garden and she even has umbrellas incase it gets a little tropical! Such a picture-esk place so be sure to bring your food camera! At the end of the tour you end up back at the shop where there's fudge and gifts to purchase! From cute post cards, candles, and hand carved wooden and bone goodies! Such a great way to spend an afternoon.

Enjoyed our quick trip around the garden. Koi pond could be better maintained. However, the flowers and trees were lovely. Everything was labeled nicely as well. Plenty of places to sit and enjoy the garden views. Definitely worth the $10.

Recommended!! This botanical garden is a very beautiful place featuring many flowers with all kinds of colors. I really enjoyed the view and walking around. The garden is really peaceful. I recommend this place. The price is awesome for Maui vacation. It is only $29 for 5 people including 3 teens and 2 adults. We drove down the road and there were a few local farm shops. The front desk gentleman gave my kids a bracelet each. We bought 2 book marks as souvenirs. It was lovely visit.

As other reviews have mentioned this place is still recovering from an enormous landslide that took out its Koi ponds and some other parts of the garden. However, if you're on your way up to Haleakala or just in the area it's well worth the visit. It took us around 30 min to walk through at a leisurely pace. When we came (mid-afternoon) there was only one other party so we had the place to ourselves. There is an excellent Bromeliad collection and lots of wildlife - including a horned chameleon by the entrance. Check it out to support a local business and put a name to all those beautiful plants you keep seeing! Also, pick up some of their coconut-pineapple candy to munch on the drive :)

An absolutely stunningly curated garden of tropical plants around the world. I'd highly recommend visiting this collection to anyone who enjoys botanical collections. Plenty were in bloom, and was a peaceful walk. It is primarily uphill so be ready for that. But we'll worth the $10 entry fee!

We arrived at 3:18pm and the last admission was at 3:15pm. We were turned away at the door and told to come back another day even though we said it was our last day. THREE MINUTES. Don't waste your time, the gift shop was just tourist trinkets and the lady at the cash register was totally impolite and hard-headed.

We enjoyed this! I don't recommend making a special trip just for this garden UNLESS you're a huge fan of flowers/plants or are obsessed with chameleons. However if you're in the area or it's a slight detour, I recommend going. The variety of plants/trees/flowers was so lovely to admire. Plan to spend 1.5 hours here, or you can see it in 1 hour if you're in a big rush. There is 1 chameleon in a cage, and then we sighted another wild chameleon living in the garden grounds. It's kind of hard to see them though because they blend in! There were also some ducks and a goose that we saw. The grounds have some elevation changes but are paved. Not wheelchair friendly though because the walkway inclines in some areas look steep enough to be very difficult for a wheelchair to ascend. They recently closed for a couple months due to extensive damage from a storm, but they reopened all but one area (bridge and koi pond area).

Beautiful family owned and operated botanical garden. Well worth your time and money to visit this peaceful beautiful place. Visited in April 2and hope to return again when we visit Maui again.

Beautiful place with a very personable and welcoming guy who works the little shop! 10$ a ticket, beautiful grounds and scenery. The koi pond is empty due to renovations!

An old school garden, a beautiful walk, so very peaceful. Do know they suffered a terrible storm in 2021 and it took 200+ dumpsters to remove the mud and debris, they're still working on it but all in all it was worth the entry fee of $10 person. A great hour to spend upcountry taking in the local vegetation and flora. It reminded me of a time ago, of the way the land used to look, I truly appreciated our visit.

This botanical garden isn't very botanical anymore. My mom was so excited to bring us here to show us the beautiful garden that she experienced here 2 years ago, but there were no blooming flowers? At all? Not sure if the plants are totally dead or just out of season? It would've been nice if they gave us a warning before we dropped $10 a person for nothing. Spotting a cute little mouse in the bird exhibit was the highlight. I hope they use the $40 we spent today to put a little water in the koi pond.

This garden is gorgeous and the plants are all well labeled. If you like flowers and trees, then this is a gorgeous spot for you. While we were walking through the garden, I spotted a chameleon making its way through the branches of a giant flowering tree. This farm is owned by a local family and when they give you a map of the gardens you can learn the whole story of the gardens and it's growth over the years. As someone who loves to visit local businesses, I was touched by how much love went into the grounds. They must be constantly maintained. It's definitely not a huge company - but if it's the culture and beauty of Hawaii you are after - this is it. They also had a lot of plants that grow at 3600 feet (I think that's the number). And my partner's home country is at that elevation. We saw a lot of plants from his country as well - it was very cool to see.

Beautiful and peaceful! So many different beautiful plants to see! We enjoyed walking the paths and spending some quiet time in this beautiful place.

Great gardens and it smelled divine up there! We will go back. Fee only $10 and worth the beautiful drive up to Kula . My only wish is that it was bigger with more plants from all the islands. The educational tour would of been fun but we were short on time.

Kula Botanical Garden is a hidden oasis tucked in the slopes of Haleakala. The entry fee was $10, it has been this same price since they first opened. It was well worth! The walk around the garden was peaceful and relaxing. They give you a clear map and it was easy to follow. The property is well maintained and clean. Don't forget to stop and see the Jackson chameleons and bird aviary! If you're lucky, you'll see the fluffiest feral cats (they live on the property) around the evening time. The proteas were my favorite. They were blooming, bright and beautiful. The gift shop was also very cozy and quaint, they sell many local products. 10/10. Thank you Kula Botanical Garden! :)

We had a very pleasant visit on a cloudy but warm non beach day in May. So many beautiful plants in bloom. The plants are well marked and trails maintained. They are recovering from December 2021 storm damage so the Koi pond not back in action but so nice to see a man/families life's work recovering. The plants are beautiful and the small fee to walk through is worth it. Places to sit, relax, eat a picnic, enjoy nature. Take a look you will be glad you did. All my pictures are on my other camera I will have to try and load later. Take my word they are gorgeous

I'm sure at one point this was beautiful, but it is not really worth the time now. Many plants are potted, giving it the look of a nursery in places. Structural features look dated and in need of repair. Unfortunately, there is not water in places where it would really enhance the beauty of the garden, and that is an unfortunate thing that is happening everywhere with precious water. I might be spoiled for gardens on Kuaii and Hawaii, but the negative review here is from all the potted plants. I've never seen that before, or if they were they were at least hidden better.

With the name "botanical garden" I expected a bit more. There was a landslide a few months ago that took out a large portion of the gardens so there was less to see. I expected lots of lush colorful flowers and saw a few but not nearly as much as expected. It was a nice walk in a cooler setting and there wasn't a lot of people so it was nice for my two little ones to get some space to run around a bit. We enjoyed ourselves but certainly not worth a trip just for this but there's multiple things to do in this area to make it a wonderful day trip.

Not as well kept or maintained but this one is privately owned and operated and is open early. This must've been beautiful years ago but the aviary looked sad & dirty, the walkways leading to the covered bridge were covered in leaves & debris, there was no waterfall or water stream or water anything when we visited (October). There were broken pots & spilled soil in the orchid area and weeds were just everywhere. The hydrangeas are picturesque against the backdrop of the white gazebo but up close, they were wilted and sad looking. Admission is $10 per person and it was an easy walk but we did this to kill time and left after 20 min, 10 of which we spent speaking with a lovely elderly tourist couple we met near the gazebo who suggested other places to visit.

This is an incredible Botticelli garden here in Maui and I'm from So cal the home of the rose parade, descanso gardens and the arboretum. This place took the cake. If you like lush exotic plants and water falls this place is for you. Get your camera ready because this place is goals. With killer views from every place you look. This is the best way to really See the valley. Must enter through the gift shop. Tell Christy I sent you.

Such a hidden gem located in kuala and run by a very sweet family . Husband and I enjoyed touring the grounds and taking pictures . Unfortunately the water areas need a lot of work and sadly their famous birds were no longer there but we enjoyed ourselves immensely .

This place was so poorly maintained that I'm shock they were charging $15 a guest. I wish I would have noticed their poor Yelp review status before I came. What a waste! Like others said it feels more like a small nursery (that's unclean and unkempt) and the coi pond was not operational. Also the older woman working the front desk was a tad unfriendly. So much botanical gardens on the island including Garden of Eden (which is actually worth the money and drive).

Just waste of time and 10 fee for person,no waterfall,and would say just few flowers Just waste of time and 10 fee for person,no waterfall,and would say just few flowers

False advertising. No Koi pond, no birds, dead plants, broken pots & pipes lying around. This place can hardly be called a botanical garden. Sad experience.

Really enjoyed this garden, it's beautiful and big enough it never seems too crowded. very well maintained. Went here after breakfast and it was a perfect little walk around. Highly recommend.

I spent over an hour here on a drizzly day. It's stunning. Peaceful, surprising, and beautiful. It's absolutely worth going to. There was a friendly and helpful person at the front desk, and umbrellas available for the rain. Unique open greenhouses, arbors and gazebos throughout. Amazing views of the valley. Educational plant labels and excellent photo opps.

We so looked forward to visiting but once we arrived it became obvious that the owners dream has not been kept alive. The plantings and water features are all in much in need of repair and some tender loving care. Plants were dead, weeds had over taken the beds, the koi pond is not under construction but merely shut down. Mice were eating the bird feed in the aviary and the orchids were almost non existent. Do yourself a favor and have lunch at the Kula Lodge and enjoy theur garden. A much better experience.

I think it would be beautiful if the koi pond was operational and flowers were blooming.

Good way to spend about 1.5 hours on the way up or down from Haleakala. We have been to lots of botanical gardens in Hawaii and the one we like best is near Hilo but his on is probably #2. It is privately run but has a wide variety of pants we had never seen before. Admission is $10 and that seems about right. Everything is very well marked and Identified. Lots of waking up and sown hill but the trails are gradual and I did not have much trouble, even with a chronic bad left ankle. It is not world class but it is very good for Hawaii. This was our second visit in the last 30 years.

Great stop in the upper country. Really nice place to walk around. Nice local run place. We brought the five year olds and the 70 year olds. Both were able to make it through the entire park.

Opened in 1971, Kula Botanical Garden was developed by Warren and Helen McCord. The garden is located on a unique 8 acre site featuring proteas, orchids, bromelaids and native plants. The natural setting provides unusual rock formations, waterfalls, ponds and a panoramic view of the valley and west Maui mountains. You will enjoy an aviary, koi pond, bird sanctuary with the Hawaiian Nene goose, and picnic areas. This is a great place to stop after visiting the Haleakala Nation Park. It is just a short drive after the park on the way to west side if your are making a full day trip to Ulupalakua Ranch. They do offer a AAA discount, so be sure to ask for it if you are a member. Surprisingly, they do not offer a Kamaina discount. The location is set on a hillside, so it is an uphill walk. Those who have walking issues might not want to attempt this. There is a paved main path, but the rest of the trails have stepping stones or nothing at all. Were appropriate shoes. It is a very enjoyable garden and has lots of beautiful flowers and plants to admire. I wouldn't go out of my way just to go here, but if doing the scenic drive and it was along the way, would defiantly make it a point to pull over and enjoy it.

Ho hum. Worth a stop if you're in the area. We've been to botanical gardens before, and while this one is nice and cheap, $10 a head, you get what you pay for. We took some pictures here and there are some nice plant specimens here, but it's not worth a long drive. I suspect that this was a thriving, new garden in the 70s or 80s , but now it looks like a tired old place. Come by if you're going to Makawao or another interesting stop.

If you're looking for unique and less touristy places to visit in Maui, try a day trip upcountry and make Kula Botanical Gardens one of your stops. I did just that on my first day on the island. This is a smaller but well curated garden that includes a koi pond, a large lawn area to relax on, a multitude of native plants and even a coffee bean that they grow right in the gardens (you can purchase a bag in their gift shop.) I spent about an hour wandering the various paths and was given a map at the front that showed the highlights and best route. It was very lush and peaceful along the paths with plenty of places to sit and enjoy the cooler mountain air. They have a lovely and well priced gift shop as well as a front porch that has sweeping views of the island. It's $10 a person and well worth a stop either on the way up or down from Haleakala or tacked on to other farm and garden stops upcountry. I enjoyed a peaceful and scenic stroll through these gardens and hope others will get to experience this lovely Maui spot. If you love Botanical Gardens, this is a worthwhile spot to visit for sure and if you don't well it's still a great place to stroll and enjoy the island plant life.

Beautiful botanicals and plants & trees. The property needs some maintenance & the fish pond was way too low on the water level. But due to Covid, maybe the funds have been low and that's why?

Coming from San Diego, this place is nothing compared to the Quail Botanical Garden. The Kula garden is super small and not a lot of variety of plants. They have a section orchids, but nothing out of the ordinary. You can find the same variety in your neighborhood nursery. Not sure it's worth the drive up, and away from everything.

I can't believe anyone would rate this less than 5 stars. This experience was other-worldly and even spiritual. The entry fee was very low, especially compared to the tourist ones. Incredible plants I've never seen before. Blown away. Can't recommend it enough.

This place is a DUMP. False advertising! There is no koi pond. Just one huge hole full of dirt. They should have paid me to walk through this dump. Will complain to the BBB. Don't waste your time or money.

As locals, we have never been here but decided to check it out. The entrance fee is $10 a person and we were greeting by an older lady at the front desk that gave us a map and some information about the property. It was cute. We liked the little gazebos and the pretty flowers and plants but it reminded us of our Uncle and Aunt's big property/yard. It was nice though. It is nice to go check out.

This place is magical! It's only $10 for adults to get in. It's a self guided tour with a map, which is perfect so you can go at your own pace. We went around 1:30 and we pretty much had the place to ourselves. It was so peaceful walking around looking at the gardens and listening to the sounds of Mother Earth. If you want to get out of the sun for a few hours, come check this place out.

Nothing impressive nor worth the $10/person fee. No koi pound yet (dirt hole-under construction). Facility not well maintained, plants not well nursed like a "garden" should be, we've seen prettier wild grown plants. Orchids were the most disappointing, not many to begin with, and most of them are dried and died. Wouldn't recommend it even if it was free.

This is a great little botanical garden with a lot of impressive plants to see. Was the perfect size for my toddler to be able to make it around the whole garden walking. There are also several birds and a chameleon to see, plus some koi. The staff is very knowledgeable if you have questions about any of the plants. Great place to stop by on your way to or from the big mountain.

Excellent place if u have 1-2 hours to kill while planning a trip to Haleakalā . Kids loved it, gorgeous trees/plants/coy fish pond/ helpful staff

Let me start by saying that I love trees and plants. I feel about botanical gardens the way most kids feel about the zoo: stoked to run around and check everything out. So for the reviewers who say that they didn't understand the appeal, well if trees and flowers aren't your thing, then yeah, maybe a botanical garden won't be your cup of tea. Kula Botanical Gardens is relatively small compared to other botanical gardens I've been to, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in the diversity of plants that line its paths. Each step brings a new flower or tree to admire, and most are labeled with the common name, scientific name, and place of origin. One of the highlights was a small area whose theme was poisonous and deadly plants. In addition to plants, there is an aviary with some doves and love birds, a nene goose enclosure (I didn't see any), and a pair of Jackson's chameleons in a cage. I happened to walk by just as they were being fed, and as I was watching, the nice woman who was feeding them had to go tend to some customers, so I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to feed them! It involved grabbing live mealworms out of a bowl, and holding them up to the cage, in front of the chameleons, as the worms tried to wriggle free of my grasp. The chameleons tongue-grabbed the worms right out of my fingers. Very cool!