This museum offered some great information about natural disasters. Although it is relatively small, it has a expansive collection of photos and personal accounts of survival during catastrophe. I also enjoyed the movie they offered in their vault room (the museum used to be a bank). My visit to this museum genuinely provided me with a troves of new information.

Great place to learn about history of tsunami hazards in Hawaii. Family and kid friendly. Easily accessible in bayfront in Hilo. You name the period, Hawaii has been impacted and will be impacted again.

This is my 3rd time at the Tsunami Museum. It is one of those small yet fabulous museums that you happen upon when traveling and enjoy so much. With an $8 entrance fee, its a wonderful way to spend an hour or two. The people who work there are as helpful and informative as can be. Great place. Dont miss it.

Great interactive exhibits and knowledgable staff. The museum is very small, so its great to fill in time between activities.

I only spent an hour there and it wasnt enough time. There is a 25 minute video that is a must see. Well narrated by Malika Dudley. There are many photos in the museum which I wasnt able to check out. Our grandson enjoyed the video. Parking can be an issue.

Well worth the $8.00! It had a informational 25 minute video and many stories about loss and survival. An educational experience for sure! Takes about one hour to watch movie and walk around the place.

Absolute opposite of Aloha! We were denied entrance to the museum 10 minutes prior to closing at 3:50pm. We drove from Kona, on the other side of the big island to see the museum, and an old lady with silver hair called herself the director and was the rudest museum curator I have ever seen in my life! They do a disservice to the natives of Hawaii and the Aloha culture.

This is a pretty small museum, but if you are interested in history and natural disasters, this is the stop for you! Former bank transformed into a museum. The vault is now a theater! I enjoyed this unexpected stop on our road trip around the island!

Well organized and very interesting. Learned about some places that I didnt think about being hit by a tsunami.

A really cool museum for nerds like me.

Interesting museum that educates visitors about tsunamis. Lots of historic photos. Staff member told us the history of Hilo and tsunamis. Good video there to watch.

Call museum beautiful this one is unique to the Eastside of Hawaii island.

Established in 1997, the former Bank of Hawaii building, started with a unique mission “We believe that through education and awareness, no one should ever again die in Hawaii due to a tsunami.” The museum serves as a living monument to the people who lost their lives in past tsunamis back in 1946 and 1960. Featured are a series of permanent exhibits that detail the history of tsunamis in the Pacific region, myths and legends about tsunamis, public safety measures in the event of a tsunami and digital material that make the visit very interesting. Located at 130 Kamehameha Avenue in downtown Hilo. It opens 10-16h tuesday-Saturday at costs $8.

Please learn what you need to do about tsunamis, and pay attention to every warning siren you hear.

Fasanating museum. Living in central canada this museum is eye opening to the dangers of living near the ocean.

Really informative. If you plan on spending time on the ocean this is really important information.

Very nice place to spend an hour or two. Lots of hands on for kids

Worth visiting if you visit the Big Island!!

Great tsunami education and awareness promotion. $8 for adult tickets. Several historical display rooms and a 25 minute video. Also the building itself is interesting since it used to be a bank and was one of only a few structures to survive the 1946 tsunami.

This is a fascinating place to visit and has a very good film. The best part of the museum is hearing how peoples lives were affected by the tsunami.

Knowledgeable staff and lots of information on Tsunamis. Numerous stories of events that happened and how things unfolded.Exhibits and a mini theatre are available.Family friendly.Restroom (no s)Gifts available

Really informing museum, but a little dry. Mostly just reading, which is cool, but its not super interactive. The survivor stories are cool, the vault theatre was the highlight. Worth visiting, probably wouldnt repeat visit

This small museum is packed with information, mostly photos and stories, but also a good amount of science. Start with the 25-minute movie and then explore the exhibits. Being from inland in the US, we knew little about tsunamis and found the museum very educational.

Im happy to pay $8 and Im happy to have read the stories here, but the science/ tech is really dated. Its ok, I look at it as a donation and I hope it goes towards updating some of the materials though! So many items werent working and so staff should be circulating around to make sure the tech DOES work. This is such an important part of history and needs to be done justice.

Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable! Always willing to answer questions. Very informative place to go if you want to learn about tsunamis!

Lots of interesting and touching stories from the multiple tsunamis they document but most of the interactive exhibits werent working, needed rebooting, and the staff was just chilling and chatting at the front desk. Worth the visit to learn some real history, and contribute some $, but this place needs some attention from the staff.

Very interesting to learn about tsunamis

Great info on past tsunamis, survivor stories, photographs, and tsunami awareness and safety.

Informative but a bit dry - felt like a psa

Finally went after 6 visits, to the Big Island. It was very interesting, good documentary, on the Tsunami. Staff are very helpful, all have great information to share.

So much information, very well presented

Great compact local island history for $7

Housed in an old bank building, the Tsunami Museum features compelling displays and a group of knowledgeable, friendly and very accommodating docents and volunteers. Hilo town has repeatedly been hit by Tsunami waves, especially those caused by large earthquakes elsewhere in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Some of the pictures by Hilo residents of giant waves rolling-in in the background while terrified Islanders run for their lives are both amazing and shocking. What would you do when confronted by this wall of water that sweeps all before it? Be sure to stay for the video that shows some historical footage and photos as well as making it clear why Tsunami are such a danger to this one little town in the Islands. Another one of Hilos gems. Dont miss it.

I have been here twice now and will definitely come again. This museum is really well organized with lots of places to sit and rest while reading the exhibit info or watching videos. The bank vault movie theater is cool to see. Great educational and historical exhibits.

This place is very cool. You get to watch a short film in an old bank vault. It tells you about several different tsunamis over the years and where on earth they originated from. Then you can see more pictures and see other kiosks with more information on each. I paid $7 to get in with a local discount.

Wonderful National Park, good place to start your visit. While there many sites were closed due to recent volcanic activity. Be prepared if there is something you want to see. Can’t blame the park service gotta blame Pele. It’s here island so respect it please. Remember to stay where told, broiled or steamed tourist isn’t as tasty as you think.DO NOT TAKE THE ROCKS! Read up on this if don’t want to believe!

I learned so much about the big Tsunami that all most wiped out downtown area of Hilo

Great place to learn about the Tsunami! Small. Not sure if they charge a donation now.

I can’t help but compare this visit to our last visit about ten years ago. The highlight of the museum is the video. The previous version featured more personal narratives of tsunami survivors. This version was updated to include information about more recent tsunami events, but had less stories. Did not have nearly the emotional impact of our last visit. Still, combined with the visit to the school that was washed away, it did leave us looking at the ocean differently for the rest of our trip.

Its excited to know places, that show us the real history in around we live.

I could have stayed for hours and read everything. However, my kids (ages 11, 10, 8, and 3) were quickly bored.

Wonderful museum with great information, along with pictures to remind us of this natural disaster

This can save your life.A film about earthquakes and the resulting tsunami. Nice layout of information and at times volunteers can lecture and receive questions.

A little spendy but well worth it. This is a must-see attraction on the island of Hilo Hawaii. Very educational for the whole family. This also has an IMAX theater inside

Good go to if visiting Hilo, tons of interesting facts about Hawaii as well as tsunamis

We stopped here on a very hot day in Hilo to cool off. There is a charge to get into the museum which I thought was a bit steep.Most of the displays are pretty low tech, but they do have some neat info on them. My 10 year old son enjoyed reading some of the articles and learning more about tsunamis.They have a neat vault theater that they show a short movie in. This was okay, the movie was pretty dated but some of the history in there was interesting.While this wasnt a great stop, it was okay and interesting. Best of all it had air conditioning and allowed us to get off our feet for a bit. There are some neat little shops in this same area that are worth walking around.

Amazing staff! It’s just a tad boring but that is just our personal opinion. Definitely check it out, but be prepared for an average museum experience.

The staff is great and they offer all sorts of discounts. The museum itself is not going to be like anything youll see in a big city. But the history of the tsunamis that have hit Hilo and the Big Island in general is something that I am glad people are still working to remember. Please visit here if you are ever on the Big Island.

Interesting displays on the wall about recent tsunamis but not sure it was worth the price of admission which seemed high for what we saw...

This is a cool museum but it has a ton of really incredible information crammed into a tight space. There are photos and info plaques everywhere but its too much to take in all at once. Nice concept but super challenging to make the most out of a visit.

Very well detailed account of tsunamis that have occurred on the big island. Testimony from actual survivors. Pictures of damage and information beside each. Very interesting!!! A worthwhile stop on your trip thru Hilo.

Great history and pictures of before and after and even a few during. What an exciting event to live through given the recent volcanism on the island.

Did not know they charge for entry

This is a must see. To know the devistation the Hawaiians endured and the way people worked together to help each other. The experience brought a tear to my eyes.

This place is awesome to give all the history is Tsunami and its effect on Hawaii islands. Also they give a lecture for 15 mins about the Volcano updates. There is a video film too.

Great little museum. Lots of neat displays/info on Pacific tsunamis and their effect of Hawaii. Kids had a great time.

The staff are friendly and I admire what they are trying to do here. That said, the exhibits are mostly text and some photos with very little hands on. They have a ~20 minute tsunami video with survivor interviews that is relatively old. The hands on exhibits they do have are pretty dated as well.

Good information, but hard to absorb. The museum is pretty much a wall of text. No highlights are provided, so you have to read everything or try to skim (after a while, I just read the picture captions) and they have few artifacts. There are a couple of interactive displays, but they also require lots of reading. There are a handful of touch screens showing videos of tsunamis and interviews with tsunami survivors, but theyre hard to hear and generally too long. I dont regret going, but I wouldnt recommend it to others.

Definitely ask to watch the video

Movie was good. The displays werent as helpful.

So much information in a former bank branch. The exhibits are moving and very instructive. My kids did not want to leave. Entrance fee is modest and supports the museum.

Be prepared by visiting this museum.

Great 25 minute video, watch that first if possible and then walk around the exhibits. Great historical photos, good location.

Great experience! Very entertaining and educational. Definitely a no-miss stop!

It was so informative. I just hate we didnt have enough time to complete the tour. We saw the museum at the last minute, the day before it was for us to leave the island.

Nice Museum in downtown Hilo they do charge an entrance fee which is discounted for students but theyre still relatively steep. If youre visiting the island I strongly recommend you visit this amazing Museum it is well worth the entrance fee.

Informative, well presented displays. Short movie to watch.

Very informative museum and helpful staff

Nice museum

We had a very informative visit at the museum. My kids still talk about it.

Hilo knows what a tsunami can do and this museum is where youll learn all about it.

Great information and history

Small but interesting museum. Lots of info and photos. Self guided. Worth a stop.

Very happy we went

Pretty cool amazing place...the strength and danger of tsunamis is scary awesome

Educational. Interesting. Employees friendly and knowledgeable

The museum is not very modern but it has a lot of interesting and useful information.

Tsunamis are an important part of Hilos history. To understand much more than their destructive force, spend some productive time here.

Helpful staff who really knew what they were talking about!

Really well pulled together information and documentation about tsunami , plural.

A must see. Really gives reality to these disasters.

Pretty small but very educational and a great movie inside the museum. Prices are fair.

Not your run of the mill museum

Tiny, but its size is offset by the amount of info they provide. We left feeling way more prepared in case of tsunami and were moved by the personal stories that were told.

Very informative well worth a visit

Very interesting. We really enjoyed it.

Fantastic, heart touching stories shared. Highly educational.

Staff very friendly and helpful with the resources.I found the museum to be informative and educational.Angie and Kini, very accomodating and helpful with their customers.

Small, but intetesting museum about tsunamis that have hit Hilo and about tsunamis in general. You will look at Hilo a little differently after visiting the museum.

A nice little museum in downtown Hilo. Very depressing (obviously) but well done with a very nice staff.

Very interesting and Informative. I will recommend to everyone who lives on the coast.

Very educational

Very knowledgeable staff and well made exhibition (science and history of tzunami)

Very informative

Very interesting

Sorry not to sound disrespectful but this place is way too expensive for how small it is. Should be donation only.

Learned a lot

Its not large but was really informative about Hilos history with tsunamis.

Very educational

This place had great displays/exhibits. Sad stories though. If youre in Hilo, check it out