After a four-year hiatus since the COVID-19 pandemic, free docent-led tours will once again be conducted at historic Foster Botanical Garden.
The 90-minute tours will be available every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday starting at 10:30 a.m., rain or shine. The tours are included in the price of admission: $5 per visitor, $3 per resident, $1 per child 6 to 12 years old and free for children 5 and under.
Reservations for the tours are recommended but not required. Call 808-768-7135 or email hbg@honolulu.gov.
“We are so thrilled to once again offer these tours to the public!” said Honolulu Botanical Gardens Director Joshlyn Sand in a release. “Our dedicated and educated volunteers underwent six weeks of training to get them ready to share the garden’s ʻike (knowledge). Much like the changing landscape at the garden, and the diverse volunteers guiding these garden journeys, no two tours are alike. We encourage you to enjoy the tours whenever you stop by the garden, and experience Foster Botanical Garden from a variety of perspectives.”
A portion of the 14-acre garden was once owned by Queen Kalama. Opened in 1931, it was later dedicated to the people of Hawaii by Mary Elizabeth Mikahala Robinson Foster.
The garden holds a rich history and is home to an international collection of plant life, including 21 designated “Exceptional Trees,” one of which is the bodhi tree at the garden’s entrance, “a descendent of the tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment” per the Department of Parks and Recreation. Some of the garden’s trees were planted by Dr. William Hillebrand in the 1850s, making Foster Botanical Garden the oldest of the city’s five botanical gardens.
Visit the Honolulu Botanical Gardens website for information on all five gardens and a virtual tour.
