Buildings in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park damaged during 2018 eruption set for dismantling

Three buildings in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park that sustained damage during the 2018 summit collapse and eruption of Kīlauea volcano will be dismantled starting April 8.

The buildings to be taken down are located on the Uēkahuna bluff at the summit of Kīlauea. They are the former Jaggar Museum, and two buildings used by the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the Okamura Building and the Geochemistry Annex.

The restrooms at Uēkahuna will temporarily close for the duration of the deconstruction project. Portable lua (restrooms) will be available and ranger programs will continue.

Dismantling of the exterior walls and roofs begins April 8 and will continue for the next several months. The buildings will be deconstructed one section at a time. Work will likely begin on the north side of the Okamura Building and Observation Tower then proceed to Jaggar Museum and the Geochemistry Annex.

Work continues on Phase One of the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Disaster Recovery Project. The buildings were irreparably damaged during the 2018 eruption and summit collapse of Kīlauea volcano, the most destructive eruptive event in Hawai‘i in more than 200 years. Construction has begun on the new USGS HVO field station near the historic ballfield at Kilauea Military Camp.

Construction closures and delays are updated on the park’s new construction webpage: https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/construction-closures.htm.