The number one tourist attraction in Hawaii is the Polynesian Cultural Center in the town of Laie. Laie is also known as ‘the Mormon town’ and with good reason. The Mormons were early settlers in Hawaii and virtually the entire town of Laie is of the Mormon faith. There is a Mormon temple, a Mormon University, and the Mormon owned Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). Now that we’ve got that out of the way – I’d like to introduce you to the PCC – and in case you are wondering – the Mormons do a great job of separating the attraction from their faith – so there is no need to worry that you are going to be preached at. It just doesn’t happen. In fact, if you didn’t know it was owned by the Mormons, you would never guess it.
A bit of history – the PCC was born from an effort to raise funds to build their temple. Native Hawaiian people had celebrated a harvest festival in the area called a hukilau – it was a sort of luau where everyone helped to gather and prepare food and everyone was welcome. They invited guests from Waikiki and the hukilau was a big hit. It grew into a weekly event, then it grew into a Hawaiian village, and eventually, it grewe into villages to celebrate all of the Polynesian Island Cultures.
Inside the PCC there are villages with cultural activities, presentations, and more. The villages represented are Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, and Aotearoa (New Zealand). There are also movies, luaus, a beautiful canoe pageant, hilarious shows, and the breathtaking broadway style show ‘HA: Breath of Life’. There is much more there as well with the Hawaiian Sports Hall of Fame, the Ukulele Experience, the Hukilau Village, and so much live entertainment that you won’t ever become bored.
Located in Laie on the Windward side of Oahu on Kamehameha Highway. Open 12-6 Monday through Saturday. Tickets will cost you anywhere from $70 to $250 per adult. This is an all day sort of event. If you go to tour the villages, enjoy the luau, and watch the show you will be there until 10pm.
