Self Guided Tour
Unfortunately, there are some times that we are unavailable to give you a guided tour of our campus (after hours, weekends, holidays, etc.). Therefore we created the next best thing, our Self-Guided Tour Packet (PDF).
If you have any questions, or would like assistance planning your journey to UH Hilo, contact uhhtours@hawaii.edu.
To go on a Self-Guided Tour of UH Hilo:
- Print the Tour Packet (PDF) or download it to your mobile device.
- Come to the UH Hilo Campus.
- Start your tour at the Student Services Center as indicated on the map in the packet
- Follow the yellow path on the map on page 4 of your packet.
- The numbered red dots indicate stopping points along the way and the blue dots are points of interest.
- We included an enlarged map of the Residence Halls on page 3 along with some detailed information our housing options.
- If you have questions or want to meet with an admissions staff, please reach out to our Admissions Office. We are happy to speak with you!
The self-guided campus tour packet includes a map of notable facilities on campus
Enjoy your time on campus!
We hope that this Self-Guided Walking Tour of our campus (approximately 60 minutes) will give you a sense of its beauty as well as the dynamic nature of University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo! We have given you the campus highlights, but know that there is so much more to UH Hilo than the buildings located on our 200 acres. UH Hilo’s students, faculty and staff each bring their unique talents, skills, and interests and contribute to making this University an integrated learning experience for both academic and personal growth.
Points of Interest
1. Student Services Center
This three-story building contains offices that are dedicated to assisting our students throughout their academic career. This building is the home to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Admissions Office, Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid Office, Career and Academic Advising, and much more.
1A. Performing Arts Center
The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Performing Arts Center is the major performing arts educational and cultural center on the Big Island. Their purpose is to offer significant educational and diverse cultural opportunities. The Performing Arts Center presents a season of events including music, dance, drama and more. Most events are open to the public.
2. Mookini Library
The Mookini Library was named after Edwin H. Mookini who was a professor of Mathematics at UH Mānoa and Chancellor of UH Hilo (1976-1979). The Library contains over 200,000 books and bound periodical volumes as well as DVDs, videos, music CDs, maps, government documents, and microforms. A large open-stack Hawaiian collection houses maps, periodicals, newspapers, and books dating back to the 19th century. All three floors contain computers, scanners, and other peripherals for student use.
3. Edith Kanakaʻole Hall
Named after a former instructor of the Hawaiian Language and Hawaiian Studies, Edith Kanakaʻole Hall is a classroom building which houses an assortment of classes such as English, Spanish, Geography, History, etc. The 2nd floor holds many faculty offices from an array of different departments.
3A. Marine Science
Marine Science is a popular major here at UH Hilo due to our natural surroundings. In this building there are multiple labs including wet lab setups for research and aquaculture projects.
3B. College Hall
College Hall is separated into two different sections: the upper section and lower section. The upper section is home to the Geology Department. Faculty offices are located on the 1st and 2nd floors, as well as behind the building. The lower section of College Hall contains the Computer Science Department, as well as three computer labs alongside the Math Department. Additionally, this is the location of the Kīlohana Math Center.
4. Wentworth Hall
This building primarily houses Biology and Natural Science classes; however, many other General Education classes and faculty offices are also located in Wentworth Hall. The classroom sizes vary, allowing for laboratory use as well as larger lectures.
5. Science &Technology
Various lecture courses for natural sciences are found here, primarily for lecture courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy. Chemistry labs are also located here. Biology laboratories are primarily located in the Life Science Building (5A on the map).
5B. Kīpuka Student Center
Kīpuka’s vision is to ensure a Hawaiian place of learning on the Hilo campus. They promote Native Hawaiian student success through various programs to ensure Hawaiʻi students’ growth in their academics, their community, as well as their culture. Programs include tutoring/support services.
6. UH Hilo Residence Halls
On-campus housing accommodates students in residence halls and apartment-style arrangements. All residence halls have recreation lounges, a television room, study rooms and laundry facilities. To be eligible for on-campus housing you must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours.
7. Student Life Center
The Student Life Center is WiFi equipped. This facility is a great place to grab a workout in a state of the art fitness facility, grab a snack, or do homework in a spacious lodge. Outside there is an Olympic-sized pool, outdoor workout area, basketball area, and a sand volleyball court. Lastly, there are two multipurpose rooms that host a number of group fitness classes, martial arts, and dance classes.
Outdoor EdVenture Program
From SCUBA diving under the sea to hiking in the rainforest, the Outdoor EdVenture Program hosts many weekend trips throughout the island for all students. As part of the Student Life Center activities, this program also hosts Intramural Sporting Events and certification classes for SCUBA, Red Cross, and more.
Vulcan Athletics
UH Hilo is a Division II School with the following sports:
Men’s Sports
- Baseball
- Soccer
- Basketball
- Tennis
- Golf
Women’s Sports
- Cross Country
- Softball
- Golf
- Tennis
- Soccer
- Volleyball
7A. Haleʻōlelo
The College of Hawaiian Language building is the designated foundation for expanding the Native Hawaiian learning threshold. Two floors of which have general classrooms as well as formal ceremony areas.
7B. ʻImiloa
Hale ʻOlelo and ʻImiloa are located up the road from the main campus on Nowelo St. ʻImiloa is the Astronomy Center. A part of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, it’s used to inspire exploration through Hawaiian culture and science. ʻImiloa’s Museum, Exhibit Hall, and awe-inspiring Planetarium shows are all open to the public.
8. University Classroom Building
The University Classroom Building (UCB) opened in 2002. UCB itself can hold approximately 5,000 students. There are 80 classrooms spread throughout three floors covering 85,000 square feet. The first floor contains large lecture classes and computer labs. These classrooms are utilized mainly for Sociology, Environmental Science, Psychology, Mathematics, and English. The second floor is home to the Nursing Department and Kinesiology Lab. The third floor is where the Education and Social Sciences department, as well as the Humanities Division Office is located.
9. Campus Center Plaza
The Campus Center Plaza is where the hustle and bustle of UH Hilo occurs. It is one of busiest areas of campus daily and provides a wide open, central space for many events, activities, and programs throughout the semester. Many student organizations, departments, offices, and student groups gather here to encourage students to get involved or to learn about new ideas or upcoming events.
9A. Campus Center Building
The first floor is home to the UH Hilo Bookstore and the Campus Center Dining Room. The Second Floor includes Student Health/Medical Services, our campus’ student publications offices, the UH Hilo Student Association, and the Lava Landing game room filled with pool tables, ping pong, air hockey and other attractions. The third floor houses an art gallery as well as other organizations such as our Student Activities Council, campus radio, the Pacific Islander Student Center, and Leadership Development programs.
10. UH Hilo Bookstore
The UH Hilo Bookstore is available to all who visit the UH Hilo campus. In here you can find your textbooks, school supplies, gifts, and the majority of your university needs. Official UH Hilo apparel can also be purchased at this location so you can represent your Vulcan pride wherever you go.