What’s Open and Closed on Christmas Day in Hawaiʻi 2023
Thinking about taking the family out to the Honolulu Zoo on Christmas Day? Think again.
Christmas is just around the corner and it’s time to educate yourself on what will be opened or not come Christmas day. There’s nothing worse than gathering the family together post-Christmas morning for a jaunt to the Honolulu Zoo or Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve only to figure out that it’s closed on the 25th. So don’t let your holiday cheer get ruined by checking out our list on what’s open and closed on Christmas.
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What’s Open
- All Zippy’s locations on Oʻahu will open on Christmas Day, and most will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight—that’s the restaurant side and takeout. Certain locations will close early or open late, and you can check out those holiday hours here.
- Hawaiʻi Island’s star attraction, the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, will be open during its regular 24/7 schedule even on Christmas and New Year’s Day.
- On a similar note, Maui’s Haleakalā National Park will be open on Christmas Day.
- Movie theaters like Consolidated Theatres Ward will be open on Christmas Day, and it’s a great opportunity to see your favorite flick without the crowd.
- Hāʻena State Park, on Kauaʻi, will also be open to the public as long as you purchase a park reservation ticket beforehand!
- The Nuʻuanu Pali State Wayside will be open to the public on Christmas Day, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Most beaches and public hiking trails will be open to visitors and locals on Christmas Day.
- TheBus will operate on the 25th with a Sunday schedule.
- Most Safeway locations will be open on Christmas Day, however even 24 hour locations will be closing at 5 or 7 p.m. on Christmas.
- Emergency medical services, fire, lifeguard, medical examiner, and police services will be available.
- On-street parking will be free, except for the meters on Kālakaua Avenue along Queen Kapiʻolani Park, metered parking lots, and meters on specific Waikīkī streets. View the list of Waikiki streets here.
What’s Closed
- Sorry shoppers, Ala Moana Center will be closed on Christmas Day, as is Pearlridge Center and the Ka Makana Aliʻi. Ala Moana Center will also be closing early (6 p.m.) on Christmas Eve, so don’t save your shopping for the last second!
- All state-run botanical gardens—Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden, Wahiawā Botanical Gaden, Foster Botanical Garden, Liliʻuokalani Botanical Garden and Koko Crater Botanical Garden—will be closed on Christmas Day.
- On that note, the North Shore’s verdant Waimea Valley will also be closed on Christmas Day.
- Pearl Harbor National Memorial, and the historic sites in its vicinity, will also be closed on Christmas, as well as Jan. 1, 2023.
- Both the Bishop Museum and ʻIolani Palace will be closed to the public.
- In Windward Oʻahu, the Byodo-In Temple will keep its doors closed on Christmas Day.
- If you’re looking to hike somewhere in Central Oʻahu, don’t expect to summit Leʻahi, also known as Diamond Head, on Christmas Day, as the Diamond Head State Monument will be closed off to hikers.
- Ala Wai, Ewa Villages and Ted Makalena Golf Courses will be closed.
- Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve will be closed on the 25th, and it is also closed on New Years Day.
- The Neal S. Blaisdell Center box office will be closed.
- The People’s Open Markets will not be held, and all satellite city halls and driver licensing centers will be closed.
- The Honolulu Zoo will be closed on Christmas Day.
- Like the zoo, the The Waikīkī Aquarium will also be closed on Christmas Day.
- Most grocery stores, such as Times, Whole Foods, and Foodland will be closed on Christmas Day.
