Downtown

Local flavor abounds in downtown Hilo, where vintage homes are the norm and businesses occupy older buildings, many historic. The Hilo Farmers Market, in full swing on Wednesday and Saturday, is a must-see. Also downtown are the Pacific Tsunami Museum, the historic Palace Theater, and the Mokupapapa Discovery Center. Visitors to downtown Hilo might wonder why the bayfront shops, galleries, and businesses are located such a distance from the actual bayfront. That's because the devastating tsunamis of 1946 and 1960 decimated the populated shoreline areas of Hilo's former downtown center.