Queen Kapiʻolani Regional Park, Public park in Waikiki, United States

Queen Kapiʻolani Regional Park is a large open space between Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head with athletic facilities, a zoo, and an outdoor amphitheater. The grounds include tennis courts, baseball fields, soccer pitches, an archery range, and a running path that circles the entire park.

In the 1870s King Kalākaua chose the dry plain at the foot of Diamond Head as a permanent horse-racing course for Waikiki's wealthy racing fans. The park was dedicated on June 11, 1877 as Hawaii's second public park, after Thomas Square. The Kapiʻolani Park Association, led by Scotsman Archibald Scott Cleghorn, held a 30-year lease at $1 per year, with shares costing $50. After the overthrow of the Kingdom, the land passed to the Republic of Hawaii as a free public park where land sales and entrance fees were forbidden.

The park is named for Queen Kapiʻolani, consort of King David Kalākaua. A dark metal statue of the queen stands at the edge of a paved walkway, wearing a high-necked, long-sleeved gown and a pink flower lei; its plaque reads "QUEEN KAPI'OLANI". The Waikiki Shell, with 2,400 seats and room for 6,000 more on the lawn, hosts concerts and performances.

This park sits conveniently between the beach and Diamond Head's slopes, making it easy to combine activities in one visit. Arriving early in the day helps secure space at popular facilities and lets you enjoy cooler morning temperatures.

The Honolulu Cricket Club, founded in 1893, is the only cricket club in the Hawaiian Islands and, according to Guinness World Records, the oldest sporting club in the Pacific. It received a lease on park land the same year, and top players from San Francisco's California Cricket Association once turned out for local teams.