Na 'Aina Kai Botanical Gardens, Botanical garden with sculpture park in Kauai County, United States.
Na 'Aina Kai is a botanical garden with sculpture park in Kauai County that spans 240 acres organized into 13 distinct garden areas. These include formal landscapes, meadows, a canyon, hardwood plantations, and beachfront sections featuring native Hawaiian plants.
Joyce and Ed Doty founded Na 'Aina Kai in 1982 on former sugarcane farmland and opened the grounds to visitors in 1999. This transformation from agricultural land to botanical garden reflects changing land use patterns on Kauai in recent decades.
More than 200 bronze sculptures stand throughout the estate, including 14 figures shown in traditional Hawaiian activities in the Hawaiian Ahupua'a display and 36 people and animals in the Navajo Compound, whose 12 human figures were modeled after living Navajo people. The Alaskan Athabaskan Village adds 7 bronze people and 12 bird and animal sculptures.
Reservations are required for guided tours with options such as The Ride and The Stroll, as well as specialized experiences like bird watching. Bird watching activities are most rewarding from December to April when migratory birds visit the islands.
The Under the Rainbow Children's Garden features a 16-foot bronze fountain depicting Jack and the Beanstalk, along with treehouses and miniature trains. This playful section provides a contrasting experience to the more formal garden areas.
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