Statehood Day—an observed holiday for the State of Hawaii—falls on Friday, August 15, 2025, this year. Read on to find out which services and businesses will be closed, as well as parking regulations and the history behind this unique holiday.
Statehood Day Closures
- All State of Hawaii offices
- All City and County of Honolulu offices
- Hawaii State Public Library System
- Hawaii public schools
- The Neal S. Blaisdell Center box office. Visit blaisdellcenter.com for information.
- People’s Open Markets
- All satellite city halls and driver licensing centers
Statehood Day Traffic and Parking Regulations
- Parking will be restricted in Lanikai over the three-day holiday weekend, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- On-street parking will be free, except for the meters on Kalakaua Avenue along Queen Kapiolani Park, metered parking lots, and meters on specific Waikiki streets—view the list of Waikiki streets here.
- Traffic lanes will not be coned for contraflow.
What's Open on Statehood Day
- Emergency medical services, fire, lifeguard, medical examiner and the Honolulu Police Department
- TheBus will run on a state holiday schedule. More information on routes, bus schedules and rider guidelines can be found on thebus.org.
- The Skyline will run on a state holiday schedule, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. More information can be found on honolulu.gov/skyline.
- Refuse drop-off locations, convenience centers, H-POWER and the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill will be open. For more information, visit honolulu.gov/opala.
- Parks and botanical gardens—see honolulu.gov/parks for park use guidelines.
- Municipal golf courses—see honolulu.gov/des/golf-courses for revised play information.
- The Honolulu Zoo—visit honolulu.gov/des/zoo for more information.
History of Statehood Day
Statehood Day, which is also known as Admission Day, is celebrated annually on the third Friday in August to commemorate the anniversary of the state's admission to the Union on August 21, 1959. Statehood Day was first celebrated in 1969, 10 years after Hawaii become the 50th state.
The first bill for Hawaii's statehood was introduced in 1919 by Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole. More bills were introduced throughout the years until 1959, when Hawaii became a state. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who supported the idea of statehood for Hawaii early in his administration, signed the Admission Act of 1959 into law. In June of that year, Hawaii citizens voted on to accept the bill. Eisenhower signed the official proclamation admitting Hawaii as the 50th state that August.
