Established in the 1950s by entrepreneur James Dole, the Dole Plantation originally operated as a fruit stand before being opened to the public in 1989 as “Hawaii’s Complete Pineapple Experience.” Today, it is one of the most popular attractions on Oahu, drawing in over a million visitors every year. Located near Wahiawa, the Dole Plantation is a sprawling estate that allows visitors to enjoy the scenic outdoors while partaking in one of the many fun activities offered on site.
Dole Pineapple Plantation Activities And Things To Do
Visitors might begin the Dole Plantation Tours by taking the Pineapple Express train on a breathtaking two-mile journey around Oahu’s pineapple fields. Over the course of twenty minutes, a knowledgeable guide will narrate the history of one of the most crucial businesses in Hawaii’s economic history and reveal interesting facts about agriculture and the chemistry of the soil, which makes it ideal for growing pineapples. Here, guests can learn the fascinating story of how the plantation went from being a humble road-side stand to the world’s leading pineapple grower.
Also not to be missed at the Dole Plantation is the famed Pineapple Maze, which holds the Guinness Book of World Records title as the world’s largest maze. Artfully arranged, bright green hedges spread out in confusing twists and turns across two acres of land. The maze incorporates a 1.5 mile-long path that is covered with over 14,000 types of native Hawaiian plants, including colorful varieties of hibiscus, Hawaii’s state flower. Finding the way out of the Pineapple Maze will leave visitors dazed and confused, but those who manage to find their way out the of dead ends and wrong turns and actually finish the maze will receive a coupon for a 15% discount on any Dole merchandise.
For a more up-close look into the daily grind of a plantation, visitors can take the Plantation Garden Tour, during which they witness how pineapples are picked, processed and packaged. This walking tour leads guests through eight eye-catching mini-gardens and introduces them to a wide variety of plants, trees and crops grown in Hawaii, such as bananas, papaya, mangos, coffee, cacao and lei flowers, which are used in making necklaces given out at luaus and welcome ceremonies.
