Manoa facts for kids

The lush Mānoa valley sits at the base of the Koʻolau Range

Mānoa is a beautiful valley and a neighborhood in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. It's about three miles (5 km) east of downtown Honolulu. It's also less than a mile (1600 m) from popular spots like Ala Moana and Waikiki.

Exploring the Mānoa Neighborhood

Mānoa is a whole valley, stretching from Manoa Falls at the back to King Street. It rains almost every day here, even when it's supposed to be dry! This makes the valley super green and full of plants.

Because of all the rain, you'll often see rainbows in Mānoa. That's why the sports teams at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa are called the Rainbow Warriors (for men) and Rainbow Wahine (for women).

Most homes in Mānoa are private houses built before the 1960s. There are also some smaller apartment buildings. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is a big part of the neighborhood. It's the main campus for the University of Hawaiʻi System. Many students and teachers live nearby.

Mānoa is also home to several schools. These include Manoa Elementary School, Noelani Elementary School, Punahou School, and the Mid-Pacific Institute. You can also find some small preschools here.

For shopping, the Mānoa Marketplace is the main spot. It even has a farmer's market a few days a week.

Mānoa's Geography and Nature

The name Mānoa means thick, solid, vast, or depth in the Hawaiian language. There's another valley with the same name on the island of Kauaʻi.

The Mānoa Stream starts at the bottom of Mānoa Falls. It flows through the valley and then joins another stream. Together, they form a canal that goes into the Ala Wai Canal. Sometimes, when there's a lot of rain, the Mānoa Stream can overflow. This has caused damage to homes and university buildings in the past.

A Look Back at Mānoa's History

Mānoa was an important place for early farming in Hawaiʻi. It was where the first sugarcane and coffee plants were grown on the islands.

In 1813, a man named Don Francisco de Paula y Marytin brought coffee to Mānoa Valley. He first planted it as a pretty garden plant. Later, in 1825, Chief Boki, who was the Royal Governor of Oahu, brought more coffee trees from Brazil.

Chief Boki chose Mānoa Valley for the very first coffee farm in Hawaiʻi. With help from a farming expert, John Wilkinson, the coffee trees grew well. Their descendants were later taken to other islands, like Kona. Today, Hawaiʻi is the only state in the United States that grows coffee to sell.

Mānoa also has many old legends. One story tells about Kahalaopuna, who was born to Kahaukani and Kauakuahine. Kahaukani was the wind of Mānoa, and Kauakuahine was the rain of Mānoa. They were brother and sister, born from the mountain range and the flowers on its ridge.

Education in Mānoa

The Hawaii Department of Education runs the public schools in Mānoa. As mentioned, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is also located here.

Gallery

Manoa Valley panoramic

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  Mānoa Valley looking towards Waikiki, Honolulu

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  Sunset over Mānoa from the back of the valley

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  An old picture of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

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  An old photo of Mānoa Valley

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