The Polynesian Cultural Center is located in Laie on the scenic north shore of Oahu which is an hour's drive from Waikiki. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints established the Center as a nonprofit entity dedicated to helping preserve the cultural heritage of Hawaii and the major South Pacific island nations while providing jobs and scholarships for hundreds of students at the adjoining Brigham Young University-Hawaii campus.

In its presentation of Polynesian cultures, the Center highlights the dignity of the Polynesian people; their great sense of adventure and discovery; the prestige of their cultures; and their uniqueness and ethnicity. Featured within the Center are seven Pacific villages in a beautifully landscaped, 42-acre setting representing Samoa, New Zealand (Aotearoa), Fiji, Hawaii, Tahiti, the Marquesas and Tonga. Visitors are able to watch natives from these seven Pacific islands make clothing from bark, reenact war dances and wedding ceremonies, and climb 50-foot coconut trees. They also explain tribal tattooing, making fire by rubbing wood, and ancient transoceanic travel. Visitors also get a chance to enjoy a restful canoe ride around the villages. The palm trees lining each shore of the Center's lagoon stand as shady sentinels to each of the seven Polynesian villages that one goes through during the leisurely cruise.

A man-made freshwater lagoon winds throughout the Center. The "Pageant of the Long Canoes," the Center's spectacular pageant show, is performed daily in the main lagoon. This waterborne introduction to the multi-talented youth of Polynesia tells of the myths and legends of Polynesia with original music, narration, songs and dances. Also within the Center is Hawaii's first IMAX theater which features three different films. The "Polynesian Odyssey," which was filmed on location throughout Hawaii and the South Pacific, is a recreation of the history of the islands of Polynesia. Another film titled "The Living Sea," portrays a breathtaking ride across and under the ocean with music by Grammy-winning Sting and narration by Meryl Streep. The third and more recent film, "Everest," is reputed to be the most popular and acclaimed IMAX film ever made and was shot on location.

At its Treasures of Polynesia Plaza are sold a wide range of gifts, souvenirs, and authentic Polynesian handicrafts made at the Center or imported from the South Pacific. The Center's Gateway Restaurant comfortably seats about 1,000 diners and is said to be the largest restaurant in the South Pacific. There is also the Ali'i Luau dinner buffet, complete with imu (underground pit made to roast pigs) ceremony and "hapa-haole" entertainment. The Ambassador is another fine-dining buffet restaurant within the Center which is available for guests that purchase the all-inclusive, upscale Ambassador Passport package.

The Center's spectacular 90-minute evening show, "Horizons! A Celebration of Polynesian Discovery," is staged in the Pacific Theater, a 2,770-seat amphitheater with fiery volcanoes, brilliant fountains, multilevel stages and numerous special effects. This production, which features a cast of over 100 islanders, is the largest Polynesian revue in the world and it is the highlight of the Polynesian Cultural Center experience.

The Polynesian Cultural Center has been Hawaii's favorite visitor attraction since 1977. It is considered one of the world's most successful cultural theme attractions. Almost one million people visit the Center annually, and over 25 million visitors have arrived since its opening in 1963. It is one place that should not be missed by anyone who comes to Oahu.