HONOLULU — Originally set to reopen to the public on June 1, Foster Botanical Garden will now reopen near the end of summer 2023, according to the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation.

Foster Botanical Garden was initially closed on Feb. 13 to improve accessibility at the entrance, bathrooms, community garden and botanical pathways. The extended closure is due to unforeseen circumstances that include a historic wall near the conservatory and buried utilities at the garden’s entrance. These necessitated an additional review and realignment of the accessible walkway to address the issues.

The community garden is accessible to the public during the project.

The 14-acre Foster Botanical Garden is the oldest of Honolulu’s five botanical gardens. Some of the garden’s trees were planted by Dr. William Hillebrand in the 1850s.

Sarah Yamanaka covers events, environmental and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.