The Hilo Clock is a historic landmark and memorial located on Kamehameha Avenue, in front of the Naniloa Golf Course, near picturesque Hilo Bay in the Big Island of Hawaii. Perched on top of a green post, with hands frozen at 1:04, the clock serves as a memorial to those who perished in two tidal waves that hit the area in the last century.
The clock survived the first tsunami that hit Hilo on April 1, 1946, which killed at least 96 people and destroyed numerous homes and businesses. However, a tsunami generated by a massive earthquake off of Chile, again hit Hilo on May 23, 1960. A series of eight seismic sea waves, some as high as 35 feet, destroyed and wiped out many buildings and killed 61 residents. The Hilo Clock was severely damaged, with its hands frozen at 1:04 am, believed to be the time the tidal waves wreaked havoc.
After the tragedy, residents refurbished the clock but decided against restoring it to working condition in honor of those who perished in the tidal waves. Today, the clock has become an attraction and a somber reminder of the area's tragic past.
The Hilo Clock is located east of downtown Hilo, on the north side of the Hawaii Belt Rd between Manono St. and Hwy 11.
