Starting this week, Lyon Arboretum in Manoa Valley will be open for visitors 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. For the past several years, the Arboretum has been open to the public only during weekdays.

"By offering Saturday hours, we are responding to the No. 1 question we get, namely, 'Why aren't you open when I can bring my family?'" Christopher Dunn, director of the arboretum, said in a news release.

The Harold L. Lyon Arboretum is a unit of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. It is a 193-acre tropical rainforest located at 3860 Manoa Road. Its mission is to increase the appreciation of the unique flora of Hawai'i and the tropics, by conserving, curating, and studying plants and their habitats; providing inclusive educational opportunities; encouraging use by the broader community; and supporting the educational, scientific, and service activities of the University of Hawai'i.

On weekdays, the arboretum is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Additional information about the arboretum is available online at www.hawaii.edu/lyonarboretum.