Thousands flocked to Sea Life Park Hawaii Saturday to take advantage of a low entrance fee in celebration of the park’s anniversary, temporarily creating gridlock along Kalanianaole Highway.

Valerie King, Sea Life Park general manager, said visitors could enter the park for $2.64 — the price of admission when the park opened 50 years ago in the 1960s– in celebration of the attraction’s golden milestone.

King said the park took measures to address the anticipated high turnout, such as offering a shuttle service from Kalama Village Center and hiring special-duty police officers. And the park opened 30 minutes earlier at 10 a.m.

But visitors began showing up at 7:30 a.m. and the park’s parking lot was full by 10 a.m.

"This is double what we expected," King said by phone, adding that about 8,000 to 10,000 visitors moved through the park’s turnstiles by 5 p.m. Typically, the park sees 500 to 700 visitors a day.

"We’re very appreciative of the community and all the support," King said.

Hawaii New Now showed images of traffic stopped along a busy Kalanianaole.

King said employees were offering rain checks to people at Kalama and in their cars to visit on another day at the same price through mid-December. She estimated a couple thousand rain checks were handed out.

Despite the high turnout, it wasn’t a record for the park, which can hold upwards of 6,000 people at one time and has hosted concerts with large crowds.

The event was to culminate with a performance by the musical group Maunaloa and a fire-knife dance by Chief Sielu. On Sunday, the general admission price will return to normal at $29.99 and $19.99 for kamaaina.