THE PARANORMAL WORLD DATABASE
HAWAII
16TH AVENUE BRIDGE (OAHU)
PHENOMENA: Urban legend alert >> Around 15 years ago, a girl was killed in a hit and run accident on 16th Avenue Bridge in Kaimuki and
locals maintain that the child still haunts it. She has been encountered by pedestrians who ask if she is ok and if they can help her to get
home. Those who attempt to walk or drive her home say that by the time they reach the end of the bridge she vanishes.
842 BETHEL ST. (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: The building housed a police station and jail from around 1931 to 1967.
PHENOMENA: Staff report toilets flushing inexplicably, doors opening and closing, and disembodied footsteps. A few years ago, a worker
reported the image of a man’s face in her computer monitor. She turned to find no one there and since then has never worked alone late
again. The building is currently owned by the City and County of Honolulu and employees have seen an apparition in the restroom and
witnessed their file cabinet doors opening and closing by themselves. A typewriter will begin typing when no one else is there and at one
point an employee saw a newspaper flip a page on its own as though someone was reading it. The sound of a squeaking office chair and
lights flickering are also common events that take place there.
AIEA HIGH SCHOOL (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: Established in 1961, it is situated on a former sugar cane plantation overlooking Pearl Harbor. The campus boasts the
sculpture Early Spring by Satoru Abe. The student body is made up of largely of persons of Asian or Pacific Islander descent.
PHENOMENA: Legends claim was built on an old burial ground, which triggers the activity there. People claim to see shadowy figures,
especially the R building area which is the main paranormal hot spot. Strange noises are heard all over the campus at night that students
report to school authorities. Apparitions are also seen and disembodied voices heard.
BISHOP MUSEUM (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: Founded in 1889, it is the largest museum in Hawai'i and has the world's largest collection of Polynesian cultural artifacts and
natural history specimens. Besides the comprehensive exhibits of Hawaiiana, the museum's total holding of natural history specimens
exceeds 24 million. Charles Reed Bishop, a businessman and philanthropist, co-founder of the First Hawaiian Bank and Kamehameha
Schools, built the museum in memory of his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Born into the royal family, she was the last legal heir
of the Kamehameha Dynasty, which had ruled the Kingdom of Hawaii between 1810 and 1872.
PHENOMENA: Hawaiian folklore states nothing should ever be removed from a heiau, which is a place of worship and human sacrifice.
Someone at the museum defied this while designing an exhibit which was a recreation and used some lava stones from a heiau for the
exhibit. The following day the mother of an employees told her son she had a nightmare where she saw blood everywhere and tried to
discourage him from going to work. Not bering able to miss work, he ignored her pleas. That day he was assigned to roof work and fell
through it, landed on the heiau exhibit, struck his head on one of the stones and died instantly. It is said his spirit haunts the museum to this
day in the form of an apparition. Visitors report crying and heavy breathing while there.
CHAMINADE UNIVERSITY (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: Founded in 1955 by the Society of Mary, a Roman Catholic religious order also known as the Marianists. Named after Father
William Joseph Chaminade, a French Catholic priest who survived persecution during the French Revolution. He founded the Society of Mary
in 1817.
PHENOMENA: It’s been said that Lokelani Dorm at Charminade University served as a children’s hospital during WWII and students and
faculty members report hearing children’s voices, seeing doors open and close and feeling a presence in there with them. Residents at Keiffer
and Lokelani Halls claim multiple ghost sightings and security guards have described experiencing strange activity. Room 208 in Hale Lokelani
has a bizarre story about an exorcism performed there with the cross that was in the room leaving a stain that can’t be removed. There are
claims of a ghostly skateboarder and soldiers’ spirits appearing in a former wartime morgue. Unexplained sounds and odd voices recorded
possibly are tied to a suicide or the aforementioned exorcism. Strange dreams shared by multiple people and the feeling of being choked
while sleeping have also been experienced.
DOLE CANNERY SIGNATURE THEATER (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: Opened May 19, 1999 in the old Dole canning factory, this megaplex is all stadium seating. Fits right in with the rest of the
entertainment in the old building with restaurants and entertainment venues.
PHENOMENA: Screen number 14 is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a man in his late 50s that sits in a top corner seat of the theater.
It’s also rumored to be the scene of a deadly bus crash that killed a group of schoolchildren in the 1980s. Now, children are heard screaming
and crying in the bathroom next to the theater. It’s said to be built on an ancient Hawaiian heiau, a place of worship or human sacrifice.
Spirits of ancient Hawaiian gods are said to glare at patrons and staff as they walk by.
FORT STREET MALL (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: This was a Russian-built fort that was fought over three times, the site of the first paved road in Honolulu and the original
site of the Queen’s Hospital. In 1810, the largest site for human sacrifices, Pākākā Heiau, was located where Fort Street Mall is today. Pākākā
was owned by Kamehameha V’s mother, Kīnau, with the walls decorated with the heads of men offered in sacrifice. There are many stories of
bubonic plague, two great fires, and countless tales of murder and mayhem.
PHENOMENA: It’s said the headless ghosts of sacrificial victims still walk the area late at night.
HAWAII THEATER (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: Opened in 1922, it is the last functional historic theater in Honolulu. It was once called, “the pride of the Pacific” because of
its style and decor. Originally showed vaudeville plays and silent films, it operated strictly as a movie theater from 1933 to 1984 when it
closed its doors. The building underwent renovations and reopened in 1996.
PHENOMENA: Renovations seemed to trigger an array of paranormal activity here. There are many reports of the ghost of a Chinese man
believed to have been murdered in the building in its earlier days. His identity is unknown, but it’s been said he was a janitor alone in the
building or a gambler who was beaten and left to die. His spirit is blamed for doors opening and closing, lights flickering or going out and
phantom footsteps when the building is empty.
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE (OAHU)
BACKGROUND: Named in honor of aviation pioneer Lieutenant Colonel Horace Meek Hickam, the base merged with the Naval Station Pearl
Harbor to become part of the Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam. The base neighbors Honolulu International Airport and currently shares
runways with the airport for its activities and purposes. In 1934, the Army Air Corps saw the need for another airfield in Hawaii when Luke
Field on Ford Island became too congested for both air operations and operation of the Hawaiian Air Depot. It was the largest peacetime
military construction project in the United States to that date and continued through 1941. Hickam Field was completed and officially
activated on September 15, 1938. By November 1939 all Air Corps troops and activities—including most facilities such as the chapel, enlisted
housing, and theater, which were dismantled and ferried in sections across the channel. The barracks had everything from squadron day
rooms, a mess hall, a medical dispensary, laundry facilities, barbershops and all other manner of amenities. It was so comfortable it earned
the nickname “Hickam Hotel.” Nonetheless when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, Hickam suffered a tremendous
amount of damage.
PHENOMENA: Since Pearl Harbor, there have been a number of unusual incidents and accidents at Hickam. One occurred in 1955 when an
R6D-1 was attempting to land during a heavy rain storm at night. It crashed, killing more than 60 and people on the base claim to hear the
sounds of soldiers dying or what’s described as bombs striking and exploding. World War II soldiers are said to wander around different areas
of the base. There is a ghost named “Charley” on the base that plays jokes on people by throwing objects or switching radio stations. It’s
also said that a guard shack on the base is visited at night by the ghost of a soldier who is rumored to have been killed while on duty there.
HIGHWAY 1 (OAHU)
BACKGROUND: Highway 1 is a roadway that passes through the Koolau Mountains and legend states that many ancient warriors perished in
those mountains.
PHENOMENA: Construction ran behind and took roughly seven years until completed. It’s been said that was the result of numerous workers
seeing ghosts and leaving work for the day or never coming back. They claimed to see apparitions and the voices of ancient warriors
speaking to them. These warriors have also been heard in the tunnels adjacent to the highway. During construction, some of their bones
were excavated and it’s surmised this disturbed their final rest and triggers the activity.
HILTON HAWAIIAN VILLAGE HOTEL (OAHU)
BACKGROUND: The resort first opened in 1955, and since has grown to become the largest in the Hilton chain of hotels, and one of largest
hotels in the world. It is the largest hotel in the United States outside the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The John Ena Estate was originally
built on the site of the former village of Kalia, which was the childhood home of Duke Kahanamoku. It consisted of a private estate with an
owners' residence, tenant houses and a salt flat. The portion of the estate nearest the ocean beach was developed around 1900 as a small
hotel named the Old Waikiki, then redeveloped in 1928 as the Niumalu Hotel. The Hawaiian Village Hotel was conceived, constructed and first
administered by Henry J. Kaiser, the industrialist who built the Hoover Dam and Grand Coulee Dam and founded the Kaiser Permanente
health system.
PHENOMENA: The ghost of a woman in a red dress wanders the halls and at times, the beach. She is believed to be a volcano goddess who
can shift into many forms, including that of an old woman and a hitchhiker. Others maintain this is the ghost of a young woman who was
murdered in her hotel room. It’s said that in 1959, an employee watched the young lady vanish in front of his own eyes and although most
people believe this is the volcano goddess,
HONOLULU AIRPORT (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: HNL opened in March 1927 as John Rodgers Airport, named after World War I naval officer John Rodgers. It was funded by
the territorial legislature and the Chamber of Commerce, and was the first full airport in Hawaii: aircraft had previously been limited to small
landing strips, fields or seaplane docks. The U.S. military grounded all civil aircraft and took over all civil airports after the attack on Pearl
Harbor, and Rodgers Field was designated Naval Air Station Honolulu. The Navy built a control tower and terminal building, and some
commercial traffic was allowed during daylight hours. Rodgers Field was returned to the Territory of Hawaii in 1946. At the time, it was one of
the largest airports in the United States, with four paved land runways and three seaplane runways. John Rodgers Airport was renamed
Honolulu Airport in 1947; "International" was added to the name in 1951. The airport is named after the U.S. Senator and Medal of Honor
recipient Daniel K. Inouye, who represented Hawaii from 1963 until his death in 2012.
PHENOMENA: A blonde woman in a white dress, known as the “Lady in Waiting” has been seen in various parts of the airport, including the
gate. Legend says she fell in love with a man and had plans to marry, but he left on a flight and never returned. Despondent, she took her
own life. Local police continuously responded to a report of a woman standing at the gate as though waiting for a flight to arrive though all
aircraft had stopped landing at that point. Each time police responded to the same description, she could never be found. Nor could she be
located when she was reported in areas that only those with security clearance had access to. Passengers claim to have seen a ghost on the
Wiki-Wiki shuttle and some have experienced the sensation of someone sitting on their chest causing them to choke who has come to be
known as “The Choking Ghost”.
HAMILTON LIBRARY (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: The largest research library in the state of Hawaii. The Library serves as a key resource for the flagship Manoa campus (a
land, sea and space grant institution) as well as the other University of Hawaii system campuses. The Asia Collection is the most significant
collection of Asian materials in the State of Hawaii. It dates from 1920, when the University of Hawaii Board of Regents established the
Japanese Department. The Oriental Institute was established in 1930 to support study of China, India and Japan.
PHENOMENA: Custodians and students who frequent the facility after hours have heard strange noises and witnessed apparitions in the
library and restrooms. A woman dressed in a pink muumuu walks the first floor of the library. The ninth floor of the Hale Mokihana Dormitory
is reputedly haunted by a student who killed himself there in the 1990s. He has been seen in the halls and in some cases appears at the foot
of a student’s bed. When questioned who he is and why he’s there, he responds, “This is my room. I died in here,” then vanishes into thin air.
TRIVIA: It was designed by George Hogan who designed numerous houses on the island including The Plantation Estate which was used by
Barack Obama as his Winter White House.
HULIHE’ES PALACE
BACKGROUND: The palace was originally built out of lava rock by John Adams Kuakini, governor of the island of Hawaii, during the Kingdom
of Hawaii. When he died in 1844 he left it to his adopted son William Pitt Leleiohoku I, the son of Prime Minister William Pitt Kalanimoku.
Leleiohoku died in the measles epidemic of 1848 and left it to his son John William Pitt Kīnau, but he died young and the palace went to his
mother Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani. Ruth made Hulihe’e her chief residence for most of her life, but she preferred to sleep in a grass hut on
the palace grounds rather than in the palace. She invited all of the reigning monarchs to vacation at Hulihe’e, from Kamehameha III to
Lili’uokalani. Ruth died and left the palace to her cousin and sole heir Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. It was later sold to King Kalākaua and
Queen Kapi’olani. Kalākaua renamed the palace Hikulani Hale, which means “House of the Seventh ruler,” referring to himself, the seventh
monarch of the monarchy that began with King Kamehameha I. In 1885, King Kalākaua had the palace plastered over the outside to give the
building a more refined appearance.
PHENOMENA: Today it serves as a museum and is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young Hawaiian boy who some maintain worked there
in the past. Strange occurrences include: phantom footsteps, strange mists, orbs appearing in photos and cold breezes inside the house.
Staff claim when they are in the home alone locking up, they feel a presence there with them.
I’OLANI PALACE (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: ‘Iolani Palace was once home to the Hawaiian monarchy. In 2008, two attempts were made by groups involved in the
Hawaiian sovereignty movement to occupy Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. On August 15, 2008,
independence proponents occupied Iolani Palace for four hours. The attempted coup d'état happened on Hawaii Admission Day 2008. At 4:30
in the afternoon, 27 members of the Kingdom of Hawaii Nation Ministry Trust, a national-independence faction, stormed the grounds of Iolani
Palace. The group was led by Akahi Nui. Fifteen to twenty members of the faction wore red shirts with “SECURITY” printed in yellow on the
backs while higher-ranking members wore black. The mission of the group was to establish the palace as a new seat of government,
undermine the State government, and declare the independence of Hawaii from the United States.
PHENOMENA: Legend has it that around around 5:30 a.m., palace security guards say the ghost of Queen Lili‘uokalani can be seen. They
have also heard the piano playing in the Blue Room and the shadowy figure of a Hawaiian woman peering out from the window of ‘Iolani’s
second-floor bedroom, where Lili‘uokalani was imprisoned. Those with a bloodline connection to Kalākaua and Kapi‘olani claim to hear
chanting or Hawaiian music playing when they enter the upstairs bedroom. It’s rumored the 135-year-old banyan trees that dot the property
are homes to spirits without families to care for them.
IAO THEATER (WAILUKU)
BACKGROUND: In December 1927, Manuel Gomes Paschoal and H. B. Weller broke ground for Iao Theater on Market Street. The theater was
designed by Edward Walsh. After nearly 9 months and $40,000 in construction costs, Iao Theater opened on August 22, 1928. The theater
was one of several theaters in Wailuku, and was named after a small bait fish named the Iao. Aside from screening movies, the theater also
hosted live on-stage performances.
PHENOMENA: It is now home to a local community theater group who have reported various paranormal happenings such as lights flickering
and strange voices throughout the theater and a misty, friendly female ghost affectionately known as, “Emma” sitting the seats throughout
the theater and on stage after closing. She is thought to be a former flapper and actress who enjoys productions set in the 1920s. Lights and
sound boards will malfunction inexplicably until someone acknowledges her, which stops the interference. Apparitions have also been seen in
the basement assumed to be the spirits of Hawaiian warriors who died in battle centuries ago in the Iao Valley. Visitors report cold spots,
shadowy figures, and disembodied voices. Another spirit is capable of throwing objects off shelves and causing chaos in the dressing rooms.
TRIVIA: Notable events included appearances by Bob Hope, Betty Hutton, and Frank Sinatra for USO shows during World War II, plus showed
such movies as Rio Rita, and the X-rated film Deep Throat (which got the theater owner arrested). In 1953, the Hawaii debut of From
Here to Eternity was staged at the Iao. It was featured in the final episode of the Syfy show, Haunted Collector in 2012.
KAIMUKI HOUSE (OAHU)
BACKGROUND: In Japanese folklore, a Kasha is a demon or cannibalistic entity that feeds on human corpses and is said to bring the bodies
to hell as punishment for committing mortal sin during life. One is believed to reside in the Kaimuki house in Honolulu. It is believed to have
originated after a father murdered his family. The bodies of his wife and son were found buried on the property, but his daughter’s was never
recovered.
PHENOMENA: In 1942, police were summoned to the property by a woman who claimed that an unseen entity was attacking her children.
According to reports, they actually witnessed the invisible force beat and toss the children across the room. Years later, three women moved
in and one night the invisible entity grabbed the arm of one of them, which prompted the others to call the police for help. Explaining what
had happened, they asked the officer if he would follow them to one of their mothers’ homes. They had barely started out when the women
suddenly pulled into a parking lot. The officer got out to see what the problem was and saw the women wrestling with the entity and one of
them being strangled. In his attempt to help, he was thrown back and held by what he described as a “large calloused hand.” He finally was
able to drag the choking woman out of her car and into his, but neither car would start. The policeman allowed the choking victim to return
to her vehicle and both cars suddenly started. As they resumed their drive, the officer watched the women’s car door be ripped completely
off the vehicle and tossed onto the road. The choking victim was then thrown out of the moving car and choked to death in the road while
the officer and her friends looked on helplessly. A young couple that moved onto the Kaimuki property in 1977 returned home from an outing
and headed up to bed. Around midnight, the woman awakened to an ice cold room and looked around to see if any windows were open. She
then claimed to see a large woman without arms or legs hovering over her. The terrified couple consulted their reverend who suggested they
offer food to the spirit and offer it assistance in leaving the mortal world. The couple followed these instructions for a week, and the spirit
never returned again.
KAPAA QUARRY ROAD (KAILUA)
PHENOMENA: A sharp turn at the end of Kapaa Quarry Road, which is a dimly lit utility road in Kailua, Honolulu County, has claimed eight
fatalities and is considered one of Oahu's haunted roads. Rumor holds that numerous ancient altars line the road and people have seen
phantom hitchhikers as well as the Menehune, a mythological dwarf people in Hawaiian tradition who live in the deep forests and hidden
valleys of the Hawaiian Islands, hidden and far away from human settlements. The road has claimed the lives of several motorists, and now
the dead reportedly wander Kapaa Quarry, searching for a way home. Some hitch a ride from the living only to disappear before astonished
drivers’ eyes.
KILAUEA (VOLCANO PARK)
BACKGROUND: An active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, and the most active of the five volcanoes that together form the island of
Hawaii. Located along the southern shore of the island, the volcano is between 210,000 and 280,000 years old and emerged above sea level
about 100,000 years ago. On December 5, 2018, after 90 days of inactivity from the volcano, the eruption that started in 1983 was declared
to be over.
PHENOMENA: In ancient times, the volcano was used for sacrifices to the volcano goddess Pele who legend says lives inside it and dances
inside the flames and lava flow. She is said to take on many forms and has appeared in photographs taken inside the volcano. Legend has it
that anyone removing anything from sand to lava rocks will incur her wrath and become cursed. Several hotels and businesses report having
items taken from the volcano by mainlanders sent back to them to return to the site after experiencing extreme misfortune after returning
home. Many claim to have lost their jobs, homes, relationships and endured catastrophic events in their lives.
KING INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL (OAHU)
PHENOMENA: Since it first opened in 1964, the school has acquire a reputation of being a haunted location. The Honolulu Police will
sometimes receive calls about vandals on school property, but upon investigation they claim to have rocks thrown at them coming from an
unseen source. A former principal claimed a shadowy figure was sometimes seen standing at the back of a classroom saying, “Get out” in
Hawaiian. At one point, a substitute teacher was pushed into a closet by an unseen force while the class looked on in horror.
KONA BEACH HOTEL (KONA)
BACKGROUND: Located on one of the most historic sites in all of Hawaii. King Kamehameha the Great, the leader credited with uniting all of
Hawaii’s islands under one ruler, established his royal residence adjacent to the current site of his namesake hotel. King Kamehameha's
residence included all of Kamakahonu, the bay around which the hotel is focused. Besides homes, his residence also had numerous fishponds
and gardens. Here on the Big Island, Kamehameha the Great ruled over all the islands until his passing on May 8, 1819.
PHENOMENA: King Kamehameha is said to be buried somewhere on the hotel grounds. Local legend states that he stayed on the top floor of
the hotel and that area is considered its most haunted. Visitors report the sounds of and apparitions of Hawaiian warriors stalking the
grounds at night. It’s been said a painting of Queen Liliuokalani on the first floor breathes in and out while glaring at passersby.
MANOA FALLS TRAIL (OAHU)
BACKGROUND: Mānoa Falls Trail is a 1.6 mile trail on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The trail is a part of the Honolulu Makau Trail System and
leads to a popular 150 foot waterfall called Manoa Falls. Hiking the trail is approximately a one-hour round trip and many tourists are
attracted to the waterfall and lush scenery.
PHENOMENA: The primary claim here is the legend of the Night Marchers (or the Phantom Marchers) who are said to be the spirits of ancient
Hawaiian warriors. That legends states that their path leads from the Banyan tree at the beginning of the trail. Banshee screams are heard
on the trail and the sound of conch shells, the beating of drums and torch lights all signal the approach of the Marchers. If one encounters
them, they must crouch low to the ground, lay on their stomach and avoid eye contact. Two fishermen claimed back in 1970 claimed they
saw the torches and the sound of the conch shell as they were baiting their lines around 10pm. The fisherman followed protocol and the
Marcher passed without incident.
TRIVIA: Scenes in movies such as Jurassic Park and Catching Fire were filmed at Manoa Falls.
MCKENZIE STATE PARK (OPIHIKAO)
BACKGROUND: A small park that is only open during the daytime. It provides picnicking facilities and restrooms, but there is no drinking
water. Fishing is allowed but swimming is discouraged due to the rocky shore and cliffs and strong currents. A hiking trail follows the old
Hawaiian coastal path, "the King's Highway", and passes the mouths of lava tubes. The park contains the largest grove of ironwood trees in
Hawaii which were planted in the 1930s by ranger Albert J. MacKenzie, who after his death at age 21 became the namesake of the park. The
park was closed to the public in May 2018 due to a flank eruption of Kīlauea when lava flows erupting in lower Puna approached the park and
entered the ocean at two locations nearby.
PHENOMENA: In the 1850s, prison convicts were brought from Honolulu to work on sugar plantations, clearing land and maintaining the
coastal trail. At this point the area was already considered to be haunted by restless spirits called the ‘Uhane’, and the ghostly figures called
the “Night Marchers” (above). Hundreds of prisoners that died over the years were buried in unmarked graves and their spirits are said to
have roamed the park ever since. Hikers report hearing footsteps behind them with no one there, watching shadowy figures follow them from
the tree lines and their dogs avoiding the area entirely. The ghosts will sometimes walk around the tents of those camping there who hear
their voices, but never see anyone there upon checking. It’s said they will also make their own encampments, complete with campfires that
fade out when they are approached. Screams and groans come out of the darkness, tents are shaken, and most terrifyingly, the ghosts will
invade tents to attack campers before suddenly vanishing from sight.
MORGAN’S CORNER (OAHU)
BACKGROUND: In 1948, two escaped convicts murdered Mrs. Therese Wilder, a 68-year old widow, in her house. They bound and gagged
her and rendered her unconscious lying on her bed. She died as a combination of suffocation due to the broken jaw she had received during
the struggle and the gag placed too tightly around her neck and mouth. The killers were captured a few days later, but the case sparked
debate over capital punishment in Hawaii. The location was named after Dr. James Morgan, who lived on a hairpin turn of the Nu‘uanu Pali
Road (now Nu‘uanu Pali Drive) from the 1920s to 1940s.
PHENOMENA: Morgan’s Corner is now empty and the house is gone, but it is believed Mrs. Wilder remains. Visitors report blood-curdling
screams that are thought to be hers crying out for help. Urban legend alert >> A couple once parked under the tree late one night and upon
leaving, found their car wouldn’t start. The guy decided to go for help, leaving the girl alone in the car. She heard the branches of the tree
scraping against the roof on this windy night. After what seemed like hours has passed, the girl finally fell asleep only to be awakened in the
morning by police surrounding the vehicle. They asked her to get out and walked her away from the car, telling her to not look back. While
explaining what had happened she turned back toward the car and saw her boyfriend hanging upside down from the branches of the tree
with his torso sliced open and his fingertips scraping the roof of the car as his body swayed in the wind. Another tale involves a girl named
Brittani Lochmann, who is said to have hanged herself from a tree. Her body wasn’t discovered for several days after and when it was it had
been detached from her neck, leaving only her head in the noose. The head was never reattached to the body, which locals claim is the
reason her spirit still haunts Nuuanu Pali Drive.
NU’UANU PALI HIGHWAY (OAHU)
BACKGROUND: The Nu’uanu Pail Highway is the main highway on the island of Oahu and connects the windward side of the island with
downtown Honolulu. Construction on the original road started back in 1845 and over the years it has been further developed. Along the
breathtaking Pali Highway developers created the Nu’uanu Pali Tunnels.
PHENOMENA: At Pali Lookout, people have witnessed Hawaiian soldiers being tossed off the cliff and a ghost dressed in white. Urban legend
alert >> Legend has it that if you try to transport pork across the Pali Highway your car will stop and an old woman with a dog will appear. To
proceed forward, the dog must be fed the pork. There is also a claim of the apparition of a young girl with long, black hair skipping rope and
floating down the road. A witness claimed her nose, cheeks and mouth were missing with a pair of large eyes bulging out of their sockets.
It’s believed she was the victim of a rape and then strangled her with her jump rope and before being left in the bushes.
OAHU (HALAWA) COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY (OAHU)
BACKGROUND: The prison has two separate facilities: a medium security division for medium-security male prisoners, and a special needs
division for both male and female inmates. Originally opened in 1962 as the City and County Halawa Jail, it was transferred to the State in
1977. The prison was expanded in 1987 and remains the largest prison in the State of Hawaii correctional system. It not only provides a
place for an individual awaiting trial but offers numerous other services and programs for the detainees such as; parenting skills, substance
abuse, and domestic violence issues. The facility also offers a work furlough program and jobs in the laundry facility and kitchen.
PHENOMENA: From 1909 to 1944, 47 men were executed by hanging there. Offices are now located where the gallows once stood and
former inmates claim that cell doors rattle and guards who have attempted to sleep in the squad room report an unnerving feeling inside
makes it very difficult to sleep.
OLD MAUI HIGH SCHOOL (MAUI)
BACKGROUND: The original school was founded in 1913. Early students arrived to school via horse and buggy or the now defunct Kahului
Railroad. The first co-ed public high school built on Maui was for the children of plantation farmers in Hamakuapoko. The building itself was
abandoned in 1972 after a steady decline in enrollment and the school was relocated to Kahului twenty minutes away.
PHENOMENA: The spirits of former students and teachers are said to inhabit the abandoned school. There are sounds of a girl crying inside
the school’s bathroom with people feeling they are being choked or shoved to the ground when they set foot on the site. An urban legend
states only those students late for class are being choked.
PACIFIC AVIATION MUSEUM (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: In 1983, the Pacific Aerospace Museum was formed inside Honolulu International Airport after pressure from the Hawaiian
Chamber of Commerce to create an aviation museum. The first phase of the museum opened in 1991 and the idea for the Pacific Aviation
Museum began on the anniversary of the victory over Japan in 1995. After the September 11 attacks, operations were suspended by the
state and finally removed two years later. A few of the exhibits were salvaged by the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor foundation as well
as responsibility for the education and scholarship programs. Although the attack left most of Pearl Harbor damaged – and Hawaii and the
entire United States badly shaken — hangars 37 and 79 were left standing and in 2006, transformed into the Pacific Aviation Museum.
Hangar 37 is a now a museum while Hangar 79 stands battle ready.
PHENOMENA: Visitors report hearing unexplained footsteps, anomalous sounds of music, disembodied voices and sightings of a mannequin
that moves on its own.
TRIVIA: In 2012 the museum was featured on TV’s Ghost Hunters where unidentified sounds and lights were recorded.
PLANTATION VILLAGE (WAIPAHU)
BACKGROUND: From 1850 to 1950, the village housed Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese, Puerto Rican, Filipino and Hawaiian sugar
plantation laborers. Filipino immigrants were paid less than all of the other laborers because they were the cheapest to import. The Filipinos,
on average, made less than $10.00 a month. The Chinese generally were paid the most with a monthly average of $15.00. Today, local
guides give hour-long tours to tourists and school groups visiting the 50-acre village to learn about immigrant life back then. In 1932 the
Oahu Sugar Co. opened a continuation school, and allowed a half-day off from work once a week for workers to attend. Those who weren't
available during the day could also attend evening courses. This was to give them a chance to better their knowledge for a better job.
PHENOMENA: Of the 25 plantation houses, about half are reputedly haunted. The Portuguese family house is haunted by a young girl who is
said to be fond of children. One day, a worker inside felt her shoulder touched. She ignored that but ran from the house after feeling her hair
flipped forward. There are reports that a Japanese doll will suddenly appear outside of its case at the Puerto Rican House. A worker in the
Okinawan Home claimed a a spirit followed him home and choked him there. It’s claimed between 15 and 20 actors on the annual plantation
haunted house event quit each year because of unexplained phenomena. One actress in the Portuguese House went home with unexplained
bruising on her legs, followed the next night by a different actress that claimed the same thing happened to her. Because of reports from
visitors, tour guides, workers and the haunted-house actors, people aren’t allowed to work alone in the houses anymore.
TRIVIA: The Sy-fy Channel’s Ghost Hunters team once visited the village to investigate the reports of paranormal sightings.
POUNDER’S BEACH (HAUULA)
BACKGROUND: On the windward side of Oahu, this beach paradise is famous for its high surf and pounding waves and is located between the
towns of Holland Lee, a popular spot for body boarding, surfing and skim surfing.
PHENOMENA: On the Hauula side, you can hear a child's lost cry and/or see a woman wandering the waters which are belived to be a mother
and son. The story goes she saw her son drowning and called to a nearby surfer for help but the roar of the waves drowned out her screams.
She dove in herself to save him but the rough surf claimed her as well.
ST. ANDREW’S CATHEDRAL (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma, his queen consort, were devout members of the Church of England led by their good
friend Queen Victoria. At their request, Thomas Nettleship Staley was appointed bishop in 1862. Inspired to build a place of worship in the
Anglican tradition, Kamehameha IV commissioned the construction of what would later become the Cathedral of Saint Andrew. However, the
king died on the feast day of Saint Andrew in 1863 before ground-breaking so Kamehameha V, the king's brother, took over the project and
laid the cornerstone in honor of his predecessor on March 5, 1867.
PHENOMENA: Queen Emma’s spirit is said to visit during the Day of Ascension to the church which she inspired and her favorite piano is
often heard playing her favorite tunes when no one is sitting at the instrument. Strange sounds are heard and shadowy figures follow visitors
when the church is empty.
THE LODGE AT KOELE (LANA’I CITY)
BACKGROUND: Project development began in 1989, with initial construction on the estimated $200 million resort starting in October 1990.
358 rooms were planned by Kaupulehu Venture, with investment by Cosmo World Corp. However, a global economic slowdown stopped
development in 1991, and the project languished until 1994 when it was completely redesigned from the bottom up. The hotel opened for
business in 1996. The tsunami from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake damaged the resort and forced it to close for six weeks (until April 30) for
repairs. The tsunami affected the pool area and grounds, a restaurant, and twelve guest rooms.
PHENOMENA: It’s said that the hotel is built over a sacred burial ground. Stories of apparitions and shadowy figures have been reported since
its opening. Some apparitions have sh0wn themselves during a photo shoot a are not limited to any one area of the property.
USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: Marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on USS Arizona during the Japanese surprise attack
on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and commemorates the events of that day. The attack on Pearl Harbor and the island of Oahu led to
the United States' direct involvement in World War II. The memorial, built in 1962, has been visited by more than two million people
annually. Accessible only by boat, it straddles the sunken hull of the battleship without touching it.
PHENOMENA: Visitors to Pearl Harbor report a host of various hauntings. One common claim is the feeling of sadness, extreme pain and fear
for no apparent reason. Apparitions of sailors on the dock and under the water surrounding the vessel have been reported along with the
spirit of a sailor wandering the deck of the USS Arizona at low tide.
TRIVIA: The original idea for the memorial was conceived by Robert Ripley, of Ripley's Believe It or Not! fame
WAIMEA FALLS (HALEIWA)
BACKGROUND: Waimea Falls, also known as Waihi Falls, is one of the more accessible falls on Oahu. It is located within Waimea Valley,
which is a unique Hawaiian botanical garden within a significant cultural and archaeological site. The area used to be an adventure park
where you could see cliff-diving shows, ride ATVs and trams and go kayaking. It was shut down and turned over to the Audubon Society in
2003, and turned it into a botanical garden.
PHENOMENA: There is said to be a haunted house on the North Shore where a woman ended up killing her child for incessant crying and
burying the body underneath the house. It’s now said in the wee hours of the morning the sounds of a baby crying are heard coming from
the house when no infant is present. Legend has it that a ‘drowning spirit’ a pond in the park and it must sacrifice a soul at certain intervals.
Oddly, a number of people have drowned there and in all cases their bodies found 3 days later which is said to be the amount of time the
spirit needs to complete the ritual. In the past when the gods needed a sacrifice, they would choose a cliff diver whose body would not
surface after their dive. The place their bodies would wash up is now considered a sacred place. It’s been said when photos are taken of
divers today, sometimes a spectral diver will also appear in the picture.
WAHIAWA GULCH
BACKGROUND: Originally started out as a park in the 1920s and in 1957 officially opened as a botanical garden. By day, the Wahiawa
Botanical Garden is a beautiful destination for those wanting to see lush tropical flora.
PHENOMENA: Urban legend alert >> It’s said if you look down into the gulch at twilight, you may see the legendary obake, or ghost, “The
Green Lady of Wahiawa”. She is described as a huge woman with green-tinted skin and her clothing and long hair covered in moss and
seaweed. The rotting organic matter that covers her gives off a horrible stench. Legend has it this woman and her child would often visit the
Wahiawa Botanical Garden quite often and on one occasion while taking a shortcut through the gulch, they were separated from one child in
the dense growth. Unable to find her it, she died of heartbreak and disappeared as well. She is now said to roam the area and snatch up any
children she finds playing in the gulch to replace her own. She allegedly has also been seen at a nearby elementary school.
WAIALAE DRIVE-IN THEATER (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: The Waialae Drive-In opened May 24, 1956, with Elizabeth Taylor in Elephant Walk and James Stewart in The Naked Spur.
Operated by Royal Theaters, it had a capacity for 790 cars and sat across from the Kahala Mall. The Waialae Drive-In closed in January 1986
with the movie Young Sherlock Holmes and has since been replaced by an upscale subdivision.
PHENOMENA: Said to be haunted by residents of an adjacent graveyard, one of which is a faceless woman with no feet or limbs who has
been seen by patrons in the woman’s bathroom, pounds on stall doors and appears in the mirror inside. In the current absence of the
theater, she’s now said to haunt the nearby Kahala Mall and Kahala Hilton Hotel. In Japanese folklore, a ‘Mujina’ is a faceless shape-shifter
who can appear in human form. One named “Kozo” chose the form of a monk traveling the roads at night asking strangers for water or tea
to drink. In 1959, a woman reported seeing a red-headed Mujina with no face at a drive-in theater restroom in Kahala combing her hair. The
woman seeing this was brought to a nearby hospital after suffering a nervous breakdown. Locals thought the story to be a hoax or myth until
the woman who encountered the ghost called in to local radio show host Glen Grant in 1981 to tell her story.
WASHINGTON PLACE (HONOLULU)
BACKGROUND: This is where Queen Lili’uokalani was arrested during the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1917. Later it became the
official residence of the Governor of Hawaii. An American merchant sea captain, John Dominis came to America in 1819 from Trieste,
probably from a Croatian family. After making a number of voyages across the Pacific, he relocated to the islands in 1837 with his Bostonian
wife Mary Jones Dominis and son John Owen Dominis from New York. The captain was awarded some land in 1842 as settlement of a lawsuit
with the British Consul Richard Charlton so the captain continued to take voyages to raise money for the construction of a house. In 1846 he
sailed for China on the Brig William Neilson, intending to purchase Chinese-made furniture for the house, which was nearing completion. The
ship was lost at sea, along with the American Agent George Brown, and Mary Dominis became a widow. She rented out a suite of rooms to
support herself and young John Owen. One of the first boarders was Anthony Ten Eyck, an American Commissioner to the islands appointed
by President James K. Polk who established the American Legation in the house. Ten Eyck named the house "Washington Place" in a February
22, 1848 letter, after George Washington in celebration of the first US president's birthday.
PHENOMENA: It’s said to be haunted by the ghost of Queen Lili’uokalani. People report seeing her pace the building as if making sure the
servants are performing their duties. Some visitors claim they have had a conversation with an old woman in Washington Place, only to later
realize they had spoken to the ghost of Lili’uokalani. The spirit of former Governor John Anthony Burns is said to remain at the house,
sometimes greeting visitors and giving tours of the building.
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