hawaii's Haunted Hotspots

The following is a working list of places that are alleged to be haunted in the state of Hawaii.  As the paranormal is experienced differently from person to person, please let us know if you have had any experiences so we can update our page.  For pictures, click names, and for local maps, click addresses.  All authors notes will be in green.  Each of the Hawaiian Islands will be sorted 
by island name. 

Island Of Hawaii

Hawaii National Park

Mauna Loa Volcano - off of Crater Rim Dr.

The Kilauea Crater on the eastern slope of this 13,680-foot-tall mountain is home to the Huna volcano goddess, Madame Pele.  Rumblings within the volcanoes on the islands are said to drive her out to warn people of impending eruptions.  Her ghost appears along forest roads or in public places.  Although her age varies, she is always wearing a red muumuu and is usually accompanied by a small white dog.  She has been recorded by natives and visitors for over two centuries.  Her home was originally the island of Kauai, but she moved to the island of Hawaii when Mauna Loa erupted to form the Kilauea Crater.  Two ruined heiau platforms, one at Uwekahuna Bluff and the other on Waldron Ledge, are said to contain spiritual imprints dating back to the times when human sacrifices were made to Pele.  It is said that Pele spares Volcano House at the rim of Mauna Loa only because the owner regularly pours gin into the crater to keep her happy.  Hawaiians kneel in reverence to the goddess and sometimes lay chickens on the rim of Kilauea to seek her favor.  Park rangers, tourists, newspaper reporters, and even scientists studying the volcano have reported encountering Pele's ghostly figure.  Her actual home, called Halemáumáu, is a 280-foot-deep pit within the crater.  Incidentally, all the volcanic rock on the island is considered possessed by Kupua spirits, which are demi-gods inhabiting specific locations.  There are numerous tales of bad luck befalling anyone trying to take pieces home for souvenirs.  It is also forbidden to eat the sacred Ohelo berry, which grows on the island.  

Honaunau

Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Park - map of Honaunau 

Huna, the old Hawiian religion was very hard on sinners.  Anyone breaking the laws, called Kapu, was put to death.  However, if the sinner could reach a temple before being killed, he could work off his sins there.  This park is called Pu'uhonua O Honaunau or "City of Refuge" because the largest of the Huna temples was there.  It is said that the ghosts of some poor souls are still trying to reach the gates of the sanctuary.  The Kapu laws were abolished in 1819. 

There is also a heiau, a stone temple built to house the bones of deceased leaders.  At this site, known as Hale O Keawe, are the bones of at least 23 island chiefs.  The Hawaiians believed the mana, or life force, of a person remained in his bones after death.  They built heiaus  to house the bones and to save the mana.  It was not uncommon to try and steal the mana from heiaus; so, the greatest rulers had their bones hidden in jungle caves so their power would not be misused.  Over the years, many Heiaus became known as haunted sites. 

Kailua Kona

Hulihee Palace - 75-5718 Alii Dr.

Visitors touring the Hulihee Palace her have reported seeing the apparition of a little Hawaiian boy.  Built out of lava rock and coral, in 1838, Hulihee was used as a vacation retreat by Hawaiian kings and their families.  King Kalakaua's family was the last royalty to use this facility.

King Kamehamaha's Kona Beach Hotel - 75-5660 Palani Rd.

Legend says that the top floor of this hotel is haunted.  People have reported hearing footsteps, chanting, and battle cries along the corridors.  Some witnesses even claim seeing ancient Hawaiian warrior apparitions.  The Reason for this haunting seems to lie in the fact that this is where King Kamehamaha lived out the end of his life. His bones are buried somewhere near or under this hotel, the exact location is a secret, and only known by his descendants.  On the bottom floor of the hotel, there is a row of oil paintings of past kings and queens of Hawaii, the last picture at the end of the hallway is a rendering of Queen Liliuokalani.  The unsmiling picture appears to breathe in and out while glaring at you. 

Kawaihae

Pu’ukohola Heiau - map of Kawaihae

Pu'ukohola means "Hill of the Whale," and the sacred site is said to receive its spiritual power from a natural spring at the base of the hill.  The prophet Kapoukahi told Chieftain Kamehamha that if he wanted to conquer all of the islands of Hawaii, he must build a temple to honor Ku, the god of war.  The temple was completed in 1791, and the prescribed ceremonies and human sacrifices were performed.  Within three years, Kamehameh had conquered Maui, Lanai, and Molokai.  In 1795, he took Oahu.  By 1820, Kauai and Hawaii had joined the empire.  
The temple is in poor condition, and it is requested that tourists not visit this site.  However, its power can be appreciated by parking at Spencer Beach or the information center, and walking to the base of the Hill of the Whale.

Waianae 

Kaena Point - located near Waianae

This sacred outcropping is considered a jumping-off point into an area outside of time.  It is a gateway to Po, the eternal dwelling place of the gods, where land, sea, and sky are merged into one fabric of space and time.  It is a combination of heaven and hell, known and unknown, light and darkness.  At Kaena Point and near the heiau at Pokai Bay, witnesses have reported hearing thousands of "interdimensional" voices.  

Kauai

Lihue

Wailua River State Park - off of Kuhio Highway

The area around this modern, commercialized city is considered sacred to native Hawaiians.  There are many temples along the Wailua River.  Another spot that has been sacred to islanders for centuries is an intriguing rock formation now called Kalalau Cathedral.  Kauai Island was the first home of the goddess Pele, who later moved to Oahu, then Molokai, then Maui, and finally Hawaii.  She seems to follow the Earth's magma as it bubbles up from the ocean floor to form the Hawaiian archipelago.  

Waimea

Waimea Canyon - map of Waimea

A powerful vortex of mysterious energy is said to exist around the Waimea Canyon Falls.  The entire Waimea River is said to be spiritually charged.  The source of the river, on the northern slope of Kawaikini Mountain, is the wettest spot on earth.  To take advantage of all the water, the industrious "Little People" are said to have built the Menehune Ditch and the Menehune Fishpond on the island.  The little people are said to be a race of dwarves responsible for inexplicable geological formations throughout the western hemisphere.  

A more traditional ghost story is that of a seven-foot-tall headless man that haunts the Waimea Fire Station.  

Lanai

Lanai City

Tomb of Puupehe - map of Lanai City

The Tomb of Puupehe is a sea cave in a giant slab of lava rock.  Puupehe, the daughter of a Maui chieftain, was in love with Makakehau, a chief of Lanai, but before they could be married she was swept into the sea cave during a storm and drowned.  When the devastated Makakehau found her body, he buried it atop the rock and leapt to his death from the top of the jagged rock.  Their love can still be felt at this site.  

 

Maui

Kula

Haleakala National Park - map of Kula

The Haleakala Volcano crater is considered sacred by Kahuna priests.  The name means "House of the Sun."  It is where the god Maui captured the sun and brought it to earth.  Also, in the park, Hosmer's Grove is known for its life-giving energy, and the "Specter of Brocken" is sometimes visible from Leleiwi Overlook.  The effect occurs when the late afternoon sun projects the shadowy images of visitors on low-lying clouds, often surrounded by a spectacular rainbow.  The are ancient burial sites still hidden in the park, but bad lucks awaits anyone who disturbs them.  
Click here for an explanation of how the "Specter of Brocken" happens.

Lahaina

Lahainaluna High School - 980 Lahainaluna Rd.

It has been said that the David Malu Boys Dormitory is haunted by two ghosts.  One is the barking ghost of a dog that roams the halls at the dormitory.  The other is the ghost of the man that owns the dog.  One student combed his hair in the bathroom and went into his room.  The man, followed by the dog, held out his hand to give the boy back the strand of hair that he left in the bathroom.

Waihee

Camp Maluhia - map of Waihee

Many campers here have spotted the white figure of a woman that roams the campgrounds.  She walks up the trail leading from the Makamakaole Gulch into the campgrounds.  Sometimes she is seen with a dog.

 

Molokai

Halawa Valley

Iliiliopae Temple Ruins - map of Halawa

The abandoned stone ruins that lie along a trail through the center of this valley are considered sacred.  The ruins are of the Iliiliopae Temple, and are said to be frequented by the poison-war goddess Kalaipahoa, a powerful and fiercely independent deity whose story is thought to be told at the petroglyphs of Kawela. 

Kaunakakai

Fish Ponds - map of Kaunakakai

The fish ponds at the sacred Coconut Grove here are said to be charged with the power of Moaalii, the Molokain shark god.  Everyone of the sacred sites on this island is charged with its own powerful spirit of place. 

Maunaloa

Plains East of Maunaloa - map of Maunaloa

The ghosts of Hawaiian warriors killed in fierce battles here are seen on the plains east of this town.  Scores of misty apparitions have been reported here in the last 50 years.

Oahu

Aiea

Aiea High School - located on Lalani St.

The school was built over an ancient burial ground.  There have been reports of strange figures in the R Building area, and strange noises have also been reported all over campus.

Hauula

Pounder Beach - Kukuna Rd.

It is said that the old foundation of a house, on top of the rock, is haunted by a woman that died trying to save her drowning child.  She walks aggressively trying to find her child.  She seems angry with anyone and everyone.  Late at night, the child's cry for his mother can be heard, as well as the pitter patter of the child's feet.  Children who look like her child have been taken by the mother's ghost.

Honolulu

Alakea St. and Merchant St.

For nearly a century, Hawaiians have considered this area haunted by Wai-lua, or the Night Marchers, ghosts that come out at night to take over the streets and play games.  The sporting specters have terrified generations of natives here, but few Haole, or Caucasians, have witnessed the phenomena. 

Chaminade University - 3140 Waialae Ave.

A sophomore, that was killed in a car accident, can be heard skateboarding around the dorms.  He is most often heard on Halloween, because that was his favorite holiday. 

Hale Hoaloha - In this dorm, you can hear two little kids' voices on the even side of the third floor hall.  IIt sounds like the children are playing ball.  On September 16, 2002, in the late night and early morning, every computer, light and water fountain in this hall turned on and seemed to have a mind of its own.  In the morning, 3 students had the exact same dream of children laughing and death.  

Hale Lokelani - This dorm used to be a children's hospital during World War II.  There are reports of doors opening while dead-bolted in this building.  There have also been several ghost sightings in rooms here.  People have also heard strange noises in the middle of the night. 
Room 208 - Tthe outline of a cross that was once removed still remains.  There are reports that an exorcism was performed here.  There are also rumors that a suicide occurred here.  The sound of radio static can be heard coming from speakers without wires in this room.  Students sleeping here have awakened because they feel someone putting pressure on their bodies.  They also have feeling of being choked.
Room 319 - This room was once a morgue for soldiers during World War II.  People have seen the ghost of soldiers here.      

Diamond Head Tennis Center - Paki Ave.

The ghost of an angry man, that smells of rotting flesh, walks back and forth like he is guarding the area.

Dole Cannery Signature Theatres - 735b Iwilei Rd.

The Dole Cannery mall was built over an ancient Hawaiian heiau, a place of worship and center for human sacrifice.  In the early 1980's, a school bus full of children crashed in the same area where the heiau was located.  The manifestations in this building are that of a man, in his late 50's, that sits watching you from atop the corner seat in theater 14.  In the bathroom right next to the theater, you can hear the voices of the children and the bus driver. 

Fort St. - Diamond Head and Fort St.

The heads of human sacrifices decorated a famous Huna temple here.  Called Pakaka, it was the most important of over 100 heiaus that have been discovered on the island of Oahu. The heiaus are stone platforms used for worship and ceremonies by Kahuna priests.  A school for priests was located in Pakaka, and the spirits of the Kahuna priests are said to assemble there still. 

Hilton Hawaiian Village - 2005 Kalia Rd.

The ghost of a beautiful woman in a red dress has been seen wandering the halls here.  In 1959, an employee saw her vanish before his eyes as he was escorting her to a room.  Some say she is the ghost of a woman murdered in a tower room;  other say she is Madame Pele herself. 

Hotel St. - South Hotel St. At Nuuanu Ave.

The ghosts of residents of an ancient Hawaiian village go searching for their former homes among the offices and buildings that now populate the area.  The village of Kou existed where the business district is now, and the heart of the village was on Hotel St.  The chief's lodge was near the intersection of South Hotel St. and Nuuanu Ave.

Highway 1 - map of Highway 1

This highway is said to be one of the most haunted places on the island.  When highway 1 was built workers that had to dig through the mountain would see the ghosts of Hawaiian warriors.  Many workers were scared off.  Bones of the warriors were also found in the mountains.  It took over seven years to built Highway 1 because the Hawaiian people refused to work on the digging required for the highway.  It is said that the cries of old Hawaiian warriors can still be heard in the tunnel.

Highway 3 - map of Highway 3

A couple was driving on this highway when a police man pulled them over.  He approached the car and told the couple that the children that were playing in the back seat of the car should be wearing seatbelts.  The couple looked at the policeman strangely, because they had no children.  The policeman looked in the back seat, but it was empty.  When the couple arrived home, they checked the back seat again, and found little hand prints all over the back window.

Honolulu National Airport - off of Rodgers Blvd.

There have been reports of carts moving by themselves near the garden.  Also, the woman's restroom above Gate 31 is haunted.  At Gate 31, a working in the cockpit of an aircraft saw a bloody face in the gate area window near the same restroom.  When the worker did a double take, the face was gone.  

Iolani Palace - South King St. at Richards St.

On summer nights, the glowing ghost of a young native girl wearing a white dress is seen near the fountain here.
See Punchbowl Hill, Oahu.

Kalihi Valley  - map of Kalihi

It has been reported that if you drive past the bridge entering the forest, you can hear a soft sound saying, "Come Here."  While driving at night, you will see a red cross burning.  It has also been reported that the gear in your vehicle will change to neutral when you return.

Kamehameha Schools - 567 South King St.

At night, when the moon is full, you will see night marchers walking past the campus, knocking on doors.  Drum beats can also be heard.  In the morning the computers will all be on, and books and papers will be everywhere.  Princess Pauahi is said to control these spirits.

Kewalo - located on Sand Island

Hundreds of lower-class natives known as Kauwa were put to death here.  They were forced into the sea, where they drowned.  The ceremony was called ke-kai-hee-hee, or "sliding the servants under the waves of the sea."  Whether the bizarre ritual was intended for sacrifice or punishment is not known.  The ghost of the Kauwa are said to march out of the ocean late at night, which is why native Hawaiians avoid the harbor after dark.

La Pietra School for Girls - 2933 Poni Moi Road

When walking through the school it feels as if children are following close behind; even if no one is there.  Light, gentle winds have been fel, and the sound of children playing and laughing can be heard in the wind.  On the back, or mountain side, of the school, it feels as if some strong minded male is watching.  It feels as if it is a guard or warrior, and will follow at a distance.

Manoa Paradise Park - Manoa Rd. At Lowrey Ave.

Paradise Park, located in the Manoa valley, has a trail leading into the mountains.  It is surrounded by deep foliage on both sides.  Many people have reported hearing a banshee, or some other specter screaming on the trail.  It is said that you walk across seven bridges on the long, hard hike.  On the way back, only six bridges can be counted.

Pioneer Plaza - 900 Fort St. Mall

A woman was murdered on the 19th floor, and she can still be seen walking the hallways.

Sacred Heart Academy - 3253 Waialae Ave.

A nun fell to her death on the stairs by the chapel.  A cold chill can be felt there, as well as a breath on your face.

State Capitol Building - off of King St. at 415 S Beretania St.

The ghost of Queen Liliuokalani haunts the legislative part of Hawaii.  Her ghost, carrying leis, has been reported on the stairway in front of the building.  A statue of her likeness was erected on the building's west side.

University of Hawaii, Manoa - 2444 Dole St.

In the early 1980's, in the Mokihana dormitory (part of the Hale Aloha complex), a young man committed suicide by hanging himself in the closet.  People report hearing and seeing this young man roaming the halls of the building. 

Waikiki Parc Hotel - 2233 Helumoa Rd.

An employee, that recently passed away, still punches in for work.  His magnetic punch card has been cancelled, yet the machine still records someone punching in with his card.  This has happened on several occasions; strangely, the records only show him punching in, never out. 

Waipahu St. S-turn - map of Waipahu St.

Waipahu St. S-turn is located below the sugar mill and in the opening of Kipapa Valley Gulch.  Legends say that when King Kamehameha I invaded this island, there was so much death that he and his men lined up all the dead from the opening of the gulch to the steep valley in Mililani.  On moonless nights, when driving into this S-turn, you may hear drum beats and see torches of the night marchers.  If you hear the drum beats, your car may die and may not be able to start again.  There are people who live in that area and say that at times they have heard the drumbeats.  Sometimes the beats are so loud that it seems as if the marchers are going through their homes.  Also, a "white lady" has been seen in the area.  On an old road leading to the former site of the Oahu Sugar Plantation, above the s-turn, you may feel like you have hit something while driving.  If you look back in the rearview mirror, you will see an old Filipino lady stand up from where she lay, and hear her laughing an evil laugh.  There is a rumor that she was killed by a plantation truck in the early 1900's.  

 

If you are searching for ghost costumes, Greek costumes or interesting adult costumes, then the Internet is perfect for you. You will be able to find super Halloween costumes for just about any occasion ...

Copyright © 2000 CarpeNoctem. All rights reserved.
Revised: June 2008.
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