Before the marble and mirrored glass tower was built there, the corner of Kapiʻolani and Ke‘eaumoku was home to Kapi‘olani Furniture & Appliance Co. Throughout the years from the 1950s to the 1980s, newspaper ads printed “Bargains! Bargains! Bargains!” At the same time, customers tested the softness of the sofas and the sturdiness of the dining sets, while salespeople demonstrated the latest washing machines.
But as Honolulu’s skyline is ever-changing, so too was this parcel on the corner of this busy intersection. The old furniture showroom gave way to the Pacific Guardian Tower, an 18-story modernist block that many locals refer to as “the Ghostbusters building” due to its resemblance to the haunted tower made famous in the Ghostbusters movie. The fictional Shandor Building in the film is the real-life 55 Central Park West apartment building in New York City.
Today, the building hums with Honolulu’s professionals. Insurance teams (including Pacific Guardian Life’s home office), financial advisors, law practices, medical and wellness clinics, architecture and design studios, tech firms, real estate groups, and more form a vertical neighborhood with its sleek marble walls.
Yet beneath the polished marble facade and steady drone of professional life, whispers began to surface to suggest that something inside the Pacific Guardian Tower was amiss. While the building had become a symbol of Honolulu’s modern growth, stories from the people who worked there hinted at something older.
When the sun goes down and the halls grow quiet, the air seems to buzz with a different kind of energy and something otherworldly stirs. There are dozens of people who’ve spoken of papers fluttering where there’s no wind and general uneasy feelings. The most common theme is hearing children’s voices laughing and singing. Several people have also reported hearing someone calling their names when it is clear that no one else is around.
Our friend Theresa stated that she and her boss often worked early morning and late evening hours in the office when no one else was there. Many times, they both heard children’s voices laughing, singing, and calling out to them. Theresa was working alone one evening when a beautiful older Hawaiian woman appeared at her desk. She had tried more than once to write down what happened, but the details kept slipping from memory as if they refused to be pinned down. This much was clear: the exterior door was locked, the entry bell never chimed, and yet the woman stood right in front of her. In a steady, professional voice, the visitor identified herself as the manager and stated that she was checking on the building’s maintenance crew. Had Theresa seen anyone removing items? Were the building’s belongings being treated with respect? Nothing in the woman’s manner was threatening, only authoritative enough to make Theresa sit up straighter.
A soft clatter sounded somewhere down the corridor, and Theresa briefly glanced toward it. When she looked back, the woman was gone. The room hadn’t changed at all. The chair was where it had been, papers unmoved, the quiet of after-hours pressing in. Theresa tested the locks again. They were still secure.
In the morning, she reported the visit to the management office. They listened carefully, then assured her no one from their team had been on-site the night before and, for the record, both the department’s manager and supervisor were men. Theresa didn’t argue. She simply absorbed the information and chose not to work there alone again.
We briefly mentioned this building on our social media page and were surprised by the number of responses corroborating accounts like this with their own stories.
Although we’ve never actually found a specific cause for this building to be haunted, tenants and their employees have reported unusual activity for years. While a few people mentioned a rumor that iwi kūpuna (ancient bones) were found during the building’s construction, there is no public record indicating discoveries of burials or mismanagement of iwi at the site. However, given the documented presence of iwi kūpuna in the immediate vicinity, it is reasonable to acknowledge that adjacent parcels historically may have contained burials as well. Whether or not ancient burials were the case, perhaps this spot just attracts spirits.
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