Hawaii History
The History of Hawaii: From Kingdom to Statehood, and beyond
The present makes more sense when you understand the past. As this department grows, expect ASD to explore pre-contact Hawai‘i, Hawaiian Kingdom history, U.S. Annexation, Territorial days, Pearl Harbor, Statehood, the Hawaiian Renaissance and on into the modern era. We will celebrate the cultures, the people and landmarks that have made us who we are today.
News
Echoes of The Willows
Generations of kama‘āina have warm memories of The Willows restaurant in Mō‘ili‘ili. Here's the real history of the location, and the reasons why people who worked there heard singing when no one was present and saw the footprints of ghostly children.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiFebruary 11, 2026
Residual spirits at Morgan’s Corner
Arguably the most famous haunted place on O‘ahu is Morgan's Corner in Nu‘uanu. Do you know the real story behind it? Turns out, there's more than one possible explanation for the things seen and presences felt where life and death intersect on Nu‘uanu Pali Drive.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiFebruary 04, 2026
Whispers in the holding cells
If trauma and intense emotion can lead to hauntings, it's no surprise that a former police station, once home to holding cells, would harbor lingering echoes of the past.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiJanuary 28, 2026
Hawai‘i’s evolution, as related by Tom Coffman
“Statehood wasn't the end of history, but a transition to a new history,” Tom Coffman once said. “Statehood allowed Hawai‘i to open up, and to let people assert themselves more, and allowed the genie of the Hawaiian movement to get out of the lantern.” Here, our political historian examines Coffman's life in the Islands as an investigative journalist, historian and filmmaker.
Perry ArrasmithJanuary 26, 2026
The haunting history of Kualoa
Long regarded as sacred, Kualoa was originally a special place reserved for chiefs and it was once a place where ali‘i from O‘ahu and Maui wrestled for control. With legends dating back to ancient times, and more modern tragedies as well, spirits of the past make their presence known.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiJanuary 21, 2026
The Pilgrimage of Bob Krauss
A half-century ago, legendary journalist Bob Krauss joined a 300-mile trek across Hawai‘i island, inspiring his 1975 book, "The Island Way." In it he explored "an Island approach to our global future" that was influential on local politics at the time and very much worth revisiting today.
Perry ArrasmithJanuary 15, 2026
Community Voices: The Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana celebrates 50 years of aloha ʻāina
“Laʻa, Maʻa, Paʻa; Sanctify, Sustain, Solidify,” is an ʻōlelo noʻeau from Aunty Alice Kuloloio of Maui that has been adopted as the ʻOhana’s 50th Anniversary slogan. It provides vision for their aloha ʻāina work.
Davianna Pōmaikaʻi McGregor, Hina Keala & Kaipu KealaJanuary 13, 2026
Hauntings at Honolulu's Yokohama Yokai
On the corner of Merchant and Bethel Streets in Downtown Hotel, you'll find the Yokohama Special Bank Building. It's a storied site, once home to the hale pili of ali‘i. After the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Army took over the bank building as a military police station. Is it any wonder occupants have reported strange occurences?
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiJanuary 07, 2026
Disembodied voices at Queen Kapi‘olani Hotel
Spirits ancient and modern have been heard and seen in the hallways and kitchens of this hotel, named for King David Kalākaua’s gracious wife.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiDecember 31, 2025
Residual energy manifests at Ali‘i Place
More than a century ago, the site hosted stables that were burned down during an outbreak of bubonic plague. Now, it's home to the Ali‘i Place office tower. One tenant, the Prosecuting Attorney for Honolulu, is the kind of place where strong emotions leave a mark on their surroundings, resulting in eerie experiences.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiDecember 24, 2025
Community Voices: Who decides what is historic?
A personal essay discovering how parts of Hawaiʻi’s past — houses and the land they sit on — are preserved, and a recommendation to the state for its future.
Maxx RamosDecember 16, 2025
Huaka‘i Pō at First Hawaiian Center
First Hawaiian Center remains the tallest building in Downtown Honolulu. The property on which is stands is home to an amazing — and sometimes frightening — history. Long before there was a bank, a house stood on the property, known as Haleʻākalā. Bernice Pauahi lived there, as did the future Queen Liliʻuokalani. Duke Kahanamoku was born there. And some say Huaka‘i Pō, the Night Marchers, still make their presence known there.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiDecember 10, 2025