Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui
For more than 25 years, I’ve been sharing Hawai‘i’s haunted history, weaving together folklore, history, and firsthand accounts to bring our ghost stories to life. As a Native Hawaiian born and raised on O‘ahu, I grew up listening to traditional mo‘olelo from my kūpuna, stories that shaped my passion for preserving our Islands’ supernatural and cultural heritage. That passion has led me to a lifetime of storytelling, earning a special citation from the Hawai‘i State Legislature for my work in keeping these legends alive.
My wife, Tanya, and I run Mysteries of Hawai‘i, a locally owned ghost tour company dedicated to exploring the eerie and unexplained. Tanya, a lifelong horror enthusiast and researcher of hauntings and native legends, and I have co-authored "Hawaiʻi’s Night Marchers: A History of the Huaka‘i Po" and "Kahuna," our first full-length novel.
As weekly columnists, we are thrilled to share our love for Hawaii’s history, haunted and otherwise, with Aloha State Daily readers. Hawai‘i has some of the most chilling and fascinating supernatural tales in the world, and we can’t wait to bring them to you.
Latest from Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui
Moanalua’s Haunting History
If an old Hawaiian woman asks you to cut a cord for her in Moanalua Valley, be very, very careful what you do next. That's just once of the eerie tales of this part of O‘ahu where many battles have raged, from the invasion of Kahekili from Maui to the dispute over the route of H3.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiJuly 01, 2026
Legends and Spirits of Polihale
At the end of an unpaved, 5-mile road on Kaua‘i's west side is Polihale Beach. It is many things — a treasured local hangout, a visitor attraction that's gaining popularity, and, in ancient Hawaiian tradition, it is a jumping-off place for souls seeking the afterlife. Eerie stories abound about it.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiJune 24, 2026
The Choking Ghost at OCCC
As if prison wasn't scary enough, prisoners and guards alike at O‘ahu Community Correctional Center have many tales of a choking ghost stalking the facility, as well as other apparitions.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiJune 17, 2026
Sacred Hauntings at Pūowaina
Pūowaina — Punchbowl Crater — holds tremendous energy after centuries of profound human activities. In ancient times, it housed a heiau puhi kanaka, a fire temple involving human sacrifice. Now it is home to the National Memorial Cemetery for America's war dead. In between those eras, it has housed canons and Easter services, a firing range and sledding slopes. Some say it houses spirits as well, who make themselves known even in broad daylight.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiJune 10, 2026
Dog-Spirits and Moʻo at Kapena Falls
Who — or what — lives in the pond beneath Kapena Falls in Nu‘uanu Valley? In ancient legends, the valley has been home to guardian dogs with supernatural abilities, and creatures who can take both human and lizard form. For some visitors to the valley, those legends haven't been so ancient after all.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiJune 03, 2026
Ghosts Run This Gulch
From ancient battles to modern car crashes, a lot has happened around Roosevelt Bridge, where Kamehameha Highway crosses over Kīpapa Gulch. Is it any wonder it has a reputation for hauntings?
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiMay 27, 2026
Intermediate Ghosts
If you thought just being in the 7th or 8th grade was scary, imagine if some tragic set of circumstances had you trapped there in the afterlife! Stories abound about the things seen at Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School in Honolulu, long known as an "Intermediate School" in the DOE naming system. Ancient warriors. Headless bodies. A cop on his beat. A mysterious woman in high heels. All these and more.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiMay 20, 2026
Strange Events at the Ke‘elikōlani Building
It's hard to imagine now, but this area of the Capitol District of Honolulu was once waterfront property, where King Kamehameha I and his Royal Court made their home. Now, state government department heads, rather than powerful kahuna, hold sway, but it's possible the old energies linger, causing eerie experiences.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiMay 13, 2026
The continuous haunting of the Kaka‘ako fire station
Fire stations around the world, and across the Islands, are famous for hauntings. Here's a closer look at the strange experiences of fire fighters at the Kaka‘ako Fire Station, located in an area where once more than a thousand small pox victims were buried.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiMay 06, 2026
Ghosts of Kiona‘ole Road
In the dark of night, a certain tree along this storied Windward O‘ahu road could be a beacon of the spirit world.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiApril 29, 2026
Ghostly history of Kamāmalu Playground
A home once stood on the property, then known as Emma Street, and its owner seemed unwilling to stay away even after death. But is she the only spirit that haunts the site?
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiApril 22, 2026
A mystery on the Koko Crater Trail
If you think climbing 1,000 steps is scary, just wait until you hear who — or what — you might meet at the summit!
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiApril 15, 2026
Ghosts of the King Street Cemetery
From 1845 until the 1920s, a parcel of land outside of Honolulu granted by Governor Boki served as an active cemetery for the Catholic Church in Hawai‘i. It's still there on King Street, though its quiet surroundings have given way to high-rises, utilities and a hospital. Also still there, some say, are the spirits of the deceased appearing amid the headstones.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiApril 08, 2026
In the presence of the Queen
"The Spirit of Lili‘uokalani," the bronze statue of Hawai‘i's last ruling monarch, Queen Liliʻuokalani, is a physical manifestation of the Queen beside the Hawai‘i State Capitol. But people tell stories of encountering more spiritual manifestations of her presence as well.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiApril 01, 2026
The Mana of King Lunalilo
On his deathbed, King William Charles Lunalilo expressed a wish to be buried among his people rather than among the kings and chiefs and so he was interred in a tomb at Kawaiaha‘o Church. That's where the author personally had a profound experience of an otherworldly nature.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiMarch 25, 2026
The ghost dog at Kukui Plaza
Sightings, decades apart, of a ghostly dog suggest that an enduring presence roams the area of Downtown Honolulu that now houses Kukui Plaza.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiMarch 18, 2026
Early morning ghosts at Wahiawā General
Wahiawā in central O‘ahu has long been at the center of things. It once boasted extensive taro lo‘i. It was important to the sandalwood trade. As a modern community grew up around its agriculture, so did a town with a school that became a hospital. That's where this week's ghost story takes, in the wee hours, in the waiting room.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiMarch 11, 2026
The spirit at Plantation Hale
The Kaua‘i area now known as Waipouli was formerly known as Kololoku or Kaloloku Swamp, a former wetland where Native Hawaiians once thrived. For half a century it's been developed for modern tourism, but the spirits remain and make themselves known.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiMarch 04, 2026
More paranormal activity at Paradise Park
Paradise Park stands suspended between memory and mystery. On one hand, the visitor center reasons open and lively, even if the majority of the park closed years ago. As for the rest of the property, what was once a place of celebration and song now rests quietly beneath a canopy of trees, overtaken by the forest. Whether the strange occurrences are echoes of the past or simply imagination, the valley has always carried a spiritual weight that demands respect.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiFebruary 25, 2026
Paranormal activity at Paradise Park
If you want to understand why Mānoa Valley is filled with spirits and strange occurrences, consider that even the beauty of its endless rainbows has a dark side in the tragic story of Kahalaopuna, the famed “Rainbow Princess” of Mānoa.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiFebruary 18, 2026
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