Ghost at the Capitol Modern
Ghost at the Capitol Modern
Steamship travel in the mid-1800s caused a large increase in visitors to Hawaii. In 1865, a public meeting was held and a committee was appointed to study the question of the need for a first-class hotel. For a few years, nothing happened until, in 1870, Kalakaua said he thought favorably of the Government building a hotel. Finally, things started moving along and the hotel was finally completed and opened with a formal ball in 1872 just a stone’s throw from the haunted ‘Iolani Palace.
Later, with great interest from King Kalakaua, it was renamed the “Royal Hawaiian Hotel.” So you see, the first Royal Hawaiian Hotel was not in Waikiki at all. The later one, known as the Pink Palace, wouldn’t open until 1928.
A ghost in Hawaiian Hotel - Now the site of the Hawaii State Art Museum (HiSAM)
Anyhow, almost from the beginning, the hotel was reported to be haunted.
In 1877, the Hawaiian Hotel was closed for repairs. But witnesses reported seeing a ghost wandering the halls and being seen on the verandas.
The hotel was converted to a YMCA in 1917 and used by the military in World War I. Then, due to disrepair and termite infestations, the building was torn down in 1926.
Then in 1928, it was rebuilt as what came to be called the Armed Services YMCA.
Now listed as the No. 1 Capitol District Building, it houses the Capitol Modern (formerly the Hawaii State Art Museum, HiSAM), and other State offices. But even today, people who work in the building talk about hearing footsteps in the halls at night, when no one is there, or seeing the shadow of a woman wandering the halls.
Discover the Shadows of Haunted Honolulu
The Capitol Modern may now display art and culture by day, but by night, whispers of the past echo through its halls. From its early days as the Hawaiian Hotel to its time as a military YMCA, this historic site is tied to some of the oldest Hawaiian hauntings on record. The lingering presence of a ghostly woman and unexplained footsteps remind us that supernatural Honolulu is never far away.
While this location is just one of many haunted places in Honolulu, it stands as a powerful example of how the stories of supernatural Hawaii continue to unfold. Across Oʻahu, from shadowy hallways to ancient trails walked by night marchers, the island is rich with legend and mystery. To explore more of haunted Honolulu and the spirits that still linger, join us on a Honolulu ghost tour.