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Built in 1926, the 10-story Art Deco Style Aloha Tower is 184 feet in height and is located on Pier 9 at Honolulu Harbor. This square-shaped "retired" lighthouse is one of Hawaii's landmarks and is dubbed Honolulu's Statue of Liberty due to the state's history of welcoming immigrants. Aloha Tower was built at the cost of $160,000 and was constructed with reinforced concrete and covered with a stucco finish. The lighthouse is in the busy Aloha Tower Marketplace and attracts many visitors shopping at this busy waterfront shopping center.
Brief History Of Aloha Tower
After Aloha Tower Lighthouse was built, it served as a navigational landmark visible 15 miles away to ships sailing the North Pacific Ocean. It also housed government departments that include the Harbor's Masters office. For four decades, Aloha Tower was Honolulu's tallest building, and its clock was among the largest in the United States. Before air travel, when travel to O'ahu was done by sea, the word ALOHA etched on Aloha Tower welcomed the visitors entering the Honolulu Harbor.
After the Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese on December 7, 1941, the United States Navy took control of Aloha Tower and restricted public access to it. The navy shut off its beacon and painted the then-white building to camouflage to minimize its detection by enemies. The heavily secured Aloha Tower served as a control hub for American military convoys in the Pacific until 1947 when the camouflage paint was removed, and the building returned to civilian control. Aloha Towers still today has the Honolulu harbor offices on the tenth floor used by maritime staff.
Aloha Tower Visitors' Experience
On the tenth floor of Aloha Tower is an observation deck that is accessed using an elevator. From the deck, visitors get great views of the expansive Pacific Ocean blue waters, the scenic Honolulu city and skyline, the waterfront and harbor, mountains, Waikiki shore, and the Diamond Head volcanic cone. The deck's balconies on the four sides of Aloha Tower make the viewing experience satisfying.
The lighthouse's tenth-floor observation deck admission is free for visitors but can be restricted depending on the weather. From Monday to Friday, visiting hours are from 9 am to 4 pm, 9 am to 10 pm on Saturdays, and 9 am to 6 pm on Sundays. That makes Aloha Towers a must-see spot for visitors on a budget to Hawaii.
Other Attractions Around Aloha Tower
Around Aloha Tower, visitors will have many things to do and places to explore.
Explore Honolulu's Chinatown Neighborhood
Honolulu's historic Chinatown neighborhood is a melting point of diverse Asian cultures and expressions. Among the places to visit here include:
Hawaii Chinatown Cultural Plaza
Hawaii Chinatown Cultural plaza is a popular shopping destination in Honolulu. The plaza has Chinese food restaurants, shops, traditional Chinese clinics, and many more pharmacies. The plaza also hosts seasonal community and daily events that entertain residents and visitors in a relaxed atmosphere. Chinese moon festival and New Year events are celebrated here too. Karaoke, dance, and Chinese instruments classes are also available at Hawaii Chinatown Cultural plaza.
The Izumo Taishakyo Mission Of Hawaii
This Japanese shrine and historic monument for the Izumo Oyashirokyo religious community has served its members and the public since 1906. Religious services are conducted at the Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii to confer blessings to families and children of different ages. Other ceremonies conducted here include weddings, funerals, and memorial services and can be booked here.
Hawaii Theater Center
Hawaii Theater Center has existed in Honolulu since 1922 and has provided cultural and educational events and performing arts. Its presence has also boosted the development of Chinatown and downtown Honolulu. Plays, bands, stand-up comedy and puppet shows, and symphony orchestras are hosted here. Tickets to various events at the Hawaii Theater Center can be booked here.
Shop And Dine At International Market Place
The International Market Place at Waikiki, less than a mile from Aloha Tower, hosts curated stores of major brands and has entertainment joints and restaurants with diverse global cuisines. Award-winning chefs like Roy Yamaguchi and Michael Mina have eateries with cuisines that whet the diners' appetite. The International Market Place also offers visitors an open-air environment to soak in the true Hawaiian experience exhibited by the landscaping and beautiful water features. Daily it opens from 11 am to 8 pm, but individual stores and restaurants' opening hours differ.
Take A Dinner Cruise Aboard The Star Of Honolulu
Visitors to Honolulu can take a sunset dinner cruise aboard The Star of Honolulu that departs daily from Pier 8 at Aloha Tower Marketplace. Cruises start from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm but extend by an hour to 8:30 pm on Fridays. Aboard the largest dinner cruise ship in Hawaii, visitors enjoy Oahu's natural beauty and the spectacular 360-degree views of the sunset, and Waikiki city lights from four floors of walk-around decks and a 60-foot high observation deck.
Delicious cuisines and select cocktails prepared by master chefs are available, topped with Hawaiian entertainment. The three levels of dinner cruises can be booked here, which include wedding packages depending on visitors' budget.
How To Visit Aloha Tower
Since Aloha Tower is in Honolulu, Hawaii's capital, it's fairly easy to find and is about 5 miles from The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. From the airport, visitors can hire an Uber or The Cab Hawaii taxi or book shuttles that ply various routes around Honolulu.