Thought to be built on top of a cemetery, the ‘Aiea High School in Honolulu, Hawai’i is believed to be haunted. Across the campus, in the classrooms, hallways and even the football field, students and staff alike have sensed that something lingers from the spirit world.
Overlooking the historic Pearl Harbor, ‘Aiea High School carries with it a history that runs deep beneath its foundations—quite literally. Founded in 1961 in what was once a humble sugar plantation town, the school has grown from its modest beginnings of just eight buildings to a sprawling campus of fifteen structures.
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Over the decades, ‘Aiea High has seen its student body expand from a mere 200 to over 1,000 students. Yet, as the school flourished, so did the tales of strange occurrences and ghostly encounters that have plagued the campus since its inception.
‘Aiea High School is situated on land that was once an ancient burial ground, and as with many such sites, it seems the spirits of the past are not content to rest in peace. The connection between the school and its spectral inhabitants is undeniable, and students and staff alike have reported unsettling experiences that defy explanation. The campus itself is a mosaic of eerie energy, with some buildings standing out as particularly active sites for paranormal phenomena.
The most notorious of these is the R Building. Those who spend time within its walls often speak of strange noises—whispers in empty hallways, footsteps that echo where no one walks, and doors that creak open on their own. These sounds are so frequent that they’ve become a part of daily life at ‘Aiea High, a constant reminder that the past is always close at hand.
The Haunting of the Football Field
Perhaps the most chilling tale associated with ‘Aiea High School comes from the football field—a place where the living and the dead seem to collide in unsettling ways. Local ghost storyteller, Lopaka Kapanui, shares a story that has become legendary among students and alumni alike.
According to Kapanui, during a high school football game many years ago, a player fumbled the ball at a crucial moment. When asked about what happened, the player insisted that something had grabbed his ankle—an unseen hand that came out of nowhere and caused him to lose control. His teammates laughed it off, attributing it to nerves or an overactive imagination. But years later, during an investigation and excavation of the football field, human bones were uncovered. The discovery confirmed that the field had been built over an ancient burial site, lending credence to the player’s story. It turns out, the mysterious hand that caused him to fumble wasn’t a figment of his imagination after all.
An Atmosphere of Unease
The football field isn’t the only place where students have encountered the unexplained at ‘Aiea High School. The entire campus is shrouded in an atmosphere of unease, with many reporting encounters with shadowy figures and strange lights that appear and disappear without warning. Classrooms that are locked and empty sometimes echo with the sounds of desks being moved or voices whispering as if lessons from the past are still being taught to an unseen audience.
Even after school hours, when the campus should be deserted, security guards have reported hearing footsteps following them or seeing lights flicker on and off in empty buildings. Some have claimed to see figures standing in windows, only to vanish when approached. It’s as if the spirits who once called this land home are still very much present, watching over the school and its inhabitants, perhaps resentful of the intrusion into their final resting place.
Living With the Spirits at ‘Aiea High School
For the students and staff of ‘Aiea High School, these ghostly encounters have become a part of the school’s identity—a reminder that they are living and learning on sacred ground. For those who are sensitive to such things, the presence of the supernatural is palpable, an ever-present force that occasionally makes itself known in unsettling ways.
As the school continues to grow and change, one thing remains constant: the haunting legacy of the land it stands on. Whether it’s the phantom hand on the football field, the eerie noises in the R Building, or the shadowy figures that roam the campus, ‘Aiea High School is a place where the dead are never truly gone, and the living must learn to coexist with the spirits who came before them.
A vampiric Vrykolakas from Greek folklore was said to terrorize the inhabitants on Mykonos island. To stop the haunting, they exhumed, burned and buried the remains of the body on an inhabited island. But did it work?
As part of the shapeshifting Aswang demons of the Phillipines, the Manananggal was soaring the sky in her bat-like appearance on her hunt for human blood.
After a man died before atoning for his crimes, he came back from the dead as a vampiric Vrykolakas when his wife failed to follow his final wishes. What followed was a month full of terror and haunting.
After terrorizing his village, the Vrykolakas Vampire from Patmos in Santorini were taken to an inhabited island and set on fire. The question is, did it really work?
Fueled by anger and vengeance, the vampiric Churel of South Asian folklore, is said to haunt down men to drain their blood as a vengeful spirit brought back from the dead.
After a humble life as a shoemaker on Santorini in Greece, a man was said to have come back as a Vrykolakas, the vampire of Greek folklore. But for this Vrykolaka, it wasn’t to devour human life that kept him going.
Thought to be haunting the dark seas of the north, the Sea Draug is a ghost of the drowned fishermen’s and other unfortunate souls who perished on the waters.
After tragedy struck and the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, the surviving crew members were sent to The Jane Street Hotel in New York. According to stories, they are still haunting the rooms, where the trauma of their tragedy lingers.
Who can be haunting the old Hald Pensjonat in Mandal? Playing soft piano music in the afterlife, and rumours about the footsteps of a Norwegian pirate seems to linger.
Hidden among human society, the vampiric Mandurugo creature is slowly draining her unassuming husbands of their blood and life to sustain her eternal youth and beauty.
The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
In the abandoned ruins of the Old Maui High School, ghost stories of the place being haunted have been told for years. Those wandering too close have sometimes been attacked by a malevolent spirit, choking them.
In the quiet remnants of Hamakuapoko, Old Maui High School stands as a testament to the island’s educational history and a chilling relic of its past. Established as the first co-ed public high school on Maui by, it served the children of plantation farmers, until its abandonment in 1972 when it was moved to Kahului.
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The Old Maui High School was started in 1913 in the sugarcane plantation and missionary town. Back then, the students got to school by buggy, horse or by the Kahului Railway. After it was abandoned after people started to move to central Maui when the plantation camps closed, the building was destroyed and now only the skeleton of the huge school now stands. First it was taken by bulldozers trying to demolish the building, then by fires by vandals curious about its spooky rumors over the years, now leaving it more like ruins with its graffiti-covered archers amidst the green.
Old Maui High School: Main entrance façade, ruins of Old Maui High School (1913-1972), designed by Charles William Dickey (1871-1942) and constructed in 1921. // Source: Wikimedia
The Choking Ghosts Lingering in the Old Maui High School
As with most abandoned schools, it comes with haunted legends, where former students as well as staff of the administration are haunting the place. Some of the ghost stories are said to have haunted the school even back when students still attended it.
One of the most talked about ghost legends from the Old Maui High School was the choking ghost said to attack students who were skipping class. Some visitors still report about feeling something like fingers grasping around their neck when staying at the site. Could the legend of the choking ghost still be at large?
Legends of choking ghosts in Hawaii have been told as far back as the 19th century, mostly by immigrants and sailors from around the world.
The hauntings are not limited to eerie sounds. Many have described an oppressive force, as if invisible hands are choking or pressing them into the ground upon setting foot on the property. These malevolent spirits are thought to target those who once skipped classes, exacting a spectral vengeance on truants even decades later. This choking sensation is a grim reminder of the school’s strict discipline and the lingering presence of spirits who once roamed its halls.
The Girl in the Bathroom
Among the most unsettling reports from the Old Maui High School are those of a girl’s mournful cries emanating from the dilapidated bathroom. These sorrowful wails are believed to belong to a former student whose story remains shrouded in mystery and speculation.
Old Maui High School
The old school grounds, now private property, stand as a somber reminder of both educational strides and spectral mysteries. The spirits of early students and teachers are said to linger, their restless energies intertwining with the decaying architecture. While curiosity about the haunted site is natural, it is crucial to respect both the historical significance and the paranormal legends associated with Old Maui High School. Viewing the site from the road is recommended, ensuring that the past and present spirits are not disturbed.
A vampiric Vrykolakas from Greek folklore was said to terrorize the inhabitants on Mykonos island. To stop the haunting, they exhumed, burned and buried the remains of the body on an inhabited island. But did it work?
As part of the shapeshifting Aswang demons of the Phillipines, the Manananggal was soaring the sky in her bat-like appearance on her hunt for human blood.
After a man died before atoning for his crimes, he came back from the dead as a vampiric Vrykolakas when his wife failed to follow his final wishes. What followed was a month full of terror and haunting.
After terrorizing his village, the Vrykolakas Vampire from Patmos in Santorini were taken to an inhabited island and set on fire. The question is, did it really work?
Fueled by anger and vengeance, the vampiric Churel of South Asian folklore, is said to haunt down men to drain their blood as a vengeful spirit brought back from the dead.
After a humble life as a shoemaker on Santorini in Greece, a man was said to have come back as a Vrykolakas, the vampire of Greek folklore. But for this Vrykolaka, it wasn’t to devour human life that kept him going.
Thought to be haunting the dark seas of the north, the Sea Draug is a ghost of the drowned fishermen’s and other unfortunate souls who perished on the waters.
After tragedy struck and the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, the surviving crew members were sent to The Jane Street Hotel in New York. According to stories, they are still haunting the rooms, where the trauma of their tragedy lingers.
Who can be haunting the old Hald Pensjonat in Mandal? Playing soft piano music in the afterlife, and rumours about the footsteps of a Norwegian pirate seems to linger.
Hidden among human society, the vampiric Mandurugo creature is slowly draining her unassuming husbands of their blood and life to sustain her eternal youth and beauty.
The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
It’s not just a single room on campus said to be haunted at the Chaminade University in Honolulu, it’s not even a single dorm. Throughout the years of this Catholic University, plenty of ghosts are said to be lingering.
On the slopes of Honolulu, Chaminade University boasts a serene campus with stunning views of Oahu. But beneath its tranquil exterior lies a darker, more unsettling history—one that makes Dorm Lokelani the epicenter of eerie tales and paranormal activity. This building, according to rumor, once served as a children’s hospital during World War II, and the spirits of its past inhabitants seem to linger within its walls.
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The private and catholic university was founded in 1955 by the Society of Mary, and has a lot of legends surrounding it. For one there are supposedly tunnels underneath the school. Throughout the years, people have shared strange things that have happened to them. Like Gloria McCoy who claimed to have seen a shadow in Frische Hall moving quickly past her, a chair rolled as a voice from nowhere said “Hello”.
But how come the school is haunted? It is said to make way for the school they dug up the graveyard that used to be on the land, and the spirits attached to the school are remnants of the spirits that used to be buried there.
There are many stories from the school, one being that the campus is haunted by a former student, still skateboarding in the afterlife around the campus ground. Some say it was a girl, attending the university as a sophomore when she lost her life in a car accident.
It is said that even in the dorm rooms are places where she skates, also said to appear more frequently around Halloween.
Ghosts of the 4th Floor in the Office Building
There are also tales about ghosts haunting the halls of the 4th floor in the office building. One Mr. Murphy stayed late to grade papers when hearing people running through the halls and walking by the classroom he was staying in. Although thinking it was a bit weird at first as it was no class, he figured it might be the cleaning crew.
When he left late in the evening, he turned off the lights before getting out in the parking lot. When he turned, he saw that the lights were on, although he was certain he had turned them off. He went back to turn them off, but when he got out, again the lights were on. When he got out of the building after turning the lights off for the third time, he decided to drive home as fast as he could when he saw that they were once again turned on.
As well as faculty members experiencing strange things when working late, it seems that there are some pictures hanging in the building that somehow seem haunted. The children in the old pictures seem to move.
The Haunted Bridge
There is also a story about a Dr. Kralemann’s mother who came to visit the school. They went on a walk on the campus and then she ended up levitating on the haunted bridge close to the end of Cemetery Lane. When crossing the bridge, she felt cold, but continued over. When the professor turned, her mother was levitating and her eyes rolled back into her head.
She rushed over to help and as soon as she touched her arm, she fell to the ground and had no recollection of what had just happened.
There is also supposed to be a picture of the bridge circulating on the school, showing the faces of what appears to be two faces of priests smiling, although the picture was taken when no one was standing on the bridge.
The Hale Hoaloka Dorm
In this dorm it is said that children haunt the hall. Most of the ghost stories come from a particular person though, the Hale Hoaloka Dorms former housekeeper, Mrs. Bailey. She claimed to hear children laugh and run through the halls, but when checking, there was no one there. There are said to be at least two of the ghostly kids roaming the halls.
Once Mrs Bailey was going about her day and work in the dormitories, she also heard more than one radio turn on by themselves and she had to turn them off.
People also claim to have heard them playing a game with a ball. Those staying in the dorms also say that locked doors open mysteriously, apparitions come and go in their rooms and people keep complaining about sounds in the night they never find the source for.
Echoes of the Past of the Lokelani Dormitory
The rumors of Lokelani Dorm’s past as a wartime children’s hospital have given rise to numerous ghost stories among students and faculty. The most common reports involve the disembodied voices of children—soft whispers, playful giggles, and even the occasional cry—heard echoing through the hallways, especially late at night. These sounds, often dismissed by skeptics as the wind or the creaks of an old building, are difficult to ignore when they seem to come from empty rooms.
Doors in Lokelani Dorm are also known to open and close on their own, as if guided by invisible hands. Many students have reported the unnerving sensation of being watched or followed, even when they know they are alone. The heavy, oppressive feeling in the air has left more than a few residents questioning whether they should stay another night.
The Haunting of Room 208
Among the haunted spaces in Lokelani Dorm, Room 208 stands out as particularly notorious. This room has earned a reputation as a hotspot for paranormal activity, and the stories surrounding it are enough to make even the bravest souls think twice before entering.
Legend has it that Room 208 was the site of at least one suicide, and the tragic energy left behind seems to have created a vortex of negative forces. The room is often described as having a cold, unwelcoming atmosphere, and those who have spent time there speak of an overwhelming sense of dread. The flickering lights, objects moving on their own, and the feeling of being touched by unseen hands are just some of the chilling experiences reported by those who have dared to stay in Room 208.
The room’s dark history doesn’t end there and is said to have started with the outline of a crucifix that used to hang on the wall. It is also said that an exorcism was once performed within its walls, an attempt to cleanse the space of whatever malevolent force resides there. However, despite these efforts, the paranormal activity has persisted, leading some to believe that the spirits in Lokelani Dorm are not ready to move on.
Room 319
Another room in the Hale Lokelani dorm is said to be haunted is Room 319, although by an entirely different ghost. Although not as well known as the haunting as to go on in Room 208, this palace is haunted by the ghosts of dead soldiers from the second world war.
How this connection to soldiers and the war happened is uncertain.
A Place Where Spirits Linger
Chaminade University’s Lokelani Dorm and the rest of the campus is a place where history and the supernatural seem to intersect. Whether the building’s haunted reputation stems from its rumored past as a children’s hospital or from the tragic events that have occurred within its walls, one thing is certain—those who enter Lokelani Dorm should be prepared for an encounter with the unknown.
A vampiric Vrykolakas from Greek folklore was said to terrorize the inhabitants on Mykonos island. To stop the haunting, they exhumed, burned and buried the remains of the body on an inhabited island. But did it work?
As part of the shapeshifting Aswang demons of the Phillipines, the Manananggal was soaring the sky in her bat-like appearance on her hunt for human blood.
After a man died before atoning for his crimes, he came back from the dead as a vampiric Vrykolakas when his wife failed to follow his final wishes. What followed was a month full of terror and haunting.
After terrorizing his village, the Vrykolakas Vampire from Patmos in Santorini were taken to an inhabited island and set on fire. The question is, did it really work?
Fueled by anger and vengeance, the vampiric Churel of South Asian folklore, is said to haunt down men to drain their blood as a vengeful spirit brought back from the dead.
After a humble life as a shoemaker on Santorini in Greece, a man was said to have come back as a Vrykolakas, the vampire of Greek folklore. But for this Vrykolaka, it wasn’t to devour human life that kept him going.
Thought to be haunting the dark seas of the north, the Sea Draug is a ghost of the drowned fishermen’s and other unfortunate souls who perished on the waters.
After tragedy struck and the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, the surviving crew members were sent to The Jane Street Hotel in New York. According to stories, they are still haunting the rooms, where the trauma of their tragedy lingers.
Who can be haunting the old Hald Pensjonat in Mandal? Playing soft piano music in the afterlife, and rumours about the footsteps of a Norwegian pirate seems to linger.
Hidden among human society, the vampiric Mandurugo creature is slowly draining her unassuming husbands of their blood and life to sustain her eternal youth and beauty.
The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
Plenty of students trying to study in the Hamilton Library at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa claim to have encountered the ghost said to wander down the aisles of the library after dark. Who is the ghost wearing the pink muumuu and what does she seek?
On the campus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Hamilton Library is a haven for students seeking knowledge, solace, and a quiet place to study. However, beneath its scholarly exterior, this library holds more than just books and academic resources. For years, it has been the epicenter of chilling encounters, with custodians, students, and staff alike reporting eerie experiences that suggest the library is haunted by spirits that refuse to leave.
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Tucked away on the flagship campus of the University of Hawaii in the Manoa Valley, Hamilton Library’s reputation as a haunted hotspot is well-known among those who frequent its halls, particularly in the late hours. Many students, burning the midnight oil during exam season, have claimed to hear disembodied whispers and the soft rustling of pages in the empty aisles, as if unseen hands were leafing through the books. Some have even reported feeling a sudden drop in temperature, a cold breath on their necks, or the sensation of being watched, only to find the aisle deserted when they turn around.
Among the most spine-chilling stories to emerge from Hamilton Library is the tale of the young woman in the pink muumuu. This apparition has been seen by several custodians over the years, always in the same location: the mauka wing of the first floor. The woman, dressed in a traditional Hawaiian muumuu, is described as having a serene yet sorrowful expression, as she silently wanders the aisles.
One custodian recounted a particularly eerie encounter with the pink muumuu-clad ghost. While mopping the floors late at night, he glanced up and saw her standing at the end of the aisle, her figure partially obscured by the shadows. Believing her to be a lost student, he approached to offer assistance, but as he neared, she simply vanished into thin air, leaving him alone with the mop bucket and his racing heart. After that night, the custodian refused to work alone in the mauka wing again.
Other Haunted Spots at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Although one of the more well known haunted spots on campus, it’s certainly not the only one. Hale Mokihana Dormitory is known for its eerie ghost stories, particularly concerning its ninth floor, which is rumored to be haunted by the spirit of a former student who tragically took his own life in the 1980s or early 90s. Numerous reports describe a ghostly figure resembling a young man, seen wandering the halls and often accompanied by sudden temperature drops and mysterious sounds.
Some students have had unnerving encounters, claiming to see a dark figure at the foot of their bed stating, “This is my room. I died here.” While the university hasn’t officially confirmed the suicide, the legend persists, leading to varying accounts about which specific room or area is most haunted, with room 406 frequently mentioned.
Ghostly Residue in Hamilton Library
What could be the cause of these paranormal phenomena? Some speculate that the library was built on land with a tumultuous past, possibly disturbed burial grounds or sites of ancient Hawaiian rituals. Others believe the spirits are tied to the books themselves—perhaps the remnants of those who devoted their lives to the pursuit of knowledge and now refuse to leave their beloved sanctuary.
Students and staff have come to accept these hauntings as part of Hamilton Library’s unique atmosphere. Some are even comforted by the idea that they share the library with these restless spirits, who seem to be as committed to the pursuit of learning as the living. However, for those who have encountered the ghostly woman in the pink muumuu or heard the eerie footsteps in the dead of night, the library’s haunted reputation is all too real.
A vampiric Vrykolakas from Greek folklore was said to terrorize the inhabitants on Mykonos island. To stop the haunting, they exhumed, burned and buried the remains of the body on an inhabited island. But did it work?
As part of the shapeshifting Aswang demons of the Phillipines, the Manananggal was soaring the sky in her bat-like appearance on her hunt for human blood.
After a man died before atoning for his crimes, he came back from the dead as a vampiric Vrykolakas when his wife failed to follow his final wishes. What followed was a month full of terror and haunting.
After terrorizing his village, the Vrykolakas Vampire from Patmos in Santorini were taken to an inhabited island and set on fire. The question is, did it really work?
Fueled by anger and vengeance, the vampiric Churel of South Asian folklore, is said to haunt down men to drain their blood as a vengeful spirit brought back from the dead.
After a humble life as a shoemaker on Santorini in Greece, a man was said to have come back as a Vrykolakas, the vampire of Greek folklore. But for this Vrykolaka, it wasn’t to devour human life that kept him going.
Thought to be haunting the dark seas of the north, the Sea Draug is a ghost of the drowned fishermen’s and other unfortunate souls who perished on the waters.
After tragedy struck and the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, the surviving crew members were sent to The Jane Street Hotel in New York. According to stories, they are still haunting the rooms, where the trauma of their tragedy lingers.
Who can be haunting the old Hald Pensjonat in Mandal? Playing soft piano music in the afterlife, and rumours about the footsteps of a Norwegian pirate seems to linger.
Hidden among human society, the vampiric Mandurugo creature is slowly draining her unassuming husbands of their blood and life to sustain her eternal youth and beauty.
The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
37 floors of ghosts. That is what they say about the Honolulu High Rise building, The Contessa Condominium. Built on top of what some think was a cemetery for the small pox victims, could they be haunting this place?
Across from the Hawaiian Humane Society, The Contessa Condominium in Honolulu is an unsuspecting tower of modern living, but beneath its polished exterior lies a sinister reputation. Some call it the most haunted building in all of Honolulu—a place where restless spirits roam the halls, where shadows lurk in every corner of the 37-story building, and where residents have reported eerie encounters that send shivers down the spine.
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Ghost tours have The Contessa Condominium as a stop and even websites with listings of the apartments for sale or rent mentions the haunting tales around the building and try to divert the attention away from the stories. But many who do are left with tales of unexplained happenings and ghostly apparitions and end up leaving because of it.
But why is The Contessa Condominium haunted? There are many theories floating around, but many claim that the building was built upon an old burial place. It was at least built where the Kamoiliili Church was located with its cemetery until it was demolished in the late 60s.
According to some there were many thousand people, up to perhaps 5000 people who died in the smallpox epidemic back in 1910 buried there. There is also the graveyard right next to it that people claim to see orbs float around. Could this be the reason behind the hauntings?
In fact, according to some, there were 466 bodies they exhumed in September in 1968 and moved to another cemetery. It is said that the bodies were re-buried at the Kawaiahao Church’s cemetery.
This upset many of the body’s relatives who even sued because of it. It was also said that only 206 of the exhumed bodies were even identified. Some say that not all the bones were removed as well and the spirits they belong to are now haunting The Contessa Condominium which was built in 1971.
A few have claimed to see shadowy figures darting in and out of view in their peripheral vision and some people claiming to be very receptive to the supernatural straight up have refused to go inside The Contessa Condominium because of what they see.
Others have heard footsteps trailing them as they walk through the building, only to turn around and find no one there. The elevator reaches the ground floor carrying only ghosts into the lobby. Some even swear they’ve heard disembodied laughter echoing down the stairwells in the dead of night—a chilling sound that starts softly and grows louder before fading away.
Ghostly Residents: The Ghost Dog and the Old Woman
Among the many entities said to haunt The Contessa Condominium, two stand out. First is the Ghost Dog that roams the grounds. Residents and passersby alike have reported seeing a spectral canine darting across the lawn or wandering the perimeter. Often described as a small, dark-colored dog, the apparition seems harmless at first glance—just a stray looking for a home. But those who have seen it up close swear that it is anything but ordinary. The dog appears suddenly and vanishes just as quickly, leaving behind no paw prints or evidence of its presence. Some claim to hear its faint whimpering at night, a mournful sound that echoes through the building’s halls, even when no animals are present.
But the spectral dog is not alone. There is also the ghost of an old woman who lingers at the bus stop in front of the building. She is often seen late at night, sitting quietly as if waiting for a bus that never comes. Witnesses describe her as wearing old-fashioned clothing, with a forlorn look on her face. Some have attempted to speak to her, only for her to vanish into thin air the moment they approach. Bus drivers passing by have reported seeing her too, a solitary figure under the dim glow of the streetlight, only to disappear in a blink. Rumor has it that she is a former resident who died tragically, and now, her spirit waits at the bus stop for eternity.
A History of Tragedy: Suicides
The Contessa Condominium’s dark reputation is further compounded by its history of suicides that are said to have happened more frequent inside of the building than other places.
Over the years it is said that several residents have taken their own lives within the building’s walls, leaving a lingering shadow over the property. Some say the atmosphere in certain units is thick and oppressive, as if the very walls have absorbed the despair of those who came before.
This is for now just an anecdotal rumor that goes along with the rest of the ghost stories, and there really aren’t any true numbers we can have a look at.
Living with the Spirits in The Contessa Condominium
Is The Contessa Condominium truly haunted, or is it simply a place where the tragedies of the past have left a deep, lingering mark? For those brave enough to live at The Contessa, the supernatural presence is just part of life.
Some residents have made peace with the ghosts, acknowledging their existence but choosing not to be afraid. Others, however, find it hard to stay for long, citing the building’s unsettling energy and the ever-present feeling of being watched. A few have even broken their leases, convinced that something malevolent lurks within the building’s walls.
A vampiric Vrykolakas from Greek folklore was said to terrorize the inhabitants on Mykonos island. To stop the haunting, they exhumed, burned and buried the remains of the body on an inhabited island. But did it work?
As part of the shapeshifting Aswang demons of the Phillipines, the Manananggal was soaring the sky in her bat-like appearance on her hunt for human blood.
After a man died before atoning for his crimes, he came back from the dead as a vampiric Vrykolakas when his wife failed to follow his final wishes. What followed was a month full of terror and haunting.
After terrorizing his village, the Vrykolakas Vampire from Patmos in Santorini were taken to an inhabited island and set on fire. The question is, did it really work?
Fueled by anger and vengeance, the vampiric Churel of South Asian folklore, is said to haunt down men to drain their blood as a vengeful spirit brought back from the dead.
After a humble life as a shoemaker on Santorini in Greece, a man was said to have come back as a Vrykolakas, the vampire of Greek folklore. But for this Vrykolaka, it wasn’t to devour human life that kept him going.
Thought to be haunting the dark seas of the north, the Sea Draug is a ghost of the drowned fishermen’s and other unfortunate souls who perished on the waters.
After tragedy struck and the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, the surviving crew members were sent to The Jane Street Hotel in New York. According to stories, they are still haunting the rooms, where the trauma of their tragedy lingers.
Who can be haunting the old Hald Pensjonat in Mandal? Playing soft piano music in the afterlife, and rumours about the footsteps of a Norwegian pirate seems to linger.
Hidden among human society, the vampiric Mandurugo creature is slowly draining her unassuming husbands of their blood and life to sustain her eternal youth and beauty.
The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
Are the ghosts of Hawaiian royalty haunting the Huliheʻe Palace? Who is it people claim to see in the shadows of the old building on the Big Island?
On the shores of Kailua-Kona on Hawaiʻi Big Island, the Huliheʻe Palace stands as a testament to the rich and complex history of Hawaii’s royal past. Built in 1838 by Governor John Adams Kuakini as his home, this grand two-story structure served as a luxurious vacation home for Native Hawaiian royalty on Ali’i Drive, the main street of the city.
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With its stuccoed walls and airy verandas, the palace is a striking symbol of Hawaii’s monarchy and the blending of Hawaiian and Western architectural styles. Back in the day it was a great summer place for a get-away as well as the location for grand parties. It was left to decay in 1914 though, but the Daughters of Hawaii took over it in 1928 and has since used the building as a museum. But beyond its historical significance and beauty, the palace is also known for something far more eerie—its haunted reputation.
The Haunted Summer Vacation Home: Hulihee Palace between 1883 and 1905. The palace was originally built by John Adams Kuakini, Governor of the island of Hawaiʻi during the Kingdom of Hawaii, out of lava rock.
The Ghost of Princess Kaʻiulani
Among the many spirits believed to haunt the Huliheʻe Palace, the most commonly encountered is that of Princess Kaʻiulani, the last heir apparent to the Hawaiian throne. The young princess, known for her grace, intelligence, and beauty, is said to still wander the palace she once adored. Visitors and staff have reported sightings of a delicate figure moving through the corridors, dressed in flowing white gowns typical of her era. Her apparition is often seen gazing wistfully out to sea, as if longing for the life she was destined for but never lived to see fulfilled.
Princess Kaʻiulani: Victoria Kawēkiu Kaʻiulani Lunalilo Kalaninuiahilapalapa Cleghorn (1875 – 1899). She had not yet reached her eighteenth birthday when the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom altered her life. She and Liliʻuokalani boycotted the 1898 annexation ceremony and mourned the loss of Hawaiian independence.
Alongside these sightings, there have been frequent reports of soft, ghostly footsteps echoing through the halls, even when the palace is otherwise empty. More chilling still is the sudden and unexplained scent of fresh flowers—plumeria or pikake, believed to be a sign of Princess Kaʻiulani’s presence. Those who have experienced these phenomena describe feeling a mix of sadness and serenity, a quiet reminder of the princess’s untimely death at the age of 23.
Otherworldly Encounters at Huliheʻe
Princess Kaʻiulani is not the only spirit rumored to linger at Huliheʻe Palace and around the ceremonial execution stones, Pohaku Likanaka. They are also accompanied with sacred artifacts called Pohaku, or walking stones, said to carry a curse and known to move around.
Some claim to have encountered other royal apparitions, including Queen Kapiʻolani and King Kalākaua. Their presence is often felt during quiet moments, particularly in the evenings when the palace is closed to the public. Staff members recount strange occurrences: flickering lights, objects moving on their own, and the sensation of being watched by unseen eyes.
There are also reports about the place being haunted by the ghost of a young Hawaiian boy. Who he was and why he chose to haunt the place for eternity is uncertain. Could it be that of Prince Albert, said to haunt the place as well? He is said to be peeking through the window on the upper floors where his cradle is displayed.
The Palace of Restless Spirits
For those who believe in the supernatural, Huliheʻe Palace serves as a bridge between the past and the present—a place where the spirits of Hawaii’s royalty continue to watch over their former domain. Each room seems to echo with whispers of the past, and each corner holds the potential for an encounter with those who once walked its halls.
The Huliheʻe Palace: Located in historic Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi, on Aliʻi Drive. The former vacation home of Hawaiian royalty, it was converted to a museum run by the Daughters of Hawaiʻi, showcasing furniture and artifacts. // Source: Wikimedia
Step carefully, for you may find yourself in the company of a princess, still longing for a kingdom that slipped away. As the scent of flowers fills the air, remember—you are not alone. The royals are always watching, their spirits forever intertwined with the land they loved.
A vampiric Vrykolakas from Greek folklore was said to terrorize the inhabitants on Mykonos island. To stop the haunting, they exhumed, burned and buried the remains of the body on an inhabited island. But did it work?
As part of the shapeshifting Aswang demons of the Phillipines, the Manananggal was soaring the sky in her bat-like appearance on her hunt for human blood.
After a man died before atoning for his crimes, he came back from the dead as a vampiric Vrykolakas when his wife failed to follow his final wishes. What followed was a month full of terror and haunting.
After terrorizing his village, the Vrykolakas Vampire from Patmos in Santorini were taken to an inhabited island and set on fire. The question is, did it really work?
Fueled by anger and vengeance, the vampiric Churel of South Asian folklore, is said to haunt down men to drain their blood as a vengeful spirit brought back from the dead.
After a humble life as a shoemaker on Santorini in Greece, a man was said to have come back as a Vrykolakas, the vampire of Greek folklore. But for this Vrykolaka, it wasn’t to devour human life that kept him going.
Thought to be haunting the dark seas of the north, the Sea Draug is a ghost of the drowned fishermen’s and other unfortunate souls who perished on the waters.
After tragedy struck and the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, the surviving crew members were sent to The Jane Street Hotel in New York. According to stories, they are still haunting the rooms, where the trauma of their tragedy lingers.
Who can be haunting the old Hald Pensjonat in Mandal? Playing soft piano music in the afterlife, and rumours about the footsteps of a Norwegian pirate seems to linger.
Hidden among human society, the vampiric Mandurugo creature is slowly draining her unassuming husbands of their blood and life to sustain her eternal youth and beauty.
The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
Who is haunting the ninth floor in one of the dormitories at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa? For years, legend has told that the ghost of a former student is haunting the Hale Mokihana, still claiming the room as his own.
At the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, whispers of ghost stories and strange happenings are often shared among the student body, but none are quite as chilling as the haunting of Hale Mokihana Dormitory and the ghosts said to haunt it.
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Tucked away on the flagship campus of the University of Hawaii in the Manoa Valley, this residence hall appears like any other—until you hear the stories about its notorious ninth floor. The Hale Mokihana is part of the Hale Aloha Towers built between 1970-71 and houses around 260 students in each tower.
The Tragic Past of a Former Student at the Ninth Floor
Legend has it that in the early 1990s or perhaps the 80s according to some sources, a freshman student took his own life in one of the rooms. His name has been lost to time, but his story lingers in the memories of those who live and work at Hale Mokihana. Since that tragic event, the dormitory’s ninth floor has been shrouded in an aura of sorrow and mystery.
Students and staff have reported seeing a ghostly figure wandering the halls of the dorm, often late at night. The apparition is usually described as a young man in his early twenties, often seen standing near doorways or walking slowly down the hallway.
Many who have encountered the spirit report an inexplicable drop in temperature as they pass him. Others describe hearing faint whispers, just at the edge of perception, that seem to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once. The faint sound of shuffling footsteps, the creak of a door opening and closing, and the soft, mournful sighs echoing down the corridor are common occurrences, leaving residents unsettled and unable to sleep.
Ghosts Whispering: “This Is My Room”
The most unnerving experiences, however, happen within the confines of the dorm rooms themselves. Some students report waking up in the middle of the night, only to find a dark figure standing at the foot of their bed. At first, they assume it’s a roommate or another student—until they hear the words: “This is my room. I died here.”
As the stunned student blinks and rubs their eyes, the figure slowly fades away, leaving nothing but the lingering chill of his presence. Some have even reported feeling a light touch on their shoulder or hearing a gentle breath against their ear, followed by that chilling declaration.
For those who encounter him, it is an experience they will never forget—an encounter that often drives them to request a room change or even move out of the dorm altogether.
Unsolved Mysteries and Lingering Spirits at Hale Mokihana
What makes the haunting of Hale Mokihana particularly eerie is the lack of concrete details. The university has never confirmed or denied the suicide in the dorm, leaving the legend to grow and evolve with each retelling.
But what room was the most haunted one exactly? According to some it was in a janitor’s closet on the side of the bathrooms with a sink in it he hanged himself. Or was it actually the entire ninth floor as some claim?
According to another source, room 406 has also had strange things happening in the dead of night attributed to the dorm ghost.
The Haunted Frear Hall at The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
It is not only the Hala Mokihana Dorms said to be a haunted location at the University. The Frear Hall close to the Gateway House is said to be haunted by Mary Dillingham Frear. According to the stories, she is wandering around the halls with a keychain she was known for carrying in life. It is also said that she leaves her perfume scent hanging in the air.
According to stories told by students and staff, they can hear her footsteps in the empty halls, even during daylight. It is also said that you can sometimes see flickering lights in the empty dorms as well as getting a feeling of being watched by someone, or something.
The Eternal Resident of Hale Mokihana
It is said that every few years, a new wave of students discovers the truth about Hale Mokihana’s haunted history. Some stay out of curiosity, eager to experience the paranormal; others quickly pack their bags and transfer to another building, unwilling to share their living space with a ghost who claims the room as his own.
So, if you find yourself assigned to Hale Mokihana’s ninth floor, be prepared. You might wake up one night to find a shadowy figure at the end of your bed, reminding you that, for some, this dormitory was—and always will be—their final resting place.
A vampiric Vrykolakas from Greek folklore was said to terrorize the inhabitants on Mykonos island. To stop the haunting, they exhumed, burned and buried the remains of the body on an inhabited island. But did it work?
As part of the shapeshifting Aswang demons of the Phillipines, the Manananggal was soaring the sky in her bat-like appearance on her hunt for human blood.
After a man died before atoning for his crimes, he came back from the dead as a vampiric Vrykolakas when his wife failed to follow his final wishes. What followed was a month full of terror and haunting.
After terrorizing his village, the Vrykolakas Vampire from Patmos in Santorini were taken to an inhabited island and set on fire. The question is, did it really work?
Fueled by anger and vengeance, the vampiric Churel of South Asian folklore, is said to haunt down men to drain their blood as a vengeful spirit brought back from the dead.
After a humble life as a shoemaker on Santorini in Greece, a man was said to have come back as a Vrykolakas, the vampire of Greek folklore. But for this Vrykolaka, it wasn’t to devour human life that kept him going.
Thought to be haunting the dark seas of the north, the Sea Draug is a ghost of the drowned fishermen’s and other unfortunate souls who perished on the waters.
After tragedy struck and the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, the surviving crew members were sent to The Jane Street Hotel in New York. According to stories, they are still haunting the rooms, where the trauma of their tragedy lingers.
Who can be haunting the old Hald Pensjonat in Mandal? Playing soft piano music in the afterlife, and rumours about the footsteps of a Norwegian pirate seems to linger.
Hidden among human society, the vampiric Mandurugo creature is slowly draining her unassuming husbands of their blood and life to sustain her eternal youth and beauty.
The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
Is the City Hall in Honolulu, Hawai’i haunted? According to staff working there, the Honolulu Hale has more than one ghost wandering its hall. From ghostly children running in the building, and the ghost of a woman hanging around the bathroom, this place’s activity continues after dark.
Honolulu Hale, the iconic City Hall in the capital of Hawai’i there have long been whispers about it being haunted. The building was built in 1927/28, in a stately Mediterranean-style facade on 530 South King Street.
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The Honolulu Hall is not just a hub of civic activity—it’s also a hotspot for ghostly encounters. While Honolulu Hale is well-known for its political significance, it seems to hold secrets far more mysterious than any municipal affair.
Honolulu Hale: The City Hall of Honolulu, showcases its iconic Mediterranean-style architecture amidst lush surroundings. For a long time, this building had been thought to be haunted, and legend says its not only one ghost.
The Ghostly Employee of the City Hall
There are many stories about who and what is haunting the building although the details of the haunting seems to be lost in time. Still, there are some rumors that seem to echo through the halls and many staff and visitors talk about the sound of children playing in the building. After dark when no one is suppose to be there, the sound of their laughter and playful cries can be heard.
There are also talks about the apparition of a female and there are several theories about who she was. Could it be the spirit of Princess Ka’iulani as some are suggesting? Could it be the ghost of a former employee perhaps?
No matter who it is, it seems that the ghosts haunting the Honolulu Hale disturbs the workers there, even during working hours. Staff members working today have reported hearing the sounds of file cabinets opening and slamming shut in empty rooms. The clicking of typewriter keys—long outdated and obsolete—has been heard echoing through the corridors, despite no visible typist.
The White Woman in the Bathroom
In addition to the ghostly children and the mysterious woman in the offices and hallways, there is said to be the ghost of a woman in white haunting the bathroom on the second floor.
The other story is about two women who are arguing on the third floor. They are never seen, but can be heard by the security staff at night. But of course, when they investigate it, there is no one there. It is said that two female employees heard them when working late, and they swore they would never work after hours again.
Listen to a security guard working in the city hall tell about his experiences:
A Haunting Legacy
Is Honolulu Hale truly haunted by a restless spirit, a former employee who refuses to clock out, or are these experiences simply the result of overactive imaginations? Some say the building’s history has seeped into its very foundations, with its long corridors and shadowed corners holding onto energies of the past.
The Haunted City Hall: The iconic Honolulu Hale, City Hall of Honolulu, renowned for its Mediterranean-style architecture and rumored ghostly encounters. Punchbowl Street side of new wing, Honolulu Hale.
Some also said that the basement was used as a morgue to store dead bodies after the tragedy of Pearl Harbor and that the spirits lingering in the city hall comes from this tragedy.
As City Hall continues its daily operations, the ghostly happenings serve as a reminder that not all history stays buried. For those who walk its halls, Honolulu Hale is more than just a place of governance; it is a place where the living and the dead may very well meet, each quietly observing the other, separated only by the thin veil of time.
A vampiric Vrykolakas from Greek folklore was said to terrorize the inhabitants on Mykonos island. To stop the haunting, they exhumed, burned and buried the remains of the body on an inhabited island. But did it work?
As part of the shapeshifting Aswang demons of the Phillipines, the Manananggal was soaring the sky in her bat-like appearance on her hunt for human blood.
After a man died before atoning for his crimes, he came back from the dead as a vampiric Vrykolakas when his wife failed to follow his final wishes. What followed was a month full of terror and haunting.
After terrorizing his village, the Vrykolakas Vampire from Patmos in Santorini were taken to an inhabited island and set on fire. The question is, did it really work?
Fueled by anger and vengeance, the vampiric Churel of South Asian folklore, is said to haunt down men to drain their blood as a vengeful spirit brought back from the dead.
After a humble life as a shoemaker on Santorini in Greece, a man was said to have come back as a Vrykolakas, the vampire of Greek folklore. But for this Vrykolaka, it wasn’t to devour human life that kept him going.
Thought to be haunting the dark seas of the north, the Sea Draug is a ghost of the drowned fishermen’s and other unfortunate souls who perished on the waters.
After tragedy struck and the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, the surviving crew members were sent to The Jane Street Hotel in New York. According to stories, they are still haunting the rooms, where the trauma of their tragedy lingers.
Who can be haunting the old Hald Pensjonat in Mandal? Playing soft piano music in the afterlife, and rumours about the footsteps of a Norwegian pirate seems to linger.
Hidden among human society, the vampiric Mandurugo creature is slowly draining her unassuming husbands of their blood and life to sustain her eternal youth and beauty.
The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
One of the most well known haunted house stories in Hawaii is said to be inside of a mysterious house mostly known as the Kaimuki House. Throughout the decades, tenants and owners have gone through terrible ordeals they all claim is from something supernatural, and that the entity of the house wants to hurt them.
In the quiet neighborhood of Kaimuki, Honolulu, stands a house that has long been the source of fear and whispered legends. Known simply as the Kaimuki House, this unassuming residence harbors a dark and terrifying past that continues to send shivers down the spines of those who dare to recount its story.
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The Kaimuki neighborhood is filled with many older homes where sometimes many generations have never sold once. The houses on the rolling hills between Kapahulu to the west and Kahala to the east was mostly first built in the 1940s, some as early as the 1910s. Today though, many of the original houses has been torn down to give way to newer one.
One of the things that made people move here initially was actually the 1900 Chinatown fire in Honolulu. Many of the Chinese and Asian families who were left homeless made a new start her, and when we have a closer look to the haunted rumors, seems to have brought with them some of the Asian ghost stories as well, and in this case, a spirit from Japanese folklore have taken the center stage of the haunting surrounding the house.
Kaimuki House: Exactly what house in Kaimuki is haunted is up for debate. This is the image mostly used when depicting it, although the original house is said to have been demolished and this duplex built on top of it.
The Murders of the Kaimuki House
At the core of the hauntings there are said murders happened that perhaps was the catalyst for the haunting the next residents would experience throughout the decade. There are actually several supposed murders that were said to happen in the Kaimuki House and started the haunting.
One of the murder legends tells about a father who killed his two children as well as his wife in their home in Kaimuki. The son and the wife’s bodies were later buried in the backyard, but the body of the daughter was never found.
There is also a story about a lesbian couple who moved into the house in Honolulu as a fresh start. One of the women ended up having an affair with a man. The boyfriend then killed both her and her lover before killing himself in the house.
In both of these cases there are not many corroborating evidence for the murders, but are often relayed as facts. What is true though is that playwright Hannah Li-Epstein wrote a play based on the lore of the house called The Kasha of Kaimuki, telling the story of the lesbian couple moved into the house and came face to face with the spirit haunting the ghost in that were in theaters in 2021.
The Young Couple Calling the Police
Some of the more famous stories told about the house reached the newspapers, but people are said to have complained about stuff happening in the house for ages before it ever reached headlines. Before the house reached infamously, it is said that a young couple moved into the house. Not long after the neighbors claimed to have heard a lot of loud bangs and crashes from the house. They thought it could be case of domestic violence and called the police. When the police arrived at the scene though, they met the couple who had another story to tell. According to them, they had been attacked by an unseen force.
Then came the summer of 1942, who brought with it a night of sheer horror that would cement the Kaimuki House’s reputation as one of the most haunted locations in Hawaii. On that fateful evening, of August 13th the police were called to the residence by a hysterical mother at 1:25 am, her voice filled with panic and dread. She pleaded for help, claiming that an evil spirit was in her home, threatening the lives of her children.
When police sergeant Moseley K Cummins and patrolman Robert Ansteth arrived at the scene, they were met with a scene so chilling that it defied all logic and reason. The Hawaiian children, a boy of 10 with his two sisters of 18 and 20 were on the sofa, screaming. The mother was at their side, waving ti leaves and threw Hawaiian salt at them to rid them of the ghost she thought was attacking them.
She told the police afterward that her son had noticed the smell of ghosts around 10 p.m. The ghost got angry at him for being found out and attacked the boy, then moved on to strangling or choking his sisters.
The mother said that the one to blame was her husband who had left them.
Over an hour passed and the police and family had to leave the house to kahuna at 3 a.m, leaving the family at the sister of the mother.
The debacle held the neighbors awake and even made the news in Honolulu Star-Bulletin. The story and article grew, and so did the exaggerations of what really happened there that night. In later years the legend of the haunted house often claims that the children were thrown around, levitated and the spirit are even said to have slapped both the children and police officers. Some sources even claim that the children died of their injuries.
The Rented Haunted House
In 1967 there appeared an ad in the Honolulu Advertiser that caught the eyes of many. It was a renting out bedrooms and in Kaimuki there was a 2 bedrooms for 155 dollars a month said to be haunted.
Here, there was not a specific address given either, but now it was truly official. The house in Kaimuki was haunted.
The Next Haunting
Years passed and the neighbors around the house remembered the story vividly and the house was by then considered haunted. Or was it? In neither of the news articles any address was given, but the legends have certainly combined the two.
In 1972, on October the 31st, there was another news article telling about a haunted experience from the house. The editorial was specifically written for Halloween, but was written by Charles Kenn and Rubellite ‘Johnson, two respected Hawaiian historians. So was it really based on facts, or where they just having some Halloween fun?
According to the legend, three girls were sharing the house and yet again the police were called when strange things started happening there.
A patrol car arrived late at night to the house as the girls had heard strange noises inside of the house. It sounded like someone was moving around and talking, one of them had even felt a hand on her arm.
They were so scared and didn’t want to stay in the house a moment longer, making the police follow behind their car to one of the girl’s mothers in Papakolea.
As they were driving down Waialae Avenue, the girls pulled the car into the parking lot of the Oasis Cafe. Today the place is where the public storage on Waialae and Kapahulu is.
According to the police report, the girl sitting in the middle of the front seat was said to be fighting off someone. No one could see what, but whatever it was, it was choking her. The policeman jumped out of the car to help, but there was nothing he could do. He said in his report: “A big, strong calloused hand that could not possibly belong to a teenage girl grabbed my arm and twisted it. I radioed for assistance.”
The officer that came to assist thought there would be a fight meeting him at the parking lot. The girls were hysterical and his colleague simply said: “There is a ghost in the car.”
They managed to get the girl who had been choked into the police car and made the girls car follow them. But when they started the car, the motor died and wouldn’t start again. They put her back in the girls car and it immediately started again.
Back on the road they managed to get about five yards before the door of the car belonging to the girls flew up and the choked girl fighting the ghosts fell out on the road. She was tearing at her throat like she was still being choked and the two policemen were not strong enough to pull her hands away.
The police sergeant, a Hawaiian man, remembered what his grandmother had told him to help chase away ghosts. He ran into the cafe and grabbed a handful of Hawaiian salt and a glass of water. He sprayed it on everyone and it seemed to work and the girl got calmer.
The Obake Files Book
In 1994, the American history professor and writer published a story about the legend and really cemented the story about the Kaimuki House as a Hawaiian legend. Although fictional, the book looked at many of the well known ghosts stories from Hawaii and used them as a backdrop. It certainly gave rise to the old legend again and this is were the kasha ghost from Japan comes in.
The Kasha Spirit: An illustration of a Kasha, a spirit from Japanese folklore associated with the haunting tales of the Kaimuki House. Kasha means ‘burning chariot’ and is a Japanese yōkai that steals the corpses of those who have died as a result of accumulating evil deeds.
The Demolition of the Kaimuki House
Now, the original house built in the earlier part of the 1900s are said to have been demolished in 2016. In its place though another house was built on the property, and even to this day, we have people that have stayed in it, claiming to have experienced some of the haunting.
But exactly were is the Kaimuki House? In neither of the accounts the address is mentioned, but many have pointed to it being on the Harding Avenue, more specifically on 8th and Harding. There once was a true murder that happened in the house, but could it really have been the house people talk about?
When ghost teller took a drive with Glen Grant in 1999, who had looked into the case, he pointed to the second to the last house on the left of 2nd Avenue and Harding. According to him, this was the true Kasha House of Kaimuki and he said there might have been a headstone in the back of the house where the ghost from the Kasha story was buried.
Could it be in the same place, only different buildings as time has passed and houses have been torn down and rebuilt during that time? There also used to be houses condemned to build the highway going through there. Could the house have been one of those condemned buildings, and could the haunting have manifested in the neighboring houses in the later tales?
The Kaimuki House Today
The Kaimuki House remains a place of dark mystery, its walls still echoing with the terror of that long-ago night. Over the years, the house has been the subject of numerous reports of paranormal activity. Residents and visitors alike have claimed to hear disembodied voices, see shadowy figures, and feel an overwhelming sense of dread within its confines.
But what about today? According to one blogger, he claims to have lived in the house for a year. According to the blogger, the original house is gone and a bland two-story duplex built there instead.
The blogger named Keith Mann, together with some friends, moved into the brand new, cheap, clean and big place. Although knowing about the legend of the Kaimuki House, the blogger didn’t fill in the blanks that this was the house until changing the address online.
At least five different people approached the blogger when hanging laundry, scared and in disbelief that anyone would live there. According to people around in Kaimuki, no one stayed for more than 3 months after moving in.
Although initially spooked the family upstairs had lived there for some time already and the blogger didn’t want to move anymore. But still, there were some things happening in the house that seemed haunted.
Every night, the blogger would wake up at 4:33 AM, jolted awake to an ice cold room, and the gut telling that something was very wrong. When this happened, the battery powered smoke alarms would beep in unison. The feeling of being watched didn’t stop, even though no one was home. This exact routing happened three times.
Whatever the truth may be, one thing is certain: the Kaimuki House is a place where the boundary between the living and the dead is frighteningly thin. Those who pass by often quicken their steps, unwilling to linger near the site of such inexplicable horror. The house, with its tragic history and ghostly inhabitants, stands as a chilling reminder that some places are best left undisturbed.
A vampiric Vrykolakas from Greek folklore was said to terrorize the inhabitants on Mykonos island. To stop the haunting, they exhumed, burned and buried the remains of the body on an inhabited island. But did it work?
As part of the shapeshifting Aswang demons of the Phillipines, the Manananggal was soaring the sky in her bat-like appearance on her hunt for human blood.
After a man died before atoning for his crimes, he came back from the dead as a vampiric Vrykolakas when his wife failed to follow his final wishes. What followed was a month full of terror and haunting.
After terrorizing his village, the Vrykolakas Vampire from Patmos in Santorini were taken to an inhabited island and set on fire. The question is, did it really work?
Fueled by anger and vengeance, the vampiric Churel of South Asian folklore, is said to haunt down men to drain their blood as a vengeful spirit brought back from the dead.
After a humble life as a shoemaker on Santorini in Greece, a man was said to have come back as a Vrykolakas, the vampire of Greek folklore. But for this Vrykolaka, it wasn’t to devour human life that kept him going.
Thought to be haunting the dark seas of the north, the Sea Draug is a ghost of the drowned fishermen’s and other unfortunate souls who perished on the waters.
After tragedy struck and the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, the surviving crew members were sent to The Jane Street Hotel in New York. According to stories, they are still haunting the rooms, where the trauma of their tragedy lingers.
Who can be haunting the old Hald Pensjonat in Mandal? Playing soft piano music in the afterlife, and rumours about the footsteps of a Norwegian pirate seems to linger.
Hidden among human society, the vampiric Mandurugo creature is slowly draining her unassuming husbands of their blood and life to sustain her eternal youth and beauty.
The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
Are there Choking Ghosts haunting the Honolulu Fire Department? For decades there have been tales about firefighters seeing something. Especially around the Old Kakaako Station there are ghostly legends.
Among the fire stations in Oahu, lurks a ghostly presence that even the bravest firefighters find unsettling. Known as “The Choking Ghost,” this mysterious and malevolent entity has made its presence felt at the old Kakaako Station of the Honolulu Fire Department, leaving behind stories of terror that are whispered among the firefighters who have experienced its eerie grip.
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But what is a choking ghost, and why does it seem like they are especially active haunting the islands of Hawaii?
Old Kakaako Fire Station
The Kolohe Spirit Haunting the Fire Station
For years, firefighters stationed at Kakaako have reported chilling encounters with this unseen force. This is said to have happened both at the historic Kakaako Fire Station from 1929 on South Street as well as the newer station on Queen Street from the 1970s.
The experience is always the same: in the dead of night, as the station lies in darkness and the city sleeps, an overwhelming sensation of weight presses down on their chests. What begins as a vague pressure soon becomes a terrifying experience, as the firefighters feel an invisible hand tightening around their throats, choking them. The sensation is suffocating, and though it only lasts a few moments, those who have experienced it describe the terror as lingering long after the encounter ends.
Unlike typical ghostly encounters that involve fleeting glimpses or eerie sounds, the choking ghost is invasive and aggressive, targeting its victims in their most vulnerable state—when they are asleep. Despite the frightening nature of these encounters, the spirit’s attacks have never resulted in serious harm, leading to its classification as a “kolohe spirit”—a mischievous ghost that enjoys playing pranks on the living.
What is a Choking Ghost in Hawai’i?
The origins of the choking ghost are shrouded in mystery. Some speculate that the spirit could be that of a former firefighter who met a tragic end and now haunts his old workplace, seeking attention or revenge. Others believe that the entity might be an ancient Hawaiian spirit, disturbed by the modern structures and activities encroaching on what was once sacred land. The lack of concrete evidence or a clear backstory only adds to the fear and intrigue surrounding this ghostly presence.
What makes the choking ghost particularly unnerving is the uncertainty of its identity and intentions. Is it simply a prankster spirit, toying with the firefighters for its own amusement? Or is there a darker, more malevolent force at play, one that takes pleasure in instilling fear and discomfort? The firefighters who have felt its grip may never know the answer, but the encounters have left a lasting impression.
A Former Firefighter or Smallpox Victims?
But why is the fire station said to be haunted? Some blame it on the smallpox epidemic from the mid 1850s. Right by the old station a graveyard is, where around 1000 bodies of this epidemic were buried. This is something that many believe has caused the haunting the firefighters have said to experience.
But according to some sources, the ghosts haunting the old fire station are not limited to the victims of smallpox, buried close by. There is also said to be an old man with a ghostly dog following him haunting the old station on South Street. Who he was is not certain, but many claim that he must be an old firefighter still lingering in the area.
Fighting Ghosts with Ti Leaves
Measures were needed to be taken to keep the ghosts at bay. In the living quarters of the firefighters Ti leaves and Hawaiian salt were placed in the corners to ward off the evil spirits said to linger there and hopefully purify the area.
Ti Leaves:The Ti plant of Hawaii is said to have protective abilities from spirits. Among a lot of ethnic groups in Austronesia it is regarded as sacred and they believe they can hold souls and thus are useful in healing “soul loss” illnesses and in exorcising against malevolent spirits, their use in ritual attire and ornamentation, and their use as boundary markers. Red and green cultivars also commonly represented dualistic aspects of culture and religion and are used differently in rituals. Red ti plants commonly symbolize blood, war, and the ties between the living and the dead; while green ti plants commonly symbolize peace and healing. / source
There were also plans to take care of the bodies from the smallpox epidemic who were uncovered while construction keeps happening around the area.
If it has worked remains to be seen. But now you also have the newer firefighters on the new station that claim they have never experienced anything strange while working there. What goes on in the old one, set to become a museum, is more uncertain though.
The Ghostly Attraction of the Honolulu Fire Department
The legend of the choking ghost has spread beyond the fire department, drawing the interest of supernatural enthusiasts and ghost hunters alike. The old Kakaako Station has become a destination for those hoping to capture evidence of the paranormal, with many reporting strange occurrences during their visits. Orbs of light appear in photographs, unexplained cold spots are felt, and the eerie silence of the station is occasionally broken by the faint sound of footsteps where no one is present.
Despite the ghost’s fearsome reputation, the Kakaako Station remains a functional and important part of the Honolulu Fire Department. Firefighters continue to serve their community with courage and dedication, even as they share their space with a spirit that refuses to leave. The choking ghost, with its unnerving pranks and mysterious origins, has become an indelible part of the station’s lore—a reminder that even in a place dedicated to saving lives, there are forces beyond our understanding that we must face.
A vampiric Vrykolakas from Greek folklore was said to terrorize the inhabitants on Mykonos island. To stop the haunting, they exhumed, burned and buried the remains of the body on an inhabited island. But did it work?
As part of the shapeshifting Aswang demons of the Phillipines, the Manananggal was soaring the sky in her bat-like appearance on her hunt for human blood.
After a man died before atoning for his crimes, he came back from the dead as a vampiric Vrykolakas when his wife failed to follow his final wishes. What followed was a month full of terror and haunting.
After terrorizing his village, the Vrykolakas Vampire from Patmos in Santorini were taken to an inhabited island and set on fire. The question is, did it really work?
Fueled by anger and vengeance, the vampiric Churel of South Asian folklore, is said to haunt down men to drain their blood as a vengeful spirit brought back from the dead.
After a humble life as a shoemaker on Santorini in Greece, a man was said to have come back as a Vrykolakas, the vampire of Greek folklore. But for this Vrykolaka, it wasn’t to devour human life that kept him going.
Thought to be haunting the dark seas of the north, the Sea Draug is a ghost of the drowned fishermen’s and other unfortunate souls who perished on the waters.
After tragedy struck and the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, the surviving crew members were sent to The Jane Street Hotel in New York. According to stories, they are still haunting the rooms, where the trauma of their tragedy lingers.
Who can be haunting the old Hald Pensjonat in Mandal? Playing soft piano music in the afterlife, and rumours about the footsteps of a Norwegian pirate seems to linger.
Hidden among human society, the vampiric Mandurugo creature is slowly draining her unassuming husbands of their blood and life to sustain her eternal youth and beauty.
The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
An online magazine about the paranormal, haunted and macabre. We collect the ghost stories from all around the world as well as review horror and gothic media.
A vampiric Vrykolakas from Greek folklore was said to terrorize the inhabitants on Mykonos island. To stop the haunting, they exhumed, burned and buried the remains of the body on an inhabited island. But did it work?
As part of the shapeshifting Aswang demons of the Phillipines, the Manananggal was soaring the sky in her bat-like appearance on her hunt for human blood.
After a man died before atoning for his crimes, he came back from the dead as a vampiric Vrykolakas when his wife failed to follow his final wishes. What followed was a month full of terror and haunting.
After terrorizing his village, the Vrykolakas Vampire from Patmos in Santorini were taken to an inhabited island and set on fire. The question is, did it really work?
Fueled by anger and vengeance, the vampiric Churel of South Asian folklore, is said to haunt down men to drain their blood as a vengeful spirit brought back from the dead.
After a humble life as a shoemaker on Santorini in Greece, a man was said to have come back as a Vrykolakas, the vampire of Greek folklore. But for this Vrykolaka, it wasn’t to devour human life that kept him going.
Thought to be haunting the dark seas of the north, the Sea Draug is a ghost of the drowned fishermen’s and other unfortunate souls who perished on the waters.
After tragedy struck and the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, the surviving crew members were sent to The Jane Street Hotel in New York. According to stories, they are still haunting the rooms, where the trauma of their tragedy lingers.
Who can be haunting the old Hald Pensjonat in Mandal? Playing soft piano music in the afterlife, and rumours about the footsteps of a Norwegian pirate seems to linger.
Hidden among human society, the vampiric Mandurugo creature is slowly draining her unassuming husbands of their blood and life to sustain her eternal youth and beauty.
The MS Nordstjernen spent decades bringing passengers north across the arctic sea, and although the waters can be brought this far north, it always seemed to reach port unharmed. Some think that it could be Ernst, the ship’s ghosts.
The DNT Cabin Flisberget deep in the mystical forest of Finnskogen, bordering Norway and Sweden has a lot of strange tales coming from it. So much so, that it was voted the scariest cabin in the country.
