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Aloha Tower, Honolulu, HI

Photo: Daniel Ramirez from Honolulu, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffFree

Aloha Tower

1 Aloha Tower Dr · Honolulu, HI

Why you should go…

Aloha Tower is a 184-foot tower at Pier 9 on Honolulu Harbor, opened in 1926 and for four decades the tallest structure in Hawaii. The retired lighthouse mixes Late Gothic Revival and Art Deco styles. Aloha Tower Marketplace at its base has dining and local shops along the waterfront. The tenth-floor observation deck is currently closed by the state harbors division with no reopening date, so plan to admire the tower from the ground.

  • #historic landmark
  • #honolulu harbor
  • #lighthouse
  • #waterfront dining

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Aloha Tower, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    ʻIolani Palace

    $25–$50

    Tour the throne room, state dining room and private royal suites of the palace of Hawaii's last reigning monarchs.

    0.5 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Honolulu Museum of Art

    $25–$50

    Wander 32 galleries and six courtyards holding more than 55,000 works of art from Hawaii, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

    1.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Shopping
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Ala Moana Center

    Free

    Browse more than 350 shops and restaurants at an open-air Honolulu mall, with hula performances on Centerstage.

    1.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Bishop Museum

    $25–$50

    Explore Polynesian artifacts in Hawaiian Hall, a planetarium and a hands-on science center on one Honolulu campus.

    1.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Pearl Harbor National Memorial

    Free

    Walk the visitor center galleries and shoreline exhibits that tell the story of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

    6.2 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    USS Arizona Memorial

    Free

    Ride a Navy shuttle boat to the white memorial that spans the sunken battleship USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor.

    6.7 mi awayMore like this