The Ultimate Terrifying Oahu Road Trip Is Right Here - And You’ll Want To Do It
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Megan Shute
Author
In addition to being home to approximately 66 percent of the Hawaii’s population, Oahu is also home to many ghosts who have chosen to take up permanent residence in the afterlife. From haunted highways and hotel rooms with spooky pasts to ancient battle sites and landmarks with paranormal sightings, this terrifying road trip will take you to nine of the island’s most haunted places. The entire route clocks in at 50 miles, and will take you approximately two hours of drive time, as long as traffic cooperates.
It is said that Pele and the demigod Kamapua’a – a half man, half pig – had a bad breakup and agreed to never see each other again. The legend says that you cannot take pork over the Pali Highway, which separates the Windward side of Oahu from Honolulu, because it means that you are symbolically taking Kamapua’a from one side of the island to the other. The legend says that if you try to bring pork across, your car will stop at some point along the journey and an old woman with a dog will appear. To continue on your way, you must feed the pork to the dog.
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Located on the Nuu’anu Pali Drive is the infamous Morgan’s corner, a sharp S-shaped turn near Dr. James Morgan’s villa. In 1948, two escaped prisoners murdered 68-year-old widow, Therese Wilder, in her home. She was bound, gagged, and left unconscious in her bed. During the struggle, she suffered from a broken jaw, and she subsequently suffocated, due to the broken jaw and gag placed around her neck and mouth. Some say she can still be heard screaming for her life. Others make claims of seeing a teenage girl holding her own head – the story says that she ran away from home and hung herself on a tree near the turn.
Not interested in any hiking? Skip #3, and head straight into Waikiki to visit two of Honolulu’s most haunted hotels.
Not interested in any hiking? Skip #3, and head straight into Waikiki to visit two of Honolulu’s most haunted hotels.
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At the start of Manoa Falls is a Banyan tree, though to hold lost spirits. This tree is allegedly in the path of the night marchers – the ghosts of ancient Hawaiian warriors. It is said that you can hear the faint sound of drumming on particular nights.
A worker who passed away has allegedly still been punching in for work. The machine records someone punching in with his card – even though his magnetic punch card was cancelled. It has happened on more than one occasion – and the records only show him punching in, never punching out.
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Guests and locals alike have told of a young, attractive woman in a red dress seen walking in the hallways or down the beach. There are two theories: one, that she is the spirit of someone murdered in a hotel room, or two, that she is the Pele, the volcano goddess.
Said to be one of the most haunted places on Oahu, during construction on the major highway workers claimed to see the ghosts of ancient Hawaiian warriors. While digging through the mountain, bones of ancient Hawaiians were found. It took seven years to build the freeway because they couldn’t find people to work.
A 950-cell jail is the site of the former Oahu Prison, where 47 men were hanged between 1909 and 1944. The gallows were converted into offices, and prisoners have reported hearing the rattling of cell doors, and guards claim to have trouble sleeping in the squad room.
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This outdoor history museum tells the story of the island’s sugar cane workers and life on the plantation circa 1850 to 1950, as well as the history of immigration to Hawaii. The village features restored buildings, replicas of various plantation structures, and a few ghosts as well. Of the village’s 25 plantation houses, approximately half of them are haunted. Every fall, the museum is transformed into a haunted house, though due to ghostly encounters and supernatural activities, actors are not allowed to work in the houses by themselves.
Said to be the site of a major battle in Hawaiian history, the bridge spanning the ravine has witnessed several head-on collisions. Residents have reported hearing the sounds of people crying under the bridge, as well as seeing lights move down the mountainside, into the gulch.
Raise your hand if you know what you’ll be doing on your next day off! If you’re interested in another terrifying road trip, check out this Big Island itinerary, or, if you’d rather leave the haunted places, alone, why not instead check out this awesome Oahu road trip full of scenic spots and stellar beaches?
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