When people move on and industry crumbles, the remains are often abandoned amid the landscape and Hawaii is no exception. In fact, you’ll find countless abandoned destinations across the Hawaiian Islands, from once-legendary resorts and telegraph stations to sugar mills and roads. Today, however, we’re looking at one of the state’s most fascinating abandoned locales: an Old Maui High School haunted house that is not only staggeringly beautiful but rumored to be haunted as well. Read on to learn more about one of the most haunted places in Hawaii.

Founded in 1913, early students arrived to this public high school school via either horse and buggy or the now-defunct Kahului Railroad.
Forest and Kim Starr/Flickr
In the early days of its existence, the Maui High School was a beautiful structure.
Nestled in Hamakuapoko, a sugarcane plantation town, Maui High School was in operation until 1972 when the school moved to its new location in Kahului.
Brian Ujiie/Flickr
Much of the campus was lost to bulldozers and fires over the years, but what still stands is hauntingly beautiful.
The old school site, which includes the campus’ centerpiece administration building built in 1921, has since fallen into disrepair. By 2003, overgrown greenery all but obscured the arches and spires.
C. W. Dickey/Wikipedia
It was nominated to the State and National Register of Historic Places, and work to restore the campus was started in 2004 by various community organizations who have worked hard to make sure the site is well-maintained.
While the façade could be repaired, the rumors surrounding this abandoned site live on.
kaparker99/Flickr
You see, local legend has it that the Old Maui High School is the setting of a paranormal story.
Legend has it that "choking ghosts" used to accost students who were skipping class.
Forest and Kim Starr/Flickr
The ghost of a girl crying inside the boarded-up high school bathroom has also been reported, further adding to the narrative of this spot being one of the most haunted places in Hawaii.
Hamakuapoko is said to be haunted by spirits from the area’s missionary and plantation days.
kaparker99/Flickr
Once home to a bustling academic community, the school’s only current residents are the spirits of those who once passed through here returning to call this place home in the afterlife.

Well, what do you think? Is the Old Maui High School haunted? If you haven’t been here before, would you? Do you agree that abandoned places in Hawaii can be both haunting and beautiful at the same time? We’d love to read about your experiences and thoughts in the comments below!

There is something strangely beautiful about man-made structures being taken back by the land, wouldn’t you agree? Even on the most populated island, you’ll find countless abandoned structures, eight of which can be visited on this unique road trip.

If you want to enjoy something a little more uplifting in Hawaii, check out this awesome video:

 

 

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Adventures in Hawaii

Lysa Allman-Baldwin | January 31, 2023

Are there any manmade wonders in Hawaii?

  • Byodo-In Temple – Located at the base of the Ko’olau Mountains in Oahu, it is a small-scale replica of an over 950-year-old temple in Japan.
  • Aloha Tower - Located on Pier Nine in Honolulu and built in 1926, it encompasses 10 stories and is 184 feet high. It is also a lighthouse.
  • Admiral Clarey Bridge – The bridge—which is also known as the Ford Island Bridge—provides access to the island by the same name where you will find the United States Naval Installation in the middle of Pearl Harbor.

Learn more about other manmade wonders in Hawaii.

Where are there hiking trails in Hawaii?

  • Lulumahu Falls – Located in Oahu in a bamboo forest it also encompasses a stunning waterfall.
  • Waihou Spring Trail Loop - Located in Maui, there is both an upper and lower trail for different hiking abilities, and the trails take hikers through a native Hawaiian Koa, Cypress, Halapepe, and Eucalyptus forest.
  • Sleeping Giant Hike – Located in Kauai, the varied trails here are for more experienced hikers, as they rise up to a 1,200-foot peak.

Learn more about other hiking trails in Hawaii.

Where can you go on factory tours in Hawaii?

  • Manoa Chocolate Hawaii – This tour includes chocolate pairings, a tasting room, and a retail shop, and all of the craft chocolate here is made using sustainable methods.
  • Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory - In addition to selling macadamia nuts, chocolates, and other items, the tour elucidates the processes behind them. Plus you drive through three stunning miles of macadamia nut orchards to get to the Visitor Center where the tour begins.
  • Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation – Here visitors learn about everything about coffee from harvesting to roasting, packaging, and more.

Learn more about factory tours in Hawaii.

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Featured Addresses
Old Maui High School Main Building (CW Dickey 1921), 448-498 Holomua Rd, Makawao, HI 96768, USA