Aloha Tower

Aloha Tower stands on Honolulu Harbor in downtown Honolulu, and its observation deck is closed per the Department of Transportation Harbors, with no expected reopening date. When travel to the island was done entirely by sea, the word ALOHA on its walls greeted ship passengers entering Honolulu Harbor, and its lighthouse served as a navigation landmark. Entertainment by the Royal Hawaiian Band and hula dancers was part of that welcome until the jet plane arrived. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the US Navy took control of the tower, restricted public access, shut off its beacon and painted it in camouflage, and it later returned to civilian control. Today it is home to harbor staff of the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation Harbors Division. Around it, Aloha Tower Marketplace is a mixed-use space with eateries, activities and community gathering spaces, and its gated lot charges for parking, with tenant validation lowering the cost.