When one thinks of Hawaii, one often thinks of sunshine, beaches, and rich culture. The Paradise of the Pacific is full of culture and that includes, though you might not initially suspect it, rumors of hauntings. Ghosts in Hawaii? Is this a mere local legend designed to pique the curiosity of tourists, or could there be some truth to the claim? Today we’re going to take a virtual visit to a purportedly haunted site, but we’ll ultimately leave it up to you to decide if this theater in Hawaii is haunted. Check it out:
Welcome to Dole Cannery Theater!
E BVD/Google Images Dole is a name that is still recognized to this day. James Dole, “The Pineapple King,” settled in Hawaii and started what would become a pineapple plantation in 1899. With its iconic yellow walls, The Dole Cannery fueled another aspect of the profitable business.
To the untrained eye, this theater looks just like any other in the United States… but some insist there’s something different about it.
Paul Hamilton/Google Images Cannery operations closed in 1991, so many buildings tied with the Dole story have found new life. This 18-theater entertainment complex can fit some 2,702 people at once. Elements of Hawaiian culture are sprinkled into its architecture.
For starters, this theater was said to be built on the grounds of a former heiau, an ancient Hawaiian sacred site.
RokZ Tanaka/Google Images Heiau can serve different purposes and, historically, they have. Some may help heal the sick, some help to bring success in voyaging. This site was said to be a luakini heiau, or a site where blood sacrifices were offered… both human and animal.
Perhaps that explains the purported specter of a man in his 50s that lurks in the corner of Theater 14.
Lexington Graham/Google Images Could this man have taken his last breath at the luakini heiau, or did he formerly work in the Dole Cannery? Whoever he may be, those that have seen him don’t seem to report feeling threatened.
According to legend, this theater is also the site of a fatal school bus crash. Staff and patrons alike have purportedly heard their disembodied voices!
Paul Hamilton/Google Images The voices are heard, in particular, in the bathroom. It should be noted, however, that this author’s research on this purported accident was unsuccessful in pinpointing which school bus was involved, which local students were on it, or even during which year this event took place. Could it be that a nearby accident intertwined its identity with this site, or is this story a total fabrication?
However, many attendees can catch a movie at this theater without experiencing so much as a chill or cold spot.
E BVD/Google Images Though some swear that Dole Cannery Theater is haunted, it should be noticed that most don’t encounter anything out of the ordinary here. Those that do have encounters, however, will never forget them.
Could this unsuspecting entrance hide a haunted atmosphere?
RokZ Tanaka/Google Images
While there may be Ghosts in Hawaii, it is likely that the legends hanging around this former cannery are just that: legends. While it is entirely possible that the neighborhood is situated on ground once sacred to area residents, and perhaps that the older man in theater fourteen was once a cannery employee… the tales of a school bus crashing in the “1980s” seem too vague and too hard to trace to be true. What are your thoughts on this legend? Have you ever had a haunted encounter here or anywhere else? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
E BVD/Google Images
Dole is a name that is still recognized to this day. James Dole, “The Pineapple King,” settled in Hawaii and started what would become a pineapple plantation in 1899. With its iconic yellow walls, The Dole Cannery fueled another aspect of the profitable business.
Paul Hamilton/Google Images
Cannery operations closed in 1991, so many buildings tied with the Dole story have found new life. This 18-theater entertainment complex can fit some 2,702 people at once. Elements of Hawaiian culture are sprinkled into its architecture.
RokZ Tanaka/Google Images
Heiau can serve different purposes and, historically, they have. Some may help heal the sick, some help to bring success in voyaging. This site was said to be a luakini heiau, or a site where blood sacrifices were offered… both human and animal.
Lexington Graham/Google Images
Could this man have taken his last breath at the luakini heiau, or did he formerly work in the Dole Cannery? Whoever he may be, those that have seen him don’t seem to report feeling threatened.
The voices are heard, in particular, in the bathroom. It should be noted, however, that this author’s research on this purported accident was unsuccessful in pinpointing which school bus was involved, which local students were on it, or even during which year this event took place. Could it be that a nearby accident intertwined its identity with this site, or is this story a total fabrication?
Though some swear that Dole Cannery Theater is haunted, it should be noticed that most don’t encounter anything out of the ordinary here. Those that do have encounters, however, will never forget them.
Craving more haunted history? Visit other Hawaiian ghosts along our favorite haunted road trip through the Aloha State.
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Address: 735 B Iwilei Rd, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA
