Hawaiʻi's oldest public cemetery, established 1844 in Nuʻuanu Valley, with 18 acres of Victorian monuments, the burial of baseball pioneer Alexander Cartwright, and a long folkloric association with the adjacent Royal Mausoleum across the avenue.
2162 Nuʻuanu Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96817
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free public access during posted hours. Donations support the cemetery association.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved roads and gentle grass paths; some older sections have uneven ground
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1844 · First Public Cemetery in Honolulu · First Public Crematory in Hawaiʻi (1906) · Burial of Alexander Cartwright (Baseball Pioneer) · Adjacent to Mauna ʻAla Royal Mausoleum
Oʻahu Cemetery, originally called Nuʻuanu Cemetery, was founded in November 1844 at the base of Nuʻuanu Valley after several years of discussion among Honolulu's growing foreign community about the need for a public, non-denominational burial ground. The original 4.38-acre site was purchased for $300; additional acreage was acquired from Gerrit P. Judd in 1860, bringing the cemetery to its current 18-acre footprint.
The cemetery sits in a landscape of deep cultural significance. Directly across Nuʻuanu Avenue is Mauna ʻAla, the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaiʻi, which holds the remains of nearly all the monarchs of the Hawaiian Kingdom and is treated as sacred ground. The Nuʻuanu Valley itself is associated with the 1795 Battle of Nuʻuanu, in which Kamehameha I unified Oʻahu — historical context that informs the way local storytellers frame paranormal accounts in the area.
In 1906 architect Oliver G. Traphagen — who also designed the original Moana Hotel — completed the first public crematory in the Hawaiian Islands on the cemetery grounds. During World War II the crematory was used by the federal government to destroy approximately $200 million in currency after the Pearl Harbor attack.
Notable burials include baseball pioneer Alexander Joy Cartwright Jr., philosopher Joseph Campbell, Hawaiian Princess Elizabeth Kahanu Kalanianaʻole, several territorial and state governors, and many of the missionary and merchant families that shaped 19th-century Honolulu. The cemetery remains active and is operated by the Oahu Cemetery Association.
Sources
Honolulu Magazine's 'Spooky Oʻahu Cemeteries' feature and Hawaiian storyteller Lopaka Kapanui — who runs the Mysteries of Hawaiʻi tour company and has written extensively on Nuʻuanu folklore — have included Oʻahu Cemetery in their seasonal coverage of Honolulu sites. According to these accounts, the most-cited recurring story is of an apparition seen from the condominium tower across Nuʻuanu Avenue, looking back into the cemetery; residents have reported the figure standing among the monuments at twilight. Less specific reports describe unexplained sounds and footsteps in the older Victorian sections of the grounds.
Many local storytellers contextualize cemetery accounts within the wider Nuʻuanu Valley spiritual landscape, which includes the adjacent Mauna ʻAla (Royal Mausoleum), the site of the 1795 Battle of Nuʻuanu, and Night Marcher traditions associated with the valley. These traditions are sacred to Native Hawaiians and are not framed by responsible local outlets as paranormal-tour content; this entry mirrors that approach.
Walk the Victorian-era grounds of Hawaiʻi's oldest public cemetery, including Alexander Cartwright's grave and 19th-century missionary and royal-era monuments. Daylight-only visitation; respect active burials and family visitation.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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