Save Hawaiʻi's
"Stairway to Heaven"
In August 2021, the Honolulu City Council voted to demolish the iconic Haʻikū Stairs. The vote came despite an overwhelming public outcry to save the Stairs. In the preceding two years, over 5,000 public comments were submitted with more than 90% favoring preservation. A professional public opinion poll in April 2022 confirmed that a clear majority of O‘ahu residents want to save the Stairs not destroy them. The Stairs are a historic World War II monument eligible for the National Historic Register. They offer a unique, world-class hiking experience, treasured for generations. It would be tragic to lose them.
The Friends of Haʻikū Stairs are spearheading the fight to save the Stairs. We filed a lawsuit against the City & County of Honolulu in August 2023 and are pushing to block the demolition on multiple fronts. With your help we will convince City leaders to heed the public will.
Please donate to support our efforts.
Exterior of Transmitter Building at the Naval Radio Station 1943 Following Fire, from US Coast Guard Omega Station Records
Visual Tour
Click on the green buttons for a closer look at the historic buildings associated with the Ha'ikū Stairs
Historical Stairs Photos
Many thanks to Dave Jessup, Ted Urquhart, and John Flanigan for the images included here
If you have a correction or addition to an image caption, please email H Sevier at hsevier@hawaii.edu. Mahalo!
The Ha'ikū Stairs were originally made of wood and were referred to as the Haiku Ladder
The view of Kāne'ohe from the top of the Stairs circa 1949
Sailors on Ha'ikū Stairs circa 1949
This cable car took workers from the floor of Haʻikū Valley to the peak some 2,800 feet above. During the radio station’s operation, most workers preferred to ride the car to the upper hoist house than climb what was originally called the Haiku Ladder
Wooden handrails along the Ridgeline with Windward Community College in the background
Sailors operating on the Ha'ikū Stairs circa 1949
