Tucked between the Waikiki Aquarium and Kaimana Beach, a crumbling stone structure catches the eye of many visitors strolling Waikiki’s Diamond Head end. Fenced off and weatherworn, it looks like a forgotten ruin—its purpose unclear to most who pass by. But this is the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial, and after decades of closure and debate, new plans could finally bring it back to life. There’s real momentum this time: political support, partial funding, and a centennial deadline just two years away.
The Natatorium, built in 1927 to honor Hawaii’s 10,000 World War I service members, once drew swimmers worldwide to its ocean-fed saltwater pool. Today, it draws controversy instead. What began as a monument to fallen soldiers has become a case study in coastal erosion, public access, and the slow decay of infrastructure with deep symbolic roots.
Walking past it now, visitors see cracked concrete walls, rusted railings, flaking decorative stonework, and chain-link fencing barely holding back the elements. Salt air and time have taken a heavy toll on what was once a proud oceanfront gathering place.
A new push to restore rather than remove.
After decades of proposals ranging from full demolition to complete replacement, Honolulu’s current plan supports a middle path: rehabilitate the existing structure. Mayor Rick Blangiardi, preservation advocates, and the Friends of the Natatorium have endorsed a $30 to $35 million plan to rebuild the walls and pool, maintain the historic arch and bleachers, and return the space to public use.
The design would include two new ocean openings to improve water circulation—a key factor in the past closure due to stagnation and health concerns. It’s a compromise that attempts to preserve the site’s memorial function while addressing its physical decline and environmental challenges. The plan hinges on securing remaining funding for the site’s centennial in 2027.
Why now?
There’s a new urgency. The concrete superstructure is rapidly degrading, and leaving it untouched much longer may force a more expensive—and potentially irreversible—demolition. This has created a rare alignment between preservationists and city officials.
A recent environmental impact statement supported rehabilitation as the most cost-effective and culturally respectful option. Demolition, long supported by some in the neighborhood and ocean access groups, would require removing the historic arch and possibly raising new cultural and legal concerns. By contrast, rehabilitation would qualify for historic preservation grants and could reopen a unique public swimming venue.
The bigger picture: Waikiki under pressure.
The Natatorium isn’t the only thing collapsing at Waikiki. In recent months, state and city officials have sounded the alarm about beach erosion, rising sea levels, and the aging shoreline infrastructure threatening everything from tourism access to roadways.
Sand replenishment efforts near Kuhio Beach have shown only temporary success. Some engineers say that unless long-term solutions—like redesigned groins or managed retreat—are adopted, parts of Waikiki could be underwater within decades. That broader conversation gives the Natatorium restoration added weight. This isn’t just about saving a structure. It’s about choosing how to adapt to a changing coastline.
Forgotten and fenced off for years.
Most visitors have been curious about this fenced-off ruin. Few know its history, and fewer still realize what the structure once meant to the people of Hawaii. The image of Duke Kahanamoku swimming laps in the pool now feels more myth than memory.
The Natatorium was not just a war memorial but a stage for Hawaiian athletes who competed internationally. It symbolized both remembrance and resilience when Hawaii was still finding its identity on the world stage.
Even longtime residents seem divided. Some view it as a sacred site worth saving, while others see it as a failed project from another era, taking up valuable public shoreline. That debate is likely to reignite as construction nears and cost estimates sharpen.
A place to swim, or something more?
Some advocates are urging the city not to stop at restoration. They want programming: keiki swimming lessons, cultural performances, and history tours. Others suggest digital exhibits or augmented reality features that could tell the story of Hawaii’s veterans in a way younger generations can connect.
The idea is to transform the Natatorium from a static monument into a living one. That could mean hosting Memorial Day events not just at the arch but in the water itself, with swimmers honoring the fallen in a symbolic and visceral way. The architecture might be Beaux-Arts, but the future could be interactive.
Readers are already weighing in.
When we last wrote about the Natatorium, reader opinions came in strong.
Teri said, “I remember swimming there as a kid. It wasn’t just beautiful—it was powerful. I’d love to see it come back.”
Daniel countered, “Let it go. That shoreline needs to breathe. It’s time to make room for something new.”
Puanani asked, “Why can’t we honor the past and fix the beach?”
As this plan progresses, expect more voices to emerge, especially if construction causes temporary closures or restricts access to Kaimana Beach.
A test of how Hawaii preserves its history.
The Natatorium’s fate raises more profound questions about how Hawaii treats its cultural landmarks, especially those tied to colonial-era history. Built during a time of U.S. expansion and military fervor, the memorial now exists in a more complicated cultural context. Some want to see Native Hawaiian voices centered in how the space is interpreted. Others argue that its existing role as a memorial to Hawaii’s soldiers—many of them Native Hawaiian—already makes that case.
This is where thoughtful restoration could make all the difference. By pairing the architectural revival with new storytelling, Hawaii can reframe the Natatorium not as a relic, but as a layered, evolving reflection of the islands’ past and future.
What happens next.
Design documents are being finalized, and environmental reviews have been completed. If funding stays on track, construction could begin as early as next year. That puts the project on a tight schedule to meet the 2027 deadline—exactly 100 years after the original dedication.
Waikiki has changed dramatically in the last century. Whether the Natatorium becomes a renewed centerpiece or a cautionary tale will depend on the next two years. But for the first time in a long time, the question isn’t whether to do something.
It’s whether Hawaii can do it in time.
Do you have memories of swimming there or walking past the site? We’d love to hear them in the comments.
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When I was in Intermediate Summer School The Natatoriun was on a list of outdoor excursions for our school curriculum, we also ate our lunch there after visiting The Waikiki Aquarium. Visits also included Pearl Harbor Memorial (sometimes they’d let students onto ships to tour), Ulu Mau Village in Ala Moana Beach Park (they teach us to pound poi), Foster Botanical Garden, Bishop Museum and Punchbowl National Cemetary to name a few of our cultural school events. This was in the late 60’s. I loved Summer School, it didn’t cost us anything to visit these historical sites.🤙
I have vivid memories, or more aptly nightmares, of having swim lessons there during Summer “Fun” at Petrie Park in Kaimuki. The preferred method of instruction was to just throw you in.
I was sure that some creature of the deep would grab me by its tentacles and drag me down into the murky green depths.
Restore? Only if I can see the bottom…
I agree this relic should be restored because of awesome memories and to bring honor to our ohana that were lost. To me it’s worth the so called inconvenience of the time and money to be allocated
Good to hear,hopefully it happens,should have been priority before the rail,hope the names who served will be on a plaque,my parents swam there, have a great picture of Duke and Wasserman by pool,can’t wait to see the end result,the front entrance is so beautiful
It’s been shut down so long… it’s a shame the state and/or C&C doesn’t make it a priority to renovate and reopen this historic landmark
Save this, so good for the people
When we were in fourth grade at Kapalama Elementary, we were taken to the Natatorium for swimming lessons. I think it was every day for a week. I will always remember it. That was about 1949
I learned to swim at the Natatorium! My dad (C&C of Honolulu worker) shoved me in one way, tossed a wooden board the other way! My cousins and I would swim underneath (of course not knowing any better) and come out on the Ewa side during low tide through the hole. It was like our personal pool as pretty much by then no one was using the Natatorium. I remember the changing cubbyholes were all painted dark green. Volleyball games in the parking lot on the weekend was a given, this was all during the 1970s. The best childhood memories!
Hope for Hawaii is based on common sense. Hawaii lets Waikiki Natatorium, Aloha Stadium, roads rot. Australia’s pools as example.
Observations:
1. Crumbling: Natatorium’s rusted since ‘70s, like Aloha Stadium, roads. North Sydney’s pool—clean, maintained—shows upkeep works. Hawaii skips it.
2. Politics: Mayors flip—Natatorium’s “demolish” to “restore.” Rail’s $12.5B mess, Aloha Stadium’s $400M consultant stall repeat this.
3. Tourism First: Waikiki beach gets $10M; Natatorium’s shut. Its spot could beat rail’s 3,000 riders with $5 fees like Sydney.
4. No Plan: No fee details. Maybe $150K/yr (500 users/wk at $5), like rail’s vague costs.
5. Ocean Threat: Erosion, 3.2-ft sea rise by 2100 hit. Aussie pools use groins; Hawaii ignores it.
Conclusion: Hawaii can charge $5 + ($967K upkeep), tap 6M Waikiki tourists, plan for seas. $30–$35M fix beats rail’s $12.5B. End politics, plan smart, do it.
Dad and I used to swim there quite a bit in the ’50s … and I L-O-V-E-D it !!
The only thing I didn’t “like” was the little “warm pool” of what I assumed was some disgusting water (or worse) you had to walk through to get into the men’s lavatory and shower. Dad informed me it was disinfectant — athlete’s foot and all — so my “anxiety” over what it “might be” was abated once and for all.
The Natatorium is where I first sucked up the courage to dive off the “high tower” (30′ ?) that was on the Diamond Head end of the pool.
I hope the city and state can find the tax $$$ to save it, but that’s hard to do in Hawai’i, what with all the politicians and labor union leaders to pay first … (just kidding) … kinda’
This is a potentially a tourism gold mine! Get USA Swimming involved and it becomes Olympic trials venue. Tyr pro series venue. Speedo national tour. It will become iconic International swimming hot spot known around the world!
I remember when I was 3 years old my father took me to the natatorium and threw me in the water. He said sink or swim. And stepped back a few steps. When I reached the ladder he then pulled me up and out. He said I knew you could do it. And that was my introduction to swimming. I became a pretty good swimmer and was even competed in my teen years.
I wish they would restore and put a ramp down and into the pool for disabled people.
statue and state runned store should go there cheaper to maintain.
They sshould of just made a big stone statue of military men over there on ground that cheap to maintain compared to the millions per year going cost the state to maintain fixing war memorial salt water swimming pool less funds for poor people programs poor people go suffer more funds going to war memorial instead.
If war memorial saved it will cost millions of tax payer money to maintain per year. you got to pay for maintaining, safety going need on duty life guards and security for the safety of all. cameras setup hi tect up to date just incase law suit from injuries occur. insurance for lawsuits. paid on-site workers. etc… Going cost plenty tax payer money taking funds from helping the poor people. Maybe can make store shop there still going cost money. In all going cost a whole lot of money to keep open. Up to you, your decision.
This is what you call a lack of political will. It’s the same situation with the Haiku Stairs.
People on both sides of many controversial projects, always know when to sue, when to fundraise, and when to give up.
There’s a lot of “give up” going around lately. A disturbing trend.
Frankly, after seeing what shape it was in when I lived on Oahu in the 80s, I’m amazed it is still there in any shape, much less as good of shape as it is.
I really hope they do restore it to use. Every time I walk through that upper park section on the seaside it just seems to be crumbling worse and worse. The Nat is a disgrace. It’s a war memorial. Either fix it or tear it down. The first order of business should repairing or replacing the damaged and undermined seawalls in that area which are allowing the water intrusion which results in much of the erosion there.
Best Regards
I have been by it many times and even to Memorial Services there. It is a shame that is has deteriorated so much but is has been there so many decades. I feel it could be restored, but not totally as it was originally. It could still be the Memorial and the arch, but eliminate the pool and just put up an area with protected photos of what is was like orioriginally.
How can they fix this. IMO they can’t even bring up any airports to any acceptable standards. Follow the money and you will find this is just another money pit. 30-35 million spent on this and you can’t find a clean respectable restroom at any beach. Don’t make sense, unbelievable, ahhhhhh!!!!!
I’m all for restoring the memorial. My grandfather loved going there while he was in the army. Back in the 1940’s. As he came to Oahu on visits he would always go there to swim.
There just is not enough money to maintain this and so many other places.
Tear it down, restore the beach, put up a plaque in honor of those who served in WW1 – and move on.
Remember – the “rail that never ends” needs every penny the city can deliver.
It can be the final rail stop