The North Shore soap factory and shop at the old Waialua Sugar Mill.

© Kelly Headrick/Shutterstock

Waialua Sugar Mill

Top choice


The sugar mill that was the heart of the town for over a century until it closed in 1996 has been redeveloped to house a number of shops and businesses. Waialua was home to one of the largest sugar plantations in Hawaii. Thousands of people from China, Japan, Korea, Portugal and the Philippines came to work and live in the plantation towns, raise their families and make Hawaii their home. You can still feel plenty of history.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Kaiaka Bay Beach Park

1.05 MILES

Beachside trees a mile or so west of town offer shade, and turtles sometimes show up, but the swimming is better at the other local beaches. There are…

2. Haleʻiwa Aliʻi Beach Park

1.67 MILES

This is home to some of the best surf on the North Shore, and waves can be huge. It's a popular spot for surf contests. In mid-November the Triple Crown…

3. Liliʻuokalani Protestant Church

1.83 MILES

Haleʻiwa’s historic church, first built in 1832, takes its name from Queen Liliʻuokalani, who spent summers on the shores of the Anahulu River and…

4. Haleʻiwa Beach Park

2.18 MILES

On the northern side of the harbor, this park is protected by a shallow shoal and breakwater, so it's usually a good choice for swimming. There’s little…

5. Laniakea Beach

3.92 MILES

Between the highway's 3- and 4-mile markers, this narrow spit of sand is visited by basking honu (green sea turtles), who migrate here from French Frigate…

6. Mokuleʻia Beach Park

4.37 MILES

The beach itself is a nice sandy stretch, but the rocky seabed makes for poor swimming. When waters are calm and flat in summer, snorkelers swim out along…

7. Dillingham Airfield

4.74 MILES

Operated by the Hawaii Department of Transportation under a 25-year lease from the US Army, Dillingham Airfield is mainly used for general aviation,…

8. Army Beach

5.44 MILES

Opposite the western end of Dillingham Airfield, this is the widest stretch of sand on the Mokuleʻia shore, although it’s not maintained and there are no…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "usa/hawaii/waialua-1333335/attractions/waialua-sugar-mill/a/poi-sig/1452015/1333335",
      "position": "superzone"
    }