The Lady Columbia statue, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Alamy Stock Photo

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific

Honolulu


Northeast of downtown Honolulu is a bowl-shaped crater, nicknamed the Punchbowl, formed by a long-extinct volcano. Hawaiians called the crater Puowaina (‘hill of human sacrifices’). It’s believed that at an ancient heiau (temple) here, the slain bodies of kapu (taboo) breakers were ceremonially cremated upon an altar. Today, the remains of ancient Hawaiians sacrificed to appease the gods share the crater floor with the bodies of well over 50,000 soldiers.

The remains of Ernie Pyle, the distinguished war correspondent who was killed in Okinawa during the final days of WWII, lie in section D, grave 109. Five stones to the left, at grave D-1, is the marker for Ellison Onizuka, the Hawaiʻi (Big Island) astronaut who perished in the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster. Other notables buried here include longtime US senator and WWII vet Daniel K Inouye. Screens at the visitors center at the cemetery entrance let you look up the location of any gravesite.

Even without the war sights, Punchbowl would be worth the drive up for the plum views of the city and Diamond Head. After entering the cemetery, bear left and go to the top of the hill, where there’s a sweeping ocean-view lookout. Special events held at the cemetery include Memorial Day ceremonies to honor veterans and a traditional Easter sunrise Christian service. Note the iconic 30ft-tall statue Columbia on the central tower, which features in the opening credits of both the old and new Hawaii Five-0.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Honolulu attractions

1. Honolulu Museum of Art

0.59 MILES

This exceptional fine-arts museum is among the best of its kind anywhere. The collection is effectively a 'best of' summary of major art movements…

2. Washington Place

0.77 MILES

Formerly the governor’s residence, this colonial-style mansion was built in 1846 by US sea captain John Dominis. The captain’s son became the governor of…

3. Cathedral of St Andrew

0.79 MILES

King Kamehameha IV, attracted to the royal Church of England, decided to build his own cathedral and founded the Anglican Church in Hawaii in 1861. The…

4. Spalding House

0.81 MILES

Embraced by tropical sculpture gardens, this art museum occupies an estate house constructed in 1925 for Oʻahu-born Anna Rice Cooke, a missionary…

5. Father Damien Statue

0.81 MILES

In front of the capitol is a highly stylized statue of Father Damien, the Belgian priest who lived and worked with victims of Hansen’s disease (leprosy)…

6. Hawaii State Capitol

0.84 MILES

Built in the architecturally interesting 1960s, Hawaii’s state capitol is a poster child of conceptual postmodernism: two cone-shaped legislative chambers…

7. Capitol Modern

0.88 MILES

With its vibrant, thought-provoking collections, this public art museum brings together traditional and contemporary art from Hawaii’s multiethnic…

8. Queen Lili‘uokalani Statue

0.88 MILES

Pointedly positioned between the state capitol building and ʻIolani Palace is a life-size bronze statue of Queen Liliʻuokalani, Hawaii’s last reigning…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "usa/honolulu-and-waikiki/attractions/national-memorial-cemetery-of-the-pacific/a/poi-sig/376737/361979",
      "destination": "Honolulu",
      "continent": "North-America",
      "country": "USA",
      "region": "Hawaii",
      "city": "Honolulu",
      "position": "superzone"
    }