HONOLULU (KHON2) — It is hard to imagine today, but one of Hawaiʻi’s most visited places began as a swamp.
To understand the history of this iconic experience in Hawaii, we turned to a book written by Kay Kiyosaki Day that was published in 2019. In it, Day explored the land, the building, the businesses and the people that have made Ala Moana what it is today.
She found that long before Ala Moana Center opened in 1959, the land was part of Kālia, an area of Waikīkī known for fishponds, loʻi kalo, duck ponds and thick kiawe growth; and the marshy landscape stretched across a coastal plain shaped by fresh water flowing from Oʻahu’s valleys and mountains.
PHOTOS: What Ala Moana Shopping Center was like in the 1950s, 1960s
Day believes the history of Ala Moana Center began with the land itself…