Moloka’i, Hawaii
I heard there was a ghost town on the island but no one gave me any details so I imagined the Wild West. One my way to the beach I missed the turn and ended up in Maunaloa.
But it was a weird Twilight Zone episode because while everything looked new, no one was around and everything was boarded up. I almost expected zombies to start creeping out with the smell of new flesh.
Okay maybe it wasn’t that bad but it was weird.
The only thing that was open was a kite shop so I stopped in. I was in a modern day ghost town.
Maunaloa was the site of Molokai’s only luxury accommodations, home to a gas station and the island’s only cinema. As I mentioned in my last post Molokai Ranch, owned by a Kiwi company, wanted to continue development but the community was concerned that its plans were too aggressive and urged them to focus on the current property.
That wasn’t in the plans for Molokai Ranch.
In 2008 things came to a head and the two groups could not come to an agreement so Molokaì Ranch shut down completely and abandoned the island. With 120 employees it was the largest employer on the island. They were all left unemployed and the village was boarded up.
This is all that remains.
Disclosure: I was a guest of the Moloka’i Visitors Bureau but all opinions remain my own. No one asked me to write a favourable review or desaturate the photos in this post.
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I'm Ayngelina and in my mid-thirties. I left an amazing job, boyfriend, apartment and friends to find inspiration in Latin America. I'm creating a new life choosing what I want instead of what other people think I should do.
Looks like a squatter’s paradise!
Roy Marvelous recently posted..How I Traveled The World For 8 Years With $6186
This is damn interesting, I never imagined a new and deserted town like this…
Siddhartha Joshi recently posted..The most tiring and rewarding trek – Mount Diablo
Wow, that’s crazy.
It’s real life LOST!
Cal recently posted..13 of the Best Photos from the Art Gallery of New South Wales
That’s crazy! I was wondering if there were actually any ghost towns left in the US! I wouldn’t have thought there were any in Hawaii. Interesting!
I think there were Zombies. They were just being shy. You’ll have to go search for them.
Chrystal McKay recently posted..Saadin Tombs: A Hidden Beauty
I love spots like this. I’m so glad you found it and shared it here – I had no idea, and if I ever go there – I’d go to see it. I hope another company with a less aggressive agenda takes over someday, but if not, I hope they leave it there forever and ever. Your photos really capture the mood of it.
Margo recently posted..Incommunicado in Costa Rica
The photos are very surreal. It’s bizarre to see an empty ghost town that is still so modern. It looks very post-apocalyptic.
John recently posted..Larger Than Life in Kansas City, Missouri
I think I would be a little creeped out if everything was boarded up as well. I wonder what will come of this place in the future.
Christy recently posted..Lost in Translation: Insalata Verde – Taormina, Sicily
This does look like an episode of the Twilight Zone (incidentally my hubs and I have been hooked on that series) and it’s a bit of awesome as well. The B&W photos are edgy and mysterious!
Charu recently posted..Celebrating my 10th Wedding Anniversary: A Weekend in New Paltz (Part One)
I grew up on Vancouver Island where there are several ghost towns that I frequently explored. The creepiest were the ones where houses still had dishes in the cupboards and clothes in the closets, total alien abduction feeling.
I always find derelict buildings interesting. I would be very keen to actually go to a proper ghost town like that!
Jarmo @ Arctic Nomad recently posted..The Hanoi Bia Hoi Corner
What a shame. I can understand the concern about rampant development, but to see businesses close up like this when there’s still such worldwide unemployment is heart-breaking.
Carolyn Jung recently posted..Scrumptious Snapshots from New York, Part II
That is truly weird! I am expecting that there were Zombies or any kind of ghosts. There are some situations like that and it’s sad to know that it happens to them.
Danyelle Franciosa recently posted..visit bi-fold doors website
Ghost towns are fascinating but I never expected one in Hawaii. Creepy!
Scott – Quirky Travel Guy recently posted..There’s a volcano in the heart of Portland, Oregon
Strange and sad. And how odd that all that’s still open is a kite shop? Interesting place.
The Time-Crunched Traveler (Ellen) recently posted..Lima’s El Parque del Amor: A Photo Essay
How sad and bizarre. That would be VERY creepy. It feels like everyone just died.
Krista recently posted..The Gorgeous Blue Grotto on the Isle of Capri
Definitely reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode. Surprised someone hasn’t bought the land or something…or is it not for sale?
Andrea recently posted..6 Questions People Ask Us – Answered!
Interesting. You’d think some locals may want to do something with this abandoned town. Or maybe they don’t want it since it was developed and owned by outsiders? hmmm.
Lauren recently posted..Walking into a magical place: Enjoying la feria de Sevilla!
Wow. Business must be booming for that kite shop! Perhaps that’s how the zombies pass the time…
Arianwen Morris recently posted..Travel as a tightarse: the benefits!
That does seem like a weird little town. Interesting that the only shop in town is a kite shop. I wonder how much business they do.
Cathy Sweeney recently posted..Travel Photo Thursday: A Slice of Chicago
Creepy.. even with the one kite shop. Glad there were no zombies though.
Kieu ~ GQ trippin recently posted..At-A-Glance: Pushkar
how sad!! I’ll bet there are a ton of obake [ghost] stories from the locals about that place!
jenjenk recently posted..France: St Emilion, Day Trip from Bordeaux
I’ve never been to Molokai, that boarded up ghost town is bizarre. It’s also sad for such a small island to lose 120 jobs.
Lisa recently posted..Tajikistan Tea Room in Berlin
Wow, really creepy. But I guess I’m also glad that development stopped. The land in Hawaii is so precious and should be protected from over-development.
Michi recently posted..10 Fun Spanish Idioms
Interesting. It’s too bad that building was started and then stopped…such a waste of materials, etc.
So eerie! But, to be honest, this sounds exactly like Santa Cruz! Now *that* was one eerie place to wander around in.
Ceri recently posted..Joining the Circus (Part 1)
Really is Santa Cruz deserted?
So sad that it’s deserted!
Andi of My Beautiful Adventures recently posted..Macau: Day 2 (Part 3)
It’s such a lovely area although supposedly people are trying to get together to reopen it on their own, I hope they are successful.
Oh how depressing! Yet somehow I’m always attracted to these sites. I’d see this if I was there.
cheryl recently posted..A Day At The Baltic Sea In Sopot, Poland.
It’s definitely worth seeing and the drive is so scenic, when it was a hotel it must have been a lovely place to stay.
I love ghost towns, it’s a totally surreal experience to wander through deserted buildings.
Love the desat technique. Really makes this post moody in the right way.
Lauren, Ephemerratic recently posted..Buzz kill bus crash in Peru
I just happened upon this post while I was looking for pictures of the Molokai Ranch. My husband and I stayed at this hotel during our honeymoon in 2006. It was the most amazing place, and I was so sad to hear it closed! I love Molokai…it’s so tiny and authentic.