About
The War Memorial Natatorium, located at 2815 Kalākaua Ave in Honolulu, Hawaii, is a historic saltwater swimming pool and memorial dedicated in 1927 to Hawaii's World War I veterans. Designed in the Beaux-Arts style, it features a grand archway and a once-Olympic-sized pool. An iconic landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the facility has been closed for swimming since 1979 and remains in a state of disrepair, a subject of ongoing preservation and restoration debates.
The natatorium's saltwater pool has been closed and non-operational since 1979 due to structural and health concerns. Consequently, current or historical temperature data for a maintained, operational pool is not available. Its original design involved a large, open-air saltwater basin whose temperature would naturally align with the surrounding ocean.
What are people saying (AI review summary)? The reviews describe a beautiful and unique World War I memorial, often referred to as a monument or a giant public swimming pool structure, located near Kapiolani Park and the Waikiki Aquarium. It features a "Roll of Honor" dedicated to servicemen and women. Reviewers consistently praise its historical significance and architectural beauty, expressing a strong desire for its preservation and restoration. However, the memorial is currently closed, in a state of disrepair, boarded off, neglected, and surrounded by fencing and graffiti, leading to widespread disappointment and criticism of local government for its lack of maintenance.
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Reviews
Listing Reviews
September 11th, 2024Steven
The beautiful gated wall caught my eye when I was strolling the Kapiolani Park. There's a Roll of Honor that lists our Servicemen and Women who served our beautiful country. This place is interesting, and it's currently closed. So, there is not much to see besides what's on the outside. There is a restroom at the end of the building. I stood in front of the Roll of Honor and thanked our former Servicemen and women who sacrificed for us and our beloved country.
June 16th, 2024T A
Very interesting old WWI memorial. It has fallen into disrepair over the years, but fully restored it would be absolutely beautiful. There's almost nothing else like it. The memorial is basically a giant public swimming pool right on the edge of the ocean. It was also nice to hear about the people of Hawaii's contribution to WWI. The memorial has been closed to the public for a while, but its nice to look at from the outside.
August 29th, 2025MICHAEL MCNAMARA
Beautiful building that I hope can be saved for the future generations. Would love to walk through this area and feel the history. Would love to swim here for the experience of it's uniqueness.
August 26th, 2021T.T.Puslecki
Quite interesting memorial wall or kind of monument located near Waikiki Aquarium. The problem is that this place is forgotten. I do not understand why Honolulu government officials are not interested to renovate this Memorial Wall in the honour of veterans. This place is closed a few years already. It is easy to say on the rock “Roll of honour” in the service of the United States and then leave this place alone.
December 24th, 2016Sarah Worth
Literally boarded off & ringed with rusty barded wire and graffiti, you may only peek in through the chain link fence to see what was once a historical gathering place of immense beauty. It's so disgraceful that the city of Oahu is neglecting a war memorial and idly standing by as it crumbles back into the sea.
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Opening Hours
| Sunday | Closed |
|---|---|
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | Closed |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | Closed |
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