Bay View Home, first established in 1901, served as a group home for the elderly, blind, and disabled. Patients at Bay View shared meals in a central dining room and received round-the-clock nursing care.
Centrally located in the settlement, the home historically contained as many as 19 structures. It's been managed by the Sister's of St. Francis for over a century.
The building was constructed in 1910 and was well used for many years as the Social Hall for the Americans of Japanese Ancestry. It is currently used as the park bookstore.
The Mormon congregation at Kalaupapa was established in 1901. The church today dates to 1965 and is one of the newest church buildings in the settlement.
Father Damien came to Kalaupapa to help the patients and uplift spirits. He eventually contracted Hansen's disease and passed away on August 15, 1889. Father Damien was canonized a saint in the Catholic Church on October 11, 2009 and is now St. Damien.
The heiau and ahupuaʻa remind us of the peninsula's rich past. Archeological evidence shows that Hawaiians lived here 1,000 years ago, 900 years before the first patients arrived.
Judd Park on the eastern, Kalawao side of the peninsula is very scenic. It overlooks rugged sea cliffs, ephemeral waterfalls, dramatic ocean rock formations and crashing surf of Molokai's north shore.
This site is one of the older cemeteries associated with the Hansen’s Disease settlement. Based on the dates of marked headstones within the cemetery boundaries, Kahaloko was likely used from 1887-1921.
The Pali Trail has 26 switchbacks which descend nearly 2,000 feet of elevation over about 3.5 miles. The lower trailhead is located on the Kalaupapa Peninsula and should not be confused with the upper trailhead.
For over one hundred years, the Molokai Light has shone over the people of Kalaupapa Peninsula. More than just a guide for ships, the lighthouse inspires the art, music, and daily lives of the people in Kalaupapa. Today, the Molokai Light is as iconic to the Kalaupapa Settlement as the towering sea cliffs.
In November of 1888, Mother Marianne and a few other sisters went to serve in Kalaupapa. An outstanding administrator as well as an excellent nurse and pharmacist, Mother Marianne felt it was essential to preserve the personal dignity of patients and encourage a "quality of life spirit." After serving the people of Kalaupapa for over 30 years, Mother Marianne passed away on August 9, 1918 and was later canonized on October 21, 2012 and is now Saint Marianne.
The oldest church structure at Kalaupapa dates to the pre-Hansen's disease period. It was built in 1853 as a church but its use changed significantly over time.
Kalaupapa's Paschoal Hall was the heart and soul of the community. Built around 1915, patients and the administration used the hall to host community events such as movies, dances, concerts, and political rallies.
This overlook at Pala'au State Park sits at an elevation approximately 1600 feet above the Kalaupapa Peninsula at the edge of the steep north-shore pali cliffs of Molokai.
Today, St. Philomena Church is one of only a few remaining structures on the Kalawao side of the Kalaupapa peninsula. The National Park Service restored the church in 2009 in anticipation of Father Damien's canonization.
The airport formally opened in 1933 with a 2,000-foot grass runway. The airport is still used today and only one airline offers scheduled flights in and out of Kalaupapa.
The Kalaupapa gas station was built in 1934 and during the first year of operation, gas was 13 cents a gallon. The gas station still operates today. Gasoline arrives on the annual barge in tankers. The price of gas is fixed throughout the year and is based on the purchase price of gas in O'ahu.
Built in the 1930s, the existing Kalaupapa store is the last remaining store that continues to provide groceries and supplies to residents within the settlement.
