Kalaupapa National Historical Park on Molokai will reopen to public tours later this month, marking the end of a five-year suspension that began during the pandemic.
According to an article by Hawaii News Now, guided tours will return in late September through “Kalaupapa Saint Tours,” founded by patient-resident Meli Watanuki, with Seawind Tours operating the excursions on her behalf.
Visitors will once again have the chance to learn about the powerful history of Kalaupapa, once a leprosy settlement, and the people who lived there.
The site’s story dates back to 1866, when the first 12 patients with leprosy, now known as Hansen’s Disease, were sent into quarantine.
Over the following century, nearly 8,000 people—most of them Native Hawaiians—were forced to live on the isolated peninsula, separated from their families and communities.
Today, Kalaupapa stands as a place of remembrance and reflection. It allows families across Hawai‘i to reconnect with relatives once considered “lost” and offers visitors an opportunity to reflect on resilience, healing, and society’s response to illness and disability.
The peninsula also serves as a natural sanctuary, protecting more than 30 threatened and endangered species, including monk seals, humpback whales, and green sea turtles.
Its landscapes feature some of the world’s highest sea cliffs, along with volcanic craters, lava tubes, caves, offshore islets, rainforests, and freshwater streams.
With tours reopening, Kalaupapa once again connects visitors to both Hawaii’s cultural history and its natural beauty, underscoring its importance to the state’s outdoor recreation.
