Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial

The Friends of the Natatorium, which maintains this page, advocates for the preservation and restoration of the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial. We seek the return of this spectacular facility to active recreational use by the families of Oahu and by visitors to Hawai’i.

The 100-meter ocean pool was opened in 1927 as a tribute to more than 10,000 servicemen from Hawai’i who served in World War I, including the 101 who died in that war. It was Territorial Hawaii’s official monument to their service and sacrifice, designed as a “living memorial” and as a symbol of the way of life they fought to defend. The Friends believes that, in allowing the Natatorium to deteriorate and eventually to close, the state of Hawai’i and city and county of Honolulu shamefully broke faith with and dishonored those World War I soldiers and sailors.

Neglect of the Natatorium also broke faith with the generations of Hawai’i families who brought children to learn to swim in its waters, with the heroes of Hawai’i who competed there in national and international aquatic competitions, and with all who love the history and cultural legacy that make Hawai’i unique among the 50 states.

The Friends of the Natatorium was incorporated in 1986 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since then, its volunteer directors and supporters have worked tirelessly to educate government officials and the general public about the Natatorium’s epic past and potential future. Every year since 1989, the group has sponsored a Memorial Day Weekend observance in the park outside the Natatorium to honor America’s war dead and veterans and to keep faith with those in whose memory the Natatorium was built.

For more information, go to http://natatorium.org