Kalaupapa National Historical Park Reopens Tours by Air After Pandemic Closure

Kalaupapa National Historical Park on Molokai is reopening to visitors this month after being closed for over five years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which protected the few remaining patients with Hansen’s disease (leprosy). Access to the isolated peninsula, surrounded by 2,000-foot cliffs, will now be exclusively by small plane through the Kalaupapa Saints Tour, founded by patient Meli Watanuki and operated by Seawind Tours, with visitor numbers capped and tours requiring a Hawai‘i State Department of Health permit for those aged 16 and older. The traditional mule rides and hiking trails are no longer available, and the cost of visiting has increased significantly compared to historic bus tours. Kalaupapa holds deep historical and cultural significance as the site where over 8,000 mostly Native Hawaiians were forcibly isolated due to leprosy from 1866 until 1969, and it is closely associated with Saints Damien and Marianne, who devoted their lives to caring for those exiled there. The park serves as a memorial to sacrifice and compassion, preserving the legacy of these two saints and the community that once lived there. Despite the reopening, Kalaupapa is transitioning from a living community to a place of remembrance, with tours designed to provide respectful, accurate, and personal perspectives on its complex history.