When the 10-story Aloha Tower was built, it was the tallest structure in all of Hawaii.  Even though it is now dwarfed by today's jungle of tall office buildings, it still stands as one of the state's most recognizable symbols of Hawaiian hospitality.

The tower is a square-shaped structure topped by a domed cupola with balcony openings on all four sides, providing excellent views of Honolulu.  The large clocks serve as a distinguishing element, along with the letters "A L O H A" on each side.  The tower is topped by a 40-foot flagstaff.

When the Aloha Tower was built in 1926, it served as a fitting welcome for the boatloads of tourists arriving at Honolulu Harbor.  The ships were met with lively celebrations that often involved the entire community.  Some of the locals even left work early to take part in the festivities, which included hula dancers, thousands of colorful streamers and performances by the Royal Hawaiian Band.  The whole harbor smelled of fresh flower leis.   Because of its status as a welcoming beacon to visitors, the tower became know as "The Statue of Liberty of Hawaii".

All these festivities came to an end as the airlines began bringing most tourists to the islands.  And the tower seemed destined to fall into a state of neglect and irrelevance.  That changed in 1994 with the opening of the Aloha Tower Marketplace, a popular shopping and dinning complex fronting Honolulu Harbor.  Once again the tower is relevant, standing as the centerpiece of this complex.