The news this week that public tours will resume at the Kalaupapa after being closed since the pandemic is a big deal. It comes as Gov. Josh Green has also extended an invitation to Pope Leo XIV as part of the upcoming commemoration of the first catholic priests to Hawaiʻi.
HPR spoke to National Park Superintendent Nancy Holman about what to expect as the park reopens for tours. She cautions that the settlement and tours may look different from what used to be offered.
“Patients here at Kalaupapa have been leading tours commercially since 1957,” Holman said. “What that means is it's really the patient driving the business and the park service just authorizes those tours through our commercial use authorization. … The tour starting very soon — it's a patient-owned business. She was running a business pre-covid as well. So this is her reimagined tour, which is very exciting that's coming back online.”
“And I think the time she's taken to be really thoughtful and who she's employed to work with her and offer the tour is really exciting, and I think it will be a great experience for people to get back on site and visit the things that this particular patient thinks is most significant about this place."
Holman added that transportation struggles will keep the tours very small to ensure that it does not disrupt the residents of Kalaupapa or Molokaʻi doing their own business.
“We only have nine seats on a plane coming in, so that includes their guide, capacity of eight on the tour, also just capacity on what days of the week they'll be operating,” she said. “Really again, that thoughtful exercise of, how do we not disrupt the residents of Molokaʻi or Kalaupapa along the way.”
She also told HPR that Kalaupapa has seen many changes over the years, such as school buses that the tours previously used and how much the drought has impacted the settlement.
“Our job is to preserve the place as well as to provide for that enjoyment of it,” Holman said. “So we're constantly taking care of the grounds and the community that's part of providing for the patient lifestyle of the folks that are still down here. We've been steadily doing the work, regardless of whether the public tours are in place or not, so that piece is not like we're racing to the finish line, it's more we've been ready.”
This story aired on The Conversation on Sept. 10, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Hannah Kaʻiulani Coburn adapted this story for the web.
