Aloha Tower, opened in Honolulu Harbor in 1926, served as both an observation tower and lighthouse at Pier 9, guiding ships while becoming a defining feature of the waterfront and a symbolic gateway for immigrants and other arrivals by sea. Built in the Hawaiian Gothic style, it was Hawaii’s tallest structure for about forty years. During World War Two, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Coast Guardsmen from the USCGC Taney defended the site and the tower was camouflaged at night. Later redevelopment reshaped the surrounding waterfront, but the tower remains an enduring emblem of Honolulu Harbor and Hawaii’s maritime identity.