Piilanihale Heiau, Ancient stone temple in Kahanu Garden, US

Pi'ilanihale Heiau is a stepped stone temple platform in Kahanu Garden near Hana, Maui, built of dry-laid basalt. Its lower courses form a rectangular base roughly 130 by 100 metres, and the upper tiers rise in terraces to about 15 metres. Facing the sea, the structure has a central raised platform and several enclosed courts.

Pi'ilanihale Heiau was begun by the Maui chief Pi'ilani, whose reign is dated to roughly the late 16th and early 17th centuries, and it was later enlarged by his son Kihapi'ilani. The temple was built for the war god Ku and served the ruling line of Maui. Its final form is a stepped platform of basalt blocks rising in tiers, with a large enclosed court at the top.

Pi'ilanihale Heiau is linked to the Pi'ilani line of Maui chiefs; tradition credits the ruler Pi'ilani, who unified Maui around 1500, with its final major phase. The name means "house of Pi'ilani." The site lies within Kahanu Garden, where a grove of hala trees and a collection of breadfruit varieties from the Pacific are cultivated around the stone platforms.

The temple grounds are located within a managed botanical garden, so pathways and access points are maintained but exploring can vary depending on conditions. Wearing sturdy shoes and bringing water is advisable since walking is exposed to the elements with little shade available on the grounds.

This is one of the largest surviving stone structures in all of Polynesia and was built entirely without modern tools or machinery. The sheer scale and age of the construction offer a rare window into the engineering capability and determination of early Hawaiian society.