Punchbowl Crater

Punchbowl Crater is an extinct volcanic cone in central Honolulu whose interior now houses a military cemetery. The crater walls formed from hardened ash create a natural amphitheater roughly 360 feet (110 meters) high, stretching across several acres and offering views of the city from all sides.

The volcano formed roughly 100,000 years ago during a single eruption when molten rock met seawater. After World War II the American government converted the crater interior into a national military cemetery, which opened in 1949.

The crater earned its nickname from sailors who thought its rounded shape resembled a punch bowl used for drinks. Today the site serves as a resting place for members of the American armed forces and their families, who gather here for ceremonies and remembrances.

Visitors reach the site via a winding access road that is open daily and provides parking inside the crater walls. The grounds feature maintained lawns and paved paths that are accessible for wheelchairs.

The chapel at the cemetery center displays a mosaic wall map showing military operations across the Pacific. The outer walls of the site hold engraved names of nearly 30,000 missing soldiers whose remains were never found.