Demolition of Hawaii's Legendary Stairway to Heaven | TravelPirates

However, the stairs quickly gained popularity through social media and the series “Magnum PI”, which is why the Honolulu City Council finally decided to demolish the stairs in 2021. The cost of the demolition work is approximately $2.5 million and will take around 6 months because of the behavior of the tourists. Planning for the demolition of the stairs began on April 22, 2024.

Despite the work and the strict ban, many people still visit the Haiku Stairs, which has recently led to several reports and warnings . In addition to the fact that visiting is a criminal offense, it is also very dangerous, according to the Honolulu District Mayor, because “It is an active construction site” where there is heavy machinery.

The “Friend of Haiku Stairs” have filed a lawsuit against the City and County of Honolulu to prevent the demolition of the stairs. The hearing of the lawsuit was scheduled for March 10, 2024, during which time the demolition work was paused, but according to the city administration, planning continued.

According to the current status, the court has decided against stopping the demolition. The reason given is that the stairs have no historical significance. The demolition work and planning will now continue.