Discover Garapan

Garapan is a place with a long history of Chamorro settlement and traces of several later eras. When choosing a hotel on Saipan, Garapan’s history offers a concrete point of reference: its museum, bell tower, statue, and American Memorial Park represent different chapters that can be placed in chronological context.

History across several periods

The Garapan area was home to the Indigenous Chamorro for more than 3,000 years. After the Spanish military conquest of Saipan in 1695, a mission village with a Catholic church was established on the site of today’s Hafadai Beach Hotel, immediately west of the Latte Stone Monument.

The Northern Mariana Islands Museum of History & Culture in Garapan offers an overview of the history of the Marianas, from prehistory through the Spanish, German, and Japanese periods to the era of the UN Trust Territory. The museum opened in 1998; its exhibits cover more than 3,000 years of local history. Its historical perspective thus extends from the long history of Chamorro settlement to the eras explored in the museum.

Individual buildings also provide a sense of chronology. The bell tower next to Kristo Rai Catholic Church in Garapan dates from 1932. A larger-than-life statue of Matsue Haruji (1876–1954) stands in a park next to Garapan Central Park. The Japanese entrepreneur built the profitable sugar industry in the Marianas in the early 1920s. This brings the history of the sugar industry into view alongside religious and museum history.

American Memorial Park and finding your way around town

American Memorial Park is at the northern end of Garapan Village, in the Puntan Muchot/Ppiyal Ooláng area. Garapan Village is within walking distance of the park. Its facilities include a large outdoor amphitheater used for concerts, theatrical performances, and other public events. The park’s location at the northern end of the village is thus complemented by an outdoor venue.

Mañagaha is also a useful landmark: the island is visible from beaches throughout Garapan. It is especially easy to see from the Puntan Muchot area. These two details are helpful when identifying places and views: the park is in the area mentioned at the northern end of Garapan Village, and Puntan Muchot is also a particularly good viewpoint for Mañagaha.

American Memorial Park on Saipan

On Saipan, American Memorial Park covers about 133 acres. The 1.2-mile Scenic Pathway begins at the Micro Beach Pavilion and passes picnic areas, a playground, and the Memorial Court of Honor. Historical structures along the route include Japanese pillbox bunkers, as well as bunkers and fuel tanks from World War II. The route’s length and stops give it a clear character: it connects recreational areas with wartime memorial sites.

At the park’s visitor center on Saipan, the “The Battle for the Marianas” exhibit recounts events from the Battle of Saipan, which took place from June 15 to July 9, 1944. Together with the Memorial Court of Honor and the historical structures, it is one of several ways to explore Saipan’s history in the park.

Discover more destinations: Chalan Kanoa, Tanapag, Susupe, Papago, San Roque.

Return to the main travel overview: Saipan.