Two Honolulu Homes Not To Miss–Part Two: Iolani Palace
Step away from the beach and inside the rich history of the Hawaiian Kingdom. America’s only royal palace is here in Honolulu. Iolani Palace, built 125 years ago in 1882, was the home of Hawaii’s last two monarchs.
For this two part series, Iolani Palace joins the Shangri La estate as my two homes every visitor should see in Honolulu.
Visitors who come to Iolani Palace will learn a part of history that seems excluded from mainland textbooks. This includes the imprisonment of Queen Lili’uokalani by the United States and overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893.
My favorite things to see at Iolani Palace are the Throne Room and the quilt made by the Queen during her palace imprisonment. The Palace Galleries also include the crown jewels.
Most of the Palace furniture and furnishings were sold at auction after the overthrow. The Friends of Iolani Palace have worked hard to have many of these items returned. My favorite story is of a visitor who looked at an old Palace photograph and saw a table that resembled his. When he returned home to the mainland and examined the table, it had the official royal markings and was donated back to the Palace.
The Palace has a list of their most wanted furnishings. Maybe one of your family antiques belonged to the royal household? So far the Friends of Iolani Palace have located original pieces in 38 states and 4 foreign countries.
You can visit Iolani Palace from Tuesday through Saturday. If you’re there on a Friday, you may hear the Royal Hawaiian Band performing on the Palace grounds starting at noon.
You can help the Friends of Iolani Palace by doing any of the following:
1. Take a tour and share your experience with others.
2. Purchase gifts and souvenirs from the Palace Shops.
3. Make a donation and become a member.
4. Buy from national on-line retailers through Shop for Museums.
Iolani Palace Details: Located in the Capitol District of downtown Honolulu at the corner of King and Richards Street. Open to the public Tuesday through Saturday. Guided tours are $20 for adults. An audio tour is available for $12.00. No beach wear allowed in the Palace. For reservations call 1-808-522-0832.
