Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!
Aloha➢
My family and I took a cruise around the Hawaiian islands in 2019. We embarked in Honolulu on the island of Oahu. Prior to embarkation, we spent a few days on land and explored Oahu. Using Hilton’s Hawaiian Village as our base, we enjoyed visiting many interesting sites, including Iolani Palace.
Iolani palace is the only royal palace on US soil. The palace grounds date back to the ancient Hawaiians where a heiau (temple) once stood. King Kamehameha III built his home here in 1845.
The Kamehameha dynasty came to an end and King Kalākaua replaced Kamehameha’s residence with the larger and more elaborate Iolani Palace in 1882. Kalākaua was the first of Hawaii’s kings to travel extensively. He drew his inspiration from Victorian England and other European monarchies in his plans for Iolani Palace.
The lavish architectural style is considered American Florentine. The palace cost $340,000 to build…a huge sum at the time.
As we toured the rooms with our guide Isaac, he pointed out the extensive woodwork using Koa…a native, and pricey, hardwood. He told us that the palace had electricity…the first building in Hawaii to have it. There was also indoor plumbing, a telephone and a European style throne room.
A few months after the palace was completed, an official coronation ceremony was held for the king and his wife — even though Kalākaua had ascended the throne nine years earlier. The coronation pavilion still stands on the palace grounds and now serves as the site for Hawaii’s gubernatorial inaugurations.
Isaac told us, while we toured the royal bedrooms upstairs, that the royal family didn’t live here full time. If they weren’t receiving guests or entertaining foreign dignitaries, they stayed in a more modest house across the street.
Queen Liliʻuokalani➢
Queen Liliʻuokalani succeeded her brother after his death in 1891. Just two years later, in 1893, the monarchy was overthrown. Following a failed attempt to restore her to the throne, Queen Liliʻuokalani was tried, convicted, and sentenced to imprisonment and hard labor.
Her sentence was later reduced to house arrest, and she spent eight months confined to a single room in the palace, with little to occupy her except sewing a quilt from scraps of fabric that were secretly brought in. Today, the room remains empty, just as it was during her imprisonment, and the quilt she made is on display there.
Restoration➢
The Provisional Government took over ʻIolani Palace for use as its offices. After Hawaii was annexed by the United States, the palace served as the capitol building. The government vacated the palace in 1969.
Descendants of the Hawaiian royal family founded the Friends of ʻIolani Palace, reclaimed the building, and began the long, painstaking work of restoring it to its former grandeur. They reversed years of government alterations to the exterior and tracked down many original furnishings that had been auctioned off after the overthrow.
Iolani Palace opened to the public in 1978 and the restoration is an ongoing process. There is a museum in the basement with many of the royal artifacts on display. Throughout the rooms on the guided tour, many of the gowns worn by Queen Liliʻuokalani are featured.
Oahu Posts➢
- Kahanamoku Beach
- Fort DeRussy Beach Park
- Green World Coffee Farm
- The Dole Plantation
- Anahulu River
- Waimea Falls
- Hau’ula Beach Park
- Tropical Macadamia Farm
- Byodo-In Temple
- Polynesian Cultural Center
- Aloha Tower
- Diamond Head
- Iolani Palace
- King Kamehameha Statue
- Aliʻiōlani Hale
- Pearl Harbor
Location: 364 S King St, Honolulu, Hawaii
Designation: National Historic Landmark
Date designated/established: December 29, 1962
Date of my visit: April 13, 2019
