'Iolani Palace

Lonely Planet review

A historic house museum where royalty feasted and plots and counterplots simmered.'Iolani was the residence of King Kalakaua and Queen Kapi'olani from 1882 to 1891, and of Queen Lili'uokalani for two years after that. At this time, much of the Hawaiian monarchy observed the diplomatic protocols of the Victorian world. The king traveled abroad meeting with leaders around the globe and received many foreign emissaries in 'Iolani Palace.

Although the palace was modern and opulent for its time, it did little to assert Hawaii's sovereignty over more powerful US business interests, who used force to overthrow the Hawaiian kingdom in 1893. Two years after the coup, the once Queen Lili'uokalani was convicted of treason and spent nine months as a prisoner in her former home. The palace also served as the capitol of the republic, then the territory and later the state of Hawaii. In 1969 the government moved into the current state capitol, leaving 'Iolani Palace a shambles. a lengthy multimillion dollar reconstruction project restored the palace to its former glory and it reopened as a museum in 1978, although many of the original royal artifacts had been lost or stolen over time. On the 1st floor are re-creations of the palace's reception rooms, including a grand hallway, dining room and throne hall. The red-and-gold throne room features the original thrones of the king and queen and was the site of celebrations that were full of pomp and pageantry. On the 2nd floor are the residential quarters, including the room in which the queen was imprisoned and the confessional quilt that she made during this period. The interior of the palace can only be seen on a guided tour ( 09:00 to 11:15 , every 20 minutes) or on a self-guided audio tour ( 11:45 to 15:00 , every 10 minutes). Children under five are welcome to explore the basement-level galleries, but not the 1st and 2nd floors of the palace. Sometimes you can join a tour on the spot, but it's advisable to call ahead for reservations; to protect the floors visitors must wear hospital-style booties.The palace grounds, which are free and open to the public during daylight hours, pre-date the palace. A simpler house on these grounds was used by King Kamehameha III, who ruled from 1825 to 1854, and in ancient times a Hawaiian temple stood here. The former Royal Household Guards barracks is now the palace ticket window. The domed pavilion, originally built for the coronation of King Kalakaua in 1883, is still used for the inauguration of governors, and every Friday afternoon concerts are performed here by the Royal Hawaiian Band. King Kamehameha II and Queen Kamamalu lay buried in the grassy mound surrounded by a wrought-iron fence until 1865, when their remains were moved to the Royal Mausoleum in Nu'uanu. The huge banyan tree between the palace and the state capitol is thought to have been planted by Queen Kapi'olani.