Ali'iolani Hale

The first major government building constructed by the Hawaiian monarchy in 1874, the 'House of Heavenly Kings' was designed by Australian architect Thomas Rowe to be a royal palace, although it was never used as such. Instead, the Italianate building houses Hawaii's Supreme Court and was once home to Hawaii's legislature. It was on the steps of Ali'iolani Hale, in January 1893, that Sanford Dole proclaimed the establishment of a provisional government and the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. Peek inside to find displays on Hawaii's judicial history dating back to the time of Kamehameha the Great.

Outside, a bronze statue of Kamehameha the Great stands in front of Ali'iolani Hale, facing 'Iolani Palace. On June 11, a state holiday honoring Kamehameha I, the statue is ceremonially draped with layers of flower lei. The statue was cast in 1880 in Florence, Italy, by American sculptor Thomas Gould. The current statue is actually a recast, as the first statue was lost at sea near the Falkland Islands. The original statue, which was recovered from the ocean floor after the second version was dedicated here in 1883, now stands in Kohala on the Big Island of Hawai'i, where Kamehameha was born.