When I was researching places to visit in Honolulu, I came across Iolani Palace. Hawaii has the distinction of being the only American state to have been a monarchy. Since I am fascinated by monarchies, I knew I absolutely needed to visit.
The palace sits smack in the middle of the government district in downtown Honolulu. You may have some challenges finding the building and parking lot depending on your GPS. We parked in an hourly spot on the street and fed the meter twice. You buy on-site tickets in the barracks where you’ll also find a gift shop and a quick video about the Hawaiian monarchy. We chose the self-guided tour (I think it was about $15 a person). The guided tour takes you through the two main floors of the palace and is self-paced.
From the barracks, we headed over to Iolani Palace for our timed tour. You pick up an audio headset for your guided tour, and you also have to wear the provided shoe booties. King David Kalakaua, the last king of Hawaii, built the palace to elevate Hawaii’s monarchy on the international stage. Queen Liliuokalani, Hawaii’s last and only queen, was also imprisoned in the palace after her monarchy was deposed.
The Palace
The first floor features the throne room, a formal parlor, and the dining room. The throne room is beautiful and displays Lililuokalani’s stunning peacock dress from Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Celebration. You then walk up the single staircase to the living quarters. One room showcases the quilt Queen Liliuokalani and her attendants made during her imprisonment. Once you’ve finished in the main palace, you walk outside and into the basement. The basement has a really interesting timeline and history of Hawaii, including an exhibit on the Hawaiian leprosy epidemic. We happened upon another gift shop where we grabbed a purple Liliuokalani monogram ornament (basically everything I love).
Catch up on our trip to Hawaii: We booked our vacation through Costco Travel | Our Oahu eats | Honolulu Zoo and the Waikiki Aquarium | The Dole Plantation | Pearl Harbor | Cruising with Hawaii Duck Tours | Hiking through Waimea Valley | Kayaking with Turtles in Kawela Bay | The Polynesian Cultural Center
