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traditional

traditional

Masks made on turtle shells. Shigatse-Tibet. 1787

By Jacob Cate

Ancient

About the Palace

ʻIolani Palace is a living restoration of a proud Hawaiian national identity and a registered National Historic Landmark.

Located at the corner of King St. and Richards St. in downtown Honolulu (more details).

Administrative Office: 808-522-0822, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Ticket Office Hours: 808-522-0832, Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Phone calls accepted on Mondays 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Palace Shop Hours: 808-532-1050, Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Phone calls accepted on Mondays 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

E-Cigarette Policy

“Smoking, Use of Electronic Smoking Devices, or Use of Tobacco or Betel Nut Products is Prohibited by Law” in all state parks including ʻIolani Palace grounds.

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On June 14, 1890, the Kapiʻolani Maternity Home o

On June 14, 1890, the Kapiʻolani Maternity Home opened its doors at the corner of Beretania and Makiki Streets in Honolulu. Founded under the leadership of Queen Kapiʻolani—who also served as president of the Hoʻoulu a Hoʻōla Lāhui Society—the home was established to care for Hawaiʻi’s mothers and newborns. As a gesture of aloha, Queen Kapiʻolani waived rent on the property for the first year.

What began as a small maternity home has grown into Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children, a vital institution that continues to serve our community more than a 135 years later.

#IolaniPalace #QueenKapiolani #HawaiianHistory #OnThisDay #WahinePower #AliiLegacy #HawaiiHealthcare #KapiolaniMedicalCenter

On June 13, 1883, King Kalākaua attended the open

On June 13, 1883, King Kalākaua attended the opening day of the Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society Exhibit—and even participated as an exhibitor! His entry in the swine category, a native pig, took home first place.

Held over three days on land mauka of Halekauwila Street, the exhibit showcased locally raised, grown, and manufactured products. Members of the Royal Family joined in the friendly competition—John Owen Dominis, husband of Princess Liliʻuokalani, earned several prizes for his horses.

Princess Likelike also participated, winning for her collection of calabashes and bowls made from Hawaiian wood and coconut shells. The calabashes are similar to those on display today in the King’s Library at ʻIolani Palace.

#HawaiianHistory #AliiLegacy #OnThisDay #HawaiianArtifacts #HawaiiMuseum #CulturalPreservation

Be a part of preserving Hawaiʻi’s royal legacy—become a member of The Friends of ʻIolani Palace.

As a member, you help protect and share the history of ʻIolani Palace, support ongoing restoration efforts, and ensure future generations can experience the stories of Hawaiʻi’s aliʻi. Members enjoy special benefits like free admission, exclusive event invitations, discounts at the Palace Shop, and more.

Your support is more than a membership—it’s a commitment to honor and uplift our cultural heritage.

Join or renew today: https://www.iolanipalace.org/donations-membership/membership/

Today we celebrate King Kamehameha Day, a traditio

Today we celebrate King Kamehameha Day, a tradition that began more than 150 years ago.

On December 22, 1871, Kamehameha V declared June 11 as a holiday in honor of his grandfather, Kamehameha I. Government offices and banks closed, and many businesses either shut down or operated for only part of the day.

The very first Kamehameha Day celebration was held on the plains of Kalaokahā (now the area between downtown Honolulu and Makiki) and was a modest affair featuring tents, booths, and races—horse, bicycle, and foot. According to the Hawaiian Gazette, “The last and most laughable event of the day was the wheelbarrow race.”

By June 11, 1877, the celebration had grown significantly. That year marked the opening of Kapiʻolani Park, and attended by an estimated six to eight thousand people. The Hawaiian Gazette remarked on the occasion:

“Thus has been auspiciously inaugurated the first public park of Hawaiʻi nei… that the celebration of the 11th of June 1877 may be the forerunner of many more celebrations on the same spot, each surpassing its predecessor in brilliancy is our earnest wish.”

#KamehamehaDay #HawaiianHistory #OnThisDay #AliiLegacy #HawaiiNei

In the 19th century, when Hawaiian monarchs travel

In the 19th century, when Hawaiian monarchs traveled long distances, it was always by ship. One of the most notable royal journeys was King Kalākaua’s world tour, which began in 1881.
While circumnavigating the globe, Kalākaua kept in touch with his ʻohana and the people of Hawaiʻi through handwritten letters—possibly using a traveling box desk like the one featured here.

Now part of ʻIolani Palace’s Hidden Treasures collection, this desk is made of Burma teak with rosewood and brass trim. A brass plate on the desk reads: “Kaʻahumanu Regent of the Sandwich Islands from the American Seaman’s Friends Society.”

King Kalākaua gifted the desk to Daniel Frederich McCorriston. Years later, McCorriston’s grandson returned it to the Palace, where it once again holds a place among the items tied to Hawaiʻi’s royal past.

#HiddenTreasures #HawaiianHistory #ArtifactSpotlight #PreserveOurPast #AliiLegacy

Do you or your ʻohana have something connected to

Do you or your ʻohana have something connected to Hawaiʻi’s royal past?

We’re continuing the search for original ʻIolani Palace objects—furnishings, documents, photographs, and personal stories—that help tell the deeper, human side of our history. After the monarchy was overthrown, many of the Palace’s treasures were scattered. Today, The Friends of ʻIolani Palace is working to recover them.

Select items may be included in the new Basement Galleries, a 6,000-square-foot exhibit space featuring ten bilingual galleries in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and English, designed to honor and share the legacy of Hawaiʻi’s aliʻi.

If you think you may have an item or story to share, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can bring these stories home.

To share your piece of history, visit our website: https://www.iolanipalace.org/palace-collections/most-wanted-items/

#HawaiianHistory #AliiLegacy #PreserveOurPast #HawaiianCulture #ArtifactRecovery

On June 6, 1891, Queen Liliʻuokalani returned to

On June 6, 1891, Queen Liliʻuokalani returned to Honolulu after a visit to Maui. As her steamer arrived at 7:45 p.m., she was escorted from the wharf to ʻIolani Palace by police officers, firemen, government officials, the St. Louis College Band, and more than one hundred members of the community.

At the Palace, she was greeted by the Nihoa Society—a group dedicated to the care of the island of Nihoa—whose members had accompanied her on an 1885 expedition to plant trees. In her honor, the society prepared a special lūʻau served in the State Dining Room. It was the only known occasion that Hawaiian food was served in that formal space. Typically, royal lūʻau were held in the basement hallway, on the grounds, or at other sites such as Hale Akala, Hale Koa, and residences across the islands.

Photo of the Monarchy Era Dining Room

#HawaiianHistory #OnThisDay #RoyalHomecoming #NihoaSociety #LuauTraditions

Celebrate Hawaiʻi’s rich history this Sunday, J

Celebrate Hawaiʻi’s rich history this Sunday, June 8th at Kamaʻāina Sunday!

Enjoy live music and hula by Hālau O Nā Pua Kukui, Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Ka Mōʻī Jazz Ensemble (@kskkamoijazzensemble), and Kumu Hula Blaine Kia with the Ladies of Hālau Ka Waikahe Lani Mālie. Explore the A Walk through Time activity on the grounds, take a free audio tour, and join a special hulu floral workshop with Kawika Lum-Nelmida—made possible by @HawaiiHTA.

#IolaniPalace #KamaainaSunday #CulturalWorkshop #hawaiihistory

On June 4, 1887, the Earl and Countess of Aberdeen

On June 4, 1887, the Earl and Countess of Aberdeen visited ʻIolani Palace during a 24-hour stop in Honolulu on their way home to England from Australia. They were welcomed by King Kalākaua and received a guided tour of the Palace by His Majesty’s Chamberlain.

While in Honolulu, they purchased a volcano painting by local artist Charles Furneaux. A strong supporter of YMCA programs, the Earl also visited the Honolulu YMCA and noted the success and prosperity of the local association.

Their visit offers a snapshot of Hawaiʻi’s global connections during the late 19th century.

#HawaiiHistory #OnThisDay #CulturalConnections #HonoluluYMCA

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Masks made on turtle shells. Shigatse-Tibet. 1787

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