Field Trips

Ua ao Hawaiʻi ke ʻōlino nei mālamalama
"Hawaiʻi is enlightened, for the brightness of day is here."
ʻIolani Palace’s mission is “to preserve, restore, interpret, share, and celebrate the unique cultural, historical, and spiritual qualities of ʻIolani Palace and its grounds for the benefit of native Hawaiians, the people of Hawaiʻi, and the world.” In pursuit of that mission, educators and students are invited to experience the treasured history embodied by this wahi pana.
On a visit to ʻIolani Palace, students will strengthen their understanding of and personal connection with the political history of Hawaiʻi and our monarchs’ enduring legacies. Field trips to the Palace are easily incorporated into lesson plans on history, politics, geography and culture to suit the needs of educators and students.
Field trips to the Palace are centered on the experience of our engaging audio-tours and supported by exploration of the curated galleries and other historic buildings on the grounds. Read more about our field trip offerings below.
HAʻAWINA NO NĀ HAUMĀNA | EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS

Audio Tours
This listening experience guides learners through the Palace and describes the architecture, furnishings and history of each room of the Palace’s lower and upper floors. The full audio-tour explores the Palace’s history in its entirety in around 45 minutes, but educators may choose a targeted selection of rooms for their students to experience based on the length of their stay, students’ grade level or lesson focus.

A King's Noble Vision
This short 15-minute film can be viewed in a dedicated theater in the ʻIolani Barracks. The film introduces ʻIolani Palace’s history highlighting the reigns of King Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani and the illegal coup against the Hawaiian government in 1893. It also discusses the Palace’s architecture and rooms, its looting, and the generations of dedication to restore the Palace to its current dignified state.

Palace Grounds
The Palace grounds are a state park home to historic trees, the coronation pavilion, barracks and other wahi pana. Groups are welcome to explore on their own and enjoy a picknick lunch or snack on the grounds before they depart. Other historic sites in the area such as Kawaiahaʻo Church, Aliʻiōlani Hale and the State Capitol are just a short walk away.
PREPARE FOR YOUR VISIT
- School groups of up to 80 individuals are welcome to reserve a visit on Tuesdays and Fridays any time during the year.
- Generally, visits begin as early as 8:30am when groups arrive and end around lunchtime when they depart.
- School groups require a student-to-chaperone ratio of no more than 9 students to 1 chaperone.
- Groups entering the Palace are limited to 20 individuals per tour. Larger groups will be divided and begin their tours with staggered start times to meet these limits. Tours enter the Palace every 15 minutes beginning at 9:00am.
- For reference:
| Number of Students | Number of Adults | Number of Tour Groups |
|---|---|---|
| 1–9 | 1 | 1 |
| 10–18 | 2 | 1 |
| 19–27 | 3 | 2 |
| 28–36 | 4 | 2 |
| 37–45 | 5 | 3 |
| 46–54 | 6 | 3 |
| 55–63 | 7 | 4 |
| 64–72 | 8 | 4 |
- Use inside voices.
- Do not touch anything inside the Palace unless instructed to do so by staff.
- Be mindful of your body and movement; look around yourself before you move so you don't accidentally bump into anything.
- No fresh flowers, food or drinks are allowed inside the Palace to help maintain a pest-free environment.
- Photos are welcome inside and outside, but the following are not aloowed: flash photography, video or audio recordings, tripods, selfie sticks, or extended lenses.
