The three oldest houses on these grounds share a striking feature: walls built from slabs of coral reef, cut directly from the harbor floor by Native Hawaiians. Arriving in eighteen twenty, New England missionaries constructed these…
Historic Honolulu Royal Seat
This walking tour guides you through the historic heart of Honolulu, where elegant palaces, coral-block churches, and monumental civic architecture trace Hawaii’s dramatic transition from sovereign kingdom to American statehood.
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1. Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives
2. Kawaiahaʻo Church
Fourteen thousand blocks of coral reef form the thick walls of Kawaiahaʻo Church. Hawaiian workers harvested these massive slabs from the ocean floor in the eighteen thirties, hauling them ashore to build a sanctuary for the Aliʻi, the…
3. Tomb of King Lunalilo
The coral block walls of the Lunalilo Mausoleum sit tucked within the grounds of Kawaiahao Church, identifiable by their thick, stark white masonry and iron gates. William Charles Lunalilo, Hawaii's first elected monarch, refused burial…
4. Aliʻiōlani Hale
Aliʻiōlani Hale features a clock tower that rises above a row of high arched windows and a central courtyard. King Kamehameha the Fifth commissioned this building in eighteen seventy-one to serve as the seat of government for the Hawaiian…
5. Keli'iponi Hale: The Coronation Pavilion
The Coronation Pavilion features a distinctive octagonal roof supported by eight white pillars, set apart from the surrounding palace grounds. King Kalakaua commissioned this structure for his eighteen eighty-three coronation ceremony,…
6. Iolani Palace
The Iolani Palace features a deep red roof and elaborate, cream-colored Italianate stone walls that distinguish it from every other building in Honolulu. It served as the official residence for the final monarchs of the Kingdom of Hawaii.…
7. Iolani Barracks
The Iolani Barracks features high, coral-block walls and a steep, pointed roof that distinguishes it from the surrounding palace grounds. King Kalakaua ordered its construction in eighteen seventy-one to house his personal guard. The…
8. Queen Lili‘uokalani Statue
The bronze statue of Queen Liliʻuokalani stands on the grounds of the State Capitol in Honolulu, her hands clutching a copy of the Constitution of eighteen ninety-three. She faces toward ʻIolani Palace, the home she was forced to leave…
9. Hawaii State Capitol
The Hawaii State Capitol features a distinctive open-air design, with a central courtyard that reaches toward the sky and reflecting pools that frame the building like an ocean. Architects John Carl Warnecke and Anstis-Bowers incorporated…