The bronze figure of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole wears a feathered cloak and a lei, his hand extended toward the passing traffic of Waikīkī. He stands on the site of his family’s former home, Pualeilani. Known as the Citizen Prince,…
Waikiki Beachfront History
Walk along Waikiki's legendary shoreline from the Prince Kūhiō Statue to Fort DeRussy to see how an ancient royal sanctuary transformed into a global resort hub.
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1. Statue "Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole"
2. Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Statue
The bronze statue of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku stands with his arms spread wide, facing the surf of Waikiki Beach. He was a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming and the man credited with spreading surfing to the world. In nineteen seventeen,…
3. The Stones of Life
Four large boulders rest on the sand near the water, wrapped in colorful fabric leis. These are the Stones of Life, or Ke Ahu o Laka o Hopoe, placed there in the nineteen sixties to honor four legendary mahu—people of dual male and female…
4. Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach
The Moana Hotel features a neoclassical white facade and a porte-cochere that stretches toward the street. It opened in nineteen oh one as the first hotel in Waikiki, replacing a private residence. During its construction, the owner,…
5. The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki
The Royal Hawaiian hotel is a distinctive structure painted a striking shade of bubblegum pink, earning it the nickname the Pink Palace of the Pacific. When it opened in nineteen twenty-seven, it replaced a smaller hotel to accommodate…
6. Halekulani Hotel
The Halekulani Hotel spreads across five acres of Waikiki beachfront with low-slung, white-stucco buildings that avoid the height of its skyscraper neighbors. Robert Lewers first built a private residence here in nineteen oh seven, calling…
7. Hawaii Army Museum Society
The Hawaii Army Museum occupies Battery Randolph, a massive concrete bunker with walls twelve feet thick. Built in nineteen oh nine to protect Honolulu Harbor, the structure features two embrasures designed to hold long-range disappearing…