Iolani Palace

Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, is the only official royal residence on American soil that was built for and occupied by a reigning monarch. Completed in 1882 under King David Kalakaua — who commissioned it to project an image of Hawaiian sovereignty to foreign powers — the American Florentine-style palace served as the seat of the Hawaiian Kingdom's government until January 1893, when Queen Lili'uokalani was overthrown by a group of American businessmen supported by U.S. Marines. Lili'uokalani was subsequently imprisoned in the palace's upper rooms for nine months in 1895 following a failed counter-revolution, a period during which she composed music and completed her memoir. The palace is a 30-room structure built primarily of coral and brick, with distinctive wide verandas supported by iron-columned arcades on both floors. The ground-floor State Apartments have been meticulously restored with period furnishings, many of them original pieces or reproductions traced from historical records. The Throne Room — where state functions and royal receptions were held — features the paired thrones of the king and queen, gold drapes, and portraits of Hawaiian monarchs lining the walls. The Blue Room served as the king's informal receiving salon. The Dining Room displays the palace's formal table service. The basement houses exhibitions on the Hawaiian monarchy and the events of the 1893 overthrow, including period photographs and royal regalia. The room where Queen Lili'uokalani was held under house arrest is pointed out during guided tours. Guided tours and self-guided audio tours are both available; the Grand Tour ($27) includes access to the upper floors and areas not open on the audio tour ($14). The surrounding palace grounds contain the ornate Coronation Pavilion where Kalakaua ceremonially crowned himself in 1883, and the former Royal Barracks building now used as a gift shop. The palace is located in Honolulu's historic civic core, walkable from downtown Honolulu Harbor.