Queen Emma Summer Palace

Queen Emma Summer Palace at 2913 Pali Highway in Nuuanu, Honolulu, Hawaii, was the retreat of Queen Emma, wife of King Kamehameha IV, who used it to escape the heat of the city. Built in the 1840s in a New England style with Greek Revival touches, the house is operated as a museum by the Daughters of Hawaii. Its rooms hold original furnishings, royal gifts, portraits, Hawaiian quilts, feather work, koa wood furniture and the cradle of Prince Albert, the couple's only child, who died at age four. Guides and displays tell of Queen Emma's role in founding The Queen's Hospital and St. Andrew's Priory school and of her travels abroad. The grounds include lawns and mature trees in a cool, shaded valley setting. Visitors can tour on a self-guided basis or join the guided Moolelo tour, which starts at about 11:30 AM and adds stories about the family and the objects. A visit takes about one to one and a half hours. The best photographs are of the front lanai and the interior parlor, though rules on interior photography should be checked at the desk. The palace is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with last entry at 2:30 PM, and it is closed Sunday through Tuesday and on major holidays. Admission for self-guided visits is $16 for adults 18 to 64, $14 for youth 6 to 17, and $12 for seniors, kamaaina and military, with children 5 and under free. The guided tour costs $20. Crowds are small, with tour groups most likely at midday. On-site parking is limited.