Things to do nearHulihe‘e Palace

Hulihe'e Palace was built in 1838 by Governor John Adams Kuakini, one of the most powerful figures in early 19th-century Hawaii, using the durable local materials of coral stone and lava rock. The structure was later acquired by King Kalakaua and became a favored summer retreat for Hawaiian royalty throughout the latter half of the 1800s, attracting ali'i who came to fish, rest, and escape the political pressures of Honolulu. After the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown in 1893, the palace passed through several uses before the Daughters of Hawaii, a preservation organization founded in 1903, took stewardship and transformed it into a museum in 1927.

Today the palace houses an impressive collection of royal Hawaiian artifacts, including massive koa-wood furniture scaled to the notably tall stature of King Kalakaua and Queen Kapi'olani, feathered royal standards, portraits of the ali'i, and personal belongings that convey the intimate rhythms of royal life. The grounds face directly onto Kailua Bay, and the ocean setting remains as central to the experience now as it was for the royals who once fished those same waters.

The museum is modest in size but unusually rich in authentic objects, and the Daughters of Hawaii work to contextualize each piece within the broader arc of Hawaiian cultural history. For anyone seeking to understand Hawaii beyond its beaches, Hulihe'e Palace offers a rare and grounded encounter with the islands' monarchical past.