Iolani Palace

Iolani Palace The official royal palace for the Kalakaua Dynasty, which ruled Hawaii from 1874 through 1893. We are located in downtown Honolulu.
(3894)

Iolani Palace is a Hawaiian and national treasure that depends on private support. To assure its unique cultural, historical and spiritual qualities are maintained for future generations, please consider a gift to The Friends of Iolani Palace, a 501(c)(3) organization with the sole responsibility to serve as guardian and steward to preserve, restore, interpret, share, and celebrate Iolani Palace. To learn more, call (808) 522-0822, or go online at www.iolanipalace.org.

The Friends of ʻIolani Palace is celebrating 60 years as a non-profit! To honor this, The Palace Shop features an exclus...
06/19/2026

The Friends of ʻIolani Palace is celebrating 60 years as a non-profit! To honor this, The Palace Shop features an exclusive, limited edition 60th Anniversary T-shirt made by our local vendor . 🫶🏽

Medium weight, moisture wicking and buttery soft, you will love this t-shirt! We won’t be getting more in and sizes are limited so be sure to get yours soon! Here’s to 60 years of preserving and restoring our beautiful Palace! May the legacy live on! Eō e ʻIolani!

Photos also feature a fedora lauhala by Jill Komperda and a blue lei hulu by Kawika Lum Nelmida (). 💙

Juneteenth, June 19, is a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans throughout the fo...
06/19/2026

Juneteenth, June 19, is a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans throughout the former Confederacy of the southern United States on June 19, 1865

Seventeen years and five days earlier, Article 12 of the Hawaiian Kingdom’s 1852 Constitution went into effect:

“Slavery shall, under no circumstances whatever, be tolerated in the Hawaiian Islands: whenever a slave shall enter Hawaiian territory he shall be free.”

Hawaiian translation from Ka Hoʻolina Journal of Hawaiian Languge sources

Join us on the lawn tomorrow and most Fridays from noon to 1 p.m. for free concerts presented by the Royal Hawaiian Band...
06/18/2026

Join us on the lawn tomorrow and most Fridays from noon to 1 p.m. for free concerts presented by the Royal Hawaiian Band.

Once known as the “King’s Band,” the Royal Hawaiian Band was founded 190 years ago by King Kamehameha III to perform for state occasions, funerals, and parades.

Today, the band continues its tradition of sharing Hawaiʻi’s music with the world. Vvisitors and kamaʻāina are invited to enjoy this musical experience on the Palace’s historic grounds.

Visit our website for a full list of concert dates (subject to change).

On this day in 1983, a portrait of Queen Kalama Hakaleleponi was reinstalled in the Grand Hall of ʻIolani Palace. John M...
06/17/2026

On this day in 1983, a portrait of Queen Kalama Hakaleleponi was reinstalled in the Grand Hall of ʻIolani Palace. John Mix Stanley painted the portrait of Queen Kalama in 1849, which now hangs near a portrait of her husband, Kamehameha III.

Before the portrait was installed, it underwent restoration sponsored by Lei Hulu, a California women’s group that specializes in the art of Hawaiian featherwork. Queen Kalama spent much of her time doing different kinds of handiwork, from feather lei making to sewing dresses for charity. She was also a businesswoman who oversaw her own sugar plantation on the Windward side of Oʻahu.

Queen Kalama married Kamehameha III in February 1837. The royal couple had two children who passed in infancy. They also raised the King’s nephew, Alexander Liholiho, who was his heir and successor to the throne.

Photo 2: Pictured with the Palace curator Jim Bartles are three Lei Hulu wāhine who visited the Palace in April 1983.

Photo 3: Installation of the portrait.

Want to support The Friends of ʻIolani Palace? Become a volunteer today! Volunteers help with day-to-day operations and ...
06/16/2026

Want to support The Friends of ʻIolani Palace? Become a volunteer today!

Volunteers help with day-to-day operations and special events, such as Kamaʻāina Sundays and our annual fundraisers. They play an important role in welcoming guests and supporting our mission.

Volunteers enjoy the following benefits:
• Free admission to ʻIolani Palace
• Free parking in designated areas
• Discounts at the Palace Shop
• Two guest passes per month
• An ʻIolani Palace volunteer pin
• Enrichment opportunities
• Discounted or free admission to select musuems and attractions
• Invitations to FOIP volunteer appreciation gatherings and other opportunities

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Visit our website to learn more.

Get ready for Lā Makuakāne (Father’s Day) with gifts from the Palace Shop! Choose from new arrivals such as Hae Hawaiʻi ...
06/15/2026

Get ready for Lā Makuakāne (Father’s Day) with gifts from the Palace Shop!

Choose from new arrivals such as Hae Hawaiʻi hats and shirts, beautiful lei, hoodies, and more. Every purchase supports the preservation and restoration of ʻIolani Palace.

Visit the shop in Hale Koa (ʻIolani Barracks) Tuesday through Sunday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m

On June 14, 1852, Kamehameha III, Kauikeaouli, set forth a new constitution. It was organized into four parts: a preambl...
06/15/2026

On June 14, 1852, Kamehameha III, Kauikeaouli, set forth a new constitution. It was organized into four parts: a preamble, a declaration of rights, a framework of government, and an amendment article. It incorporated the organic acts and other laws related to the organization of the government from the 1840 constitution, and highlighted the separate, but complementary roles of the executive, legislative and judicial parts of the government.

Plan your Kamaʻāina Sunday at ʻIolani Palace.On June 14, the Palace grounds will come alive with hula, music, voyaging s...
06/13/2026

Plan your Kamaʻāina Sunday at ʻIolani Palace.

On June 14, the Palace grounds will come alive with hula, music, voyaging stories and hands-on activities for the whole ʻohana.

Polynesian Voyaging Society crew members will lead star compass demonstrations, knot tying and mini canoe model building.

Take a look at the schedule, plan your visit and spend the day with us as we honor Hōkūleʻa’s legacy and the traditions that continue to guide Hawaiʻi’s voyaging community.

Mahalo to the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority for their support of Kamaʻāina Sunday through the Kūkulu Ola program.

On this day in 1883, His Majesty King Kalākaua attended the first day of the Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society Exhibit...
06/13/2026

On this day in 1883, His Majesty King Kalākaua attended the first day of the Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society Exhibit. Not only did he attend, but he also entered a pig in the swine category, which ended up winning first place.

This three-day exhibit featured products raised, grown or manufactured locally. Members of the Royal Family, including John Owen Dominis, took several of the many prizes for horses. The pictured calabashes of wood are similar to those Likelike entered, and won a prize for, in the category of “Best exhibit of calabashes and bowls made from Hawaiian wood and cocoanuts.”

Photo: Wooden bowls displayed in the King’s Library

In 1872, Kamehameha V chose June 11 as a day to honor his grandfather, Kamehameha I. On the 11th, government offices wer...
06/11/2026

In 1872, Kamehameha V chose June 11 as a day to honor his grandfather, Kamehameha I. On the 11th, government offices were closed, and the community marked the day with picnics and horse races.

In 1876, the Hawaiian Gazette reported that since Kamehameha Day fell on Sunday that year, the holiday would be observed on Monday, June 12.

In 1911, Governor Frear initially refused to designate Monday, June 12, as a holiday. His reasons had to do with the loss of business if stores were closed. Within 24 hours, public pressure with added support from the Chamber of Commerce and merchants, the Governor declared Monday the 12th as a holiday.

In 1969, a law passed declaring that if any of the state’s legal holidays fall on a Sunday, it shall be observed the following Monday.

Address

PO Box 2259
Honolulu, HI
96813

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 10am
10:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 10am
10:30am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 11:15am
12pm - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm

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