Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [65]
Downtown
′IOLANI PALACE
Perhaps no other place evokes a more poignant sense of Hawaii’s history than this royal palace (Map; info 538-1471, tickets 522-0832/0823; admission to grounds free, basement galleries adult/child 5-12 $6/3, tours adult/child 5-12 self-guided audio $12/5, guided $20/5; grounds sunrise-sunset, basement galleries 9am-5pm Tue-Sat, tours guided every 15min 9am-11:15am Tue-Sat, self-guided every 10min 11:45am-3:30pm Tue-Sat,), where plots and counterplots simmered.
The regal palace was built by King David Kalakaua in 1882. At that time, the Hawaiian monarchy observed many of the diplomatic protocols of the Victorian world. The king traveled abroad meeting with leaders around the globe and received foreign emissaries at ′Iolani Palace. Although the palace was modern and opulent for its time, it did little to assert Hawaii’s sovereignty over powerful US-influenced business interests, who overthrew the Kingdom of Hawai′i in 1893.
Two years after the coup, the former queen, Lili′uokalani, who had succeeded her brother David to the throne, was convicted of treason and spent nine months as a prisoner in her former home. The palace later served as the capitol of the republic, then the territory and later the state of Hawaii. In 1969 the government finally moved into the current state capitol, leaving ′Iolani Palace a shambles. It has since been painstakingly restored to its former glory, although many of the original royal artifacts were lost or stolen over the years.
The only way to see the palace’s handsome interior is to join a tour (children under five are not allowed). Sometimes you can join a tour on the spot, but it’s advisable to call ahead for reservations and to double-check tour schedules, especially during peak periods. If you’re short on time, just browse the historical exhibits in the basement, including royal regalia and reconstructions of the kitchen and chamberlain’s office.
Outside on the palace grounds, the former Royal Household Guards barracks is now the ticket booth. The domed pavilion was originally built for the coronation of King Kalakaua. Underneath a huge banyan tree thought to have been planted by his wife Queen Kapi‘olani, the Royal Hawaiian Band usually gives free concerts from noon to 1pm every Friday.
HAWAI′I STATE ART MUSEUM
With its vibrant, thought-provoking collections, this eclectic art museum (Map; 586-0900; www.hawaii.gov/sfca; 2nd fl, No 1 Capitol District Bldg, 250 S Hotel St; admission free; 10am-4pm Tue-Sat, 5-9pm 1st Fri of each month) showcases traditional and contemporary art from Hawaii’s diverse multiethnic communities. It inhabits a 1928 Spanish Mission–style building, formerly a YMCA. Revolving exhibits of paintings, sculptures, fiber art, photography and mixed media reveal how a blending of Western, Asian and Polynesian art forms and traditions have shaped a unique island aesthetic that really captures the soul of the islands and the hearts of the people. Drop by at noon on the last Tuesday of the month for free ‘Art Lunch’ lectures.
MISSION HOUSES MUSEUM
Occupying the original headquarters of the Sandwich Islands Mission that forever changed the course of Hawaiian history, this modest museum (Map; 447-3910; 553 S King St; grounds admission free, temporary-exhibit galleries $6, 1hr guided tour adult/student & child 6-18 $10/6; 10am-4pm Tue-Sat, tours usually 11am, 1pm & 2:45pm Tue-Sat) is authentically furnished with handmade quilts on the beds and iron cooking pots in the stone fireplaces. The Printing Office houses a lead-type press first used to print the Bible in Hawaiian.
The first missionaries packed more than their bags when they left Boston; they actually brought a prefabricated wooden house, now called the Frame House, with them around the Horn. Designed to withstand