The Iolani Palace ("Heavenly Hawk") is the only royal palace on U.S. soil. It remained a royal residence until Queen Liliuokalani was deposed and the Hawaiian monarchy overthrown in 1893. The Palace is a national historic site built in 1882 by the last king of Hawaii, David Kalakaua ("The Merrie Monarch") to replace the original one-story coral structure. The Palace has been the site of coronations, numerous celebrations and funerals, as well as the tragic imprisonment of Queen Liliuokalani.

This National Historic Site is at the corner of King and Richards Streets in the heart of Honolulu's Capital District. It is one of the most elegant reminders of Hawaii's royal past. The cornerstone of the present Palace was laid on the last day of 1879, close to the site of an earlier palace which had to be demolished as it was riddled with termites. The new building was completed and furnished in 1882 at the cost of $360,000. King Kalakaua held his coronation at the palace in 1883, where he placed the crown on his head in the fashion of Napoleon Bonaparte. The King also celebrated his fiftieth birthday jubilee there with lavish entertainment.

The 14,000 square feet (100'x140') building consists of a main floor, which was used for formal functions; a second floor devoted to the living quarters of the royal family, a basement, with kitchens, storerooms and offices for the household staff; and a spacious attic, principally air space, to keep the lower rooms cool. From 1893 until 1968, Iolani Palace was used as the capitol of the Republic, the Territory, and finally the State of Hawaii. When the new capitol was completed in 1969, the Palace was vacated and renovated to its 1891 grandeur. For those who are familiar with the TV series "Hawaii Five-O," the Palace was portrayed as the police headquarters where the leading man, Jack Lord, held office.

On the walls of the palace are hung portraits of the monarchy and European rulers. A number of period furnishings are also displayed in the different rooms of the Palace. Under the authority of the State of Hawaii and with State and private funding, the Friends of Iolani Palace continue the restoration and direct museum operations. The Coronation Pavilion, now located in the King-Richards Street corner of the grounds of the Palace, was built for the coronation of King Kalakaua and Queen Kapiolani on February 12, 1883. Originally erected directly in front of the King Street steps of the Palace, it was later moved to its present location. It has also been used for the inauguaration of the Governors of the State of Hawaii. At noon on Fridays, the Royal Hawaiian Band performs a free one-hour concert just beside this Pavilion.

A fenced-in mound of grass in the makai-Diamond Head quadrant of the grounds marks the site of the former royal tomb. In 1865, a new Royal Mausoleum was completed in Nuuanu Valley and in solemn torchlight procession the remains of Royalty were moved to their new resting place. As some accounts state that the bones of certain chiefs remain on the site, King kalakaua, out of respect for this hallowed place, raised a mound over it.

Just behind the Iolani Palace is one of the largest banyan trees in Hawaii. This unusually shaped tree of the fig genus in the mulberry family is native to tropical Asia and is not known how it made it to Hawaii. As with all banyan trees, it started with one trunk. Aerial roots developed from the branches and descended to take root in the soil to become new trunks. The old tree has spread laterally and has assumed the appearance of a very dense thicket as a result of the tangle of roots and trunks. It now covers a large area behind the Palace and has caught the fancy and curiousity of many visitors.

There are 45-minute tours inside the Palace which start every 15 minutes. These tours are done from Wednesday through Saturday between 9:00 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. Children under five years are not allowed admission into the Palace.