A Walk Through Time

Crossing the Threshold

Now, come with me inside. As you step across the threshold, you are asked to remove your shoes. A simple act of respect that shifts your mindset from tourist to guest in a sacred home. The air inside is cool and still. It carries the faint, sweet scent of aged koa wood.

The thick lava rock walls, now hidden beneath plaster, protect the rooms from the heat and noise of the outside world. This creates a calm, hushed feeling where the past feels remarkably close. The wooden floors creak gently underfoot. Each sound is an echo of the royal footsteps that have passed this way for nearly two centuries.

Entering the Past: The Grand Hall & The Koa Heart

The first thing that captures your attention is the grand staircase. The heart of the home, crafted from luminous, richly grained native koa wood. It rises to the private chambers above. A silent witness to every joy and sorrow the palace has known.

The spacious entry hall is watched over by a marble bust that King Kalākaua got on his travels. Portraits of Hawaiian monarchs seem to follow you as you move through the room. You can almost feel their presence, their mana, welcoming you into their home. Here, too, is King Kalākaua's writing desk. A piece of furniture that feels charged with history. Where he may have written letters or simply gazed out at the bay.

Downstairs: Where a Kingdom Was Entertained

The downstairs of Huliheʻe has three main rooms. Each telling a different part of the story. One room, often called the Kuakini Room, is dedicated to the era before Western contact. It displays ancient Hawaiian artifacts that connect the palace to a deeper history.

The other rooms showcase the palace in its Kalākaua-era glory. The sitting room and dining hall are a testament to the "Merrie Monarch's" taste for both Hawaiian craftsmanship and Victorian elegance.

Around it are ornate carved chairs and fine pottery from China and Japan. In the dining hall, a grand sideboard holds polished koa calabashes. Some etched with the royal coat of arms. An 1898 visitor noted they were "designed for pink poi". These small, specific details make the history come alive.

You can also see the exquisite, and now priceless, kapa with painted patterns that once served as beautiful window coverings.

Upstairs: The Royal Chambers

Climbing the koa staircase, you arrive at the more private quarters of the aliʻi. The six graciously appointed rooms of the palace feel intimate. More like a home than a fortress. In one of the bedrooms, you can see the bed of Princess Ruth. It is surprisingly small for a woman of her famously large stature. A detail that makes this powerful historical figure feel more human and real.

Other rooms display the personal belongings of the Kalākaua dynasty. These are not just museum pieces. They are the intimate possessions of people who lived here. Objects that hold their stories and their mana.

Treasures of the Kingdom: Notable Artifacts

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Daughters of Hawaiʻi, an estimated 80-85% of the collection on display today is original to the monarchy period. These aren't reproductions or representations—these are the actual objects touched and used by Hawaiian royalty.