by Elizabeth Kelly

Created on: May 12, 2009   Last Updated: June 02, 2009

To visit a royal residence, you don't need to go to Buckingham Palace in England. To see a grand building in Italian Renaissance style, you don't have to travel to Rome either. In fact, you don't even have to leave United States soil. The Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawaii is the only official royal residence in America, and today it houses a museum that attracts 100,000 visitors a year. If you're traveling to Hawaii, you won't want to miss the only example of American Florentine architecture in the entire world.

The History of the Iolani Palace

The palace was originally built by King David Kalakaua to replace the previous Iolani Palace, which was in disrepair. The first royal residence was more of house than an actual palace, but it had been the most stately home in the city of Honolulu. The palace commissioned by King Kalakaua , though, is a four-story palatial building in Italian Renaissance style, with Corinthian columns, imposing gates, carved wood paneling, and stained glass facades.

When completed in 1882, the total bill came to $360,000 (that's 19th century money), a sum which nearly bankrupted the local government. The government paid the tab, though, as they wanted to ensure Hawaii's reputation as a modern nation. Having a lavish palace helped establish Hawaii as an up-and-coming nation on the international scene.

Iolani Palace didn't just stand out because of its unusual architecture. It was also the first building in Hawaii to have electricity. You might be surprised to learn that the Hawaiian royal residence had electric lights before either the White House or even Buckingham Palace became electrified. While Queen Victoria was going to bed by candlelight, King Kalakaua and his wife flipped a light switch.

Royals continued to live in the Iolani Palace for eleven years, until the fall of the monarchy of Hawaii, when Queen Liliuokalani was deposed. When the kingdom was overthrown in 1893, the Queen and all of the currently residing royals were evicted from the palace. Today, it stands as a reminder of Hawaii's grand monarchy period, and tourists can still get a vivid glimpse of the days before the islands became America's fiftieth state.

Touring the Palace

You might be a little disappointed to learn that you can't tour the entire museum and grounds on your own. Guided tours are the only way to see the entire palace, but you'll find the tour guides to be both entertaining and knowledgeable. You might feel like you're visiting Japan, as you will be required

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