Iolani Palace
add photos2 Reviews for Iolani Palace
37
9
'12
0 families found this helpful
"Easter at Iolani Palace"
Last Sunday, Iolani Palace, once home to the Kings and Queens of Hawaii’s monarchy and now a museum and the only royal residence in the U.S., held their first ever Royal Easter Egg Hunt. Children of all ages had the opportunity to collect eggs from several locations on the palace grounds and learn about the history of Iolani Palace in the process. Additionally, free tours of the palace were available for children of all ages, something that we particularly looked forward to since normally the palace enforces a minimum age restriction on all palace tours which had prevented us from viewing it before!
The Easter egg hunt, while meant to educate, was extremely frustrating for our 3 year old son. Instead of the chaotic free for all that most egg hunts turn into, with kids running amuck in an egg grabbing frenzy, this one was very orderly and actually..kind of boring. There were 6 stations around the palace that children followed a map to find. At each station was a person that would give a brief history lesson on a particular topic about the palace and would then stamp your map as proof that you had been at that station. After the presentation, the children could reach into a box and pull out an egg. Once all six stations were complete, the kids could return the map for a prize and keep whatever was in the egg. While it may sound like a good plan, in practice, our son simply walked up to the boxes and grabbed an egg while Mom and Dad listened to the presentation. He could not have cared less what was being said. While I appreciate what the palace was trying to do and I think a more traditional hunt would have been better suited to accomodate all the different ages. Maybe it was just a difference in expectations but we thought an egg hunt on the the massive lawn surrounding the palace would have been very cool. Instead, we were sent to stations which wasn't nearly as fun.
The tour of the palace was quite nice and we thoroughly enjoyed it! It was rather regimented with strict guidelines to stay on the carpet and not touch the ropes! It was wonderful to see the inside of the palace though which contained beautiful koa doors and a massive grand staircase as well as the chance to see the royal jewelry collection! This glimpse into the monarchs private house was very rare for parents of young children and we were glad that we took the opportunity to check it out.
Tours for the palace take place daily, however, they restrict children 5 and below from entering so this really was a unique treat for us. Information on tours can be found on their website www.iolanipalace.org.
They do not allow strollers inside and you can not take flash photography. There are restroom facilities in the basement. There is no food or drink available but there are numerous restaurants nearby.
Its worth a trip to see the palace. Just be aware of the restrictions and line up a babysitter. If you plan on attending the Easter egg hunt next year, barring changes, it is not your typical experience but our son did have a great time! At least he can say that he got to hunt for Easter eggs on royal grounds!
Send a Message 
Send a Compliment
It's helpful
0 families found this helpful
"Fun with the Family"
Iolani Palace was built in 1882 during the reign of King David Kalakaua and is amongthe most significant historical structures in all Hawaii. It’s the only royal palace in the United States and is designated a National Historical Site, representative of an era when kings and queens rode regal horse-drawn carriages. There were royal celebrtions that lasted for days during Kalakaua’s reign.
It was important to King Kalakaua that Hawaii be equal to Europe in its manifesta-tions of majesty, and he designed the building to resemble Queen Victoria’s royal reidence in England. It was the first place west of the Mississippi to have running water, electricity, and phone service.
Sadly, the palace is also the site of the Revolution of 1893, when a select group oflocal businessmen, officially known in history books as the Committee of Safety, ovethrew Hawaii’s monarchy and deposed its ruler, Queen Liliuokalani, sister of the the deceased Kalakaua.
Guided forty-five-minute tours by well-trained docents given Tuesday through Saturday 9:00 A.M.to 2:00 P.M.; reservations recommended. Children younger than 5 are not admitted on the tour (there are too many priceless antiquities to risk exposing to energetic toddlers). They are welcome in the self-guided tour if accompanied by an adult.
What's Nearby? Hotels » Activities »
Find Hotels near Iolani Palace »
Find Activities near Iolani Palace »
Find Restaurants near Iolani Palace »
Get the inside scoop from parents who have been there!
