the ONLY royal palace on U.S. soil

1️⃣ WHY IT MATTERS 🤴🏽 Built 1879 – 1882 under King David Kalākaua, Iolani Palace cost US $360 k (≈ $11 million today) and screams “Florence Renaissance meets Pacific swagger.” It predates the White House electricity by 5 years—yep, Hawai‘i had chandeliers glowing while D.C. was still gas-lamp central. 💡 2️⃣ FAST FACTS ⚡ Size: 13,000 sq ft, 3 floors, 6 major rooms, 1 throne room that looks like a Disney set carved from koa wood. Tech flex: indoor plumbing, telephones, and a 4,000-lb throne-room chandelier shipped from Paris. 📞🚽✨ Style: Italian Renaissance outside, Neo-Hawaiian bling inside—gold leaf, royal portraits, and gifts from 19th-century world leaders (hello, Tiffany vases). 🏺 3️⃣ ROYAL SOAP OPERA 🎭 Resident : “Merry Monarch” Kalākaua—jazz band in the ballroom, poker with diplomats. Resident: Queen Liliʻuokalani—composes “Aloha ʻOe” here, then is imprisoned upstairs in 1893 after the overthrow. You can still see the quilt she hand-stitched during 8 months of house arrest. 🧵💔 1895: Palace becomes capitol, executive building, then crumbles under bureaucracy dust. 1978: Restoration Society says “nope,” turns it into a museum—every nail, carpet, and doorknob researched back to 1882 specs. 4️⃣ WHAT YOU’LL SEE 👀 Guided tour (60 min) includes: Throne Room: two gilded thrones, Hawaiian coat-of-arms stitched into velvet. Guards will stop you if you try to selfie-sit. 📸🚫 Grand Hall: koa staircase so shiny you can fix your hair in it. Blue Room: royal portrait gallery, King in full military bling that weighs 15 lbs. Imprisonment Chamber: tiny bed, barred window, quilt stitched with symbols of lost sovereignty—bring tissue. Basement Gallery: crowns (replicas; real ones were melted), swords, diplomatic bling, and the original palace china—yes, you can Instagram the plate Jennie ate on. 🍽️💗 5️⃣ TICKET MATH 🎫 Adult (18+): $28 Teen (13-17): $23 Child (5-12): $13 Hawai‘i resident w/ ID: $11.95 (one ticket per local) Military (active/reserve/Guard): $18 Kamaʻāina & military must show physical ID—digital screenshots get the side-eye. Kids 0–4 free but must be in carrier or stroller (no sprinting toddlers near 140-year-old vases). 👶 6️⃣ PRACTICAL MOJO 🚶‍♂️ Address: 364 S King St, Honolulu—walk 10 min from Waikiki, or hop TheBus $3. Parking: street meters ($1.50/h) or across-the-street lot $6 flat. Tours run hourly 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Mon–Sat; book online or risk sold-out tears. Bag policy: backpacks must be worn front—looking like a tourist kangaroo is mandatory. 🎒 Photography OK, flash OFF; they will confiscate your soul (and phone) if you selfie on thrones. 📵 7️⃣ ADD-ON NEARBY 🌺 Front lawn: King Kamehameha I gilded statue—great for “I met royalty” pics. Across street: Hawai‘i State Capitol (open weekends) – walk the volcanic-cone rotunda for zero dollars. 5 min walk: Mission Houses Museum—stone-built 1821 New England cottage that feels like time-warp cosplay. 🏡 8️⃣ FUN FACTS TO FLEX 🧠 Palace chandeliers were lowered by hand-crank until 1978; rumor says staff used to ride them down after hours. The original palace telephone number was “1.” That’s it. One digit—ultimate VIP flex. Hollywood shot here twice: “Hawaii Five-0” reboot and Netflix’s “The Crown” stand-in for 19th-century London interiors. 🎬 9️⃣ SOUVENIR GAME 💳 Gift shop (basement) sells: Mini koa-wood thrones—perfect desk buddy to passive-aggressively remind coworkers who’s boss. Queen Liliʻuokalani prayer-book replica—proceeds fund ongoing restoration. Palace-shaped cookie cutter—make edible monuments, bite monarchy. 🍪 🔟 TAKE-AWAY Iolani isn’t just a pretty house—it’s the last physical breath of a sovereign nation. Walk the corridors, hear floorboards creak, and you’ll feel why locals say “Still a kingdom, just no crown.” Book early, wear comfy shoes, and leave a little longer on the meter—history deserves more than 60 minutes. #US #Hawaii #Honolulu