Hulihe'e Palace, in the heart of Kailua, was built in 1838 by Gov. John Adams Kuakini for his daughter-in-law Princess Ruth. The Princess, who was a very large woman (standing 6'10" and weighing more than 400 pounds), used the palace primarily for entertaining visitors. It is said she preferred sleeping outside in a large grass house she had constructed on the grounds.
The 168-year-old, two-story, stone-and-mortar structure was damaged last year when an earthquake hit the island, but it was soon reopened.
In 1884, King Kalakaua bought the palace and it was remodeled and furnished with massive koa wood pieces. The Kuakini Room contains many delicate and precious heirlooms from pre-contact and post-contact Hawaii.
The palace was used as a vacation spot for Hawaiian royalty until 1916 when it was sold and all its contents auctioned off. In 1925, it was purchased by the Territory of Hawaii and leased to the Daughters of Hawaii who tracked down many of the original pieces of furniture and convinced the owners to return the items for display.
Throughout the year, the Palace hosts concerts, held on the grounds, which are dedicated to individual Hawaiian monarchs. The concerts are performed on the last Sunday of each month, except June and December. The Palace is open daily for tours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed on holidays. There is a small admission fee.
