Queen Emma Summer Palace
Queen Emma Summer Palace
4.5
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
About
Five minutes by car from downtown Honolulu graces what was once the secluded mountain home and summer retreat of Queen Emma, consort to King Kamehameha IV of Hawaiʻi. Now a historic house museum dedicated to preserving the rich legacy of the royal family, Hānaiakamalama, known today as Queen Emma Summer Palace, is a timeless symbol of classic Hawaiian elegance and contemporary style. The Palace was built in 1848, access may be limited for visitors who have difficulty climbing stairs. Situated in the coolness of Nu‘uanu Valley, Hānaiakamalama was used as a retreat for the royal family to escape the court life of Honolulu from 1857 to 1885. The Daughters of Hawai‘i saved the home from demolition in 1915 to avoid construction of a baseball field. Hānaiakamalama is listed on the State and National Historic Registries and houses a collection of Queen Emma’s belongings, antiques, furnishings and royal regalia.
Duration: < 1 hour
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  • Christina M
    Phoenix, Arizona5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great experience
    Even though the place was closed on the day we arrived, the Grounds facilitator was fantastic to talk with. Including his beautiful dogs. So lovely. He told us a little about the history and some exploring suggestions around. He was a retired Honolulu cop and was a gem. Thank you for the suggestions. It was amazing!
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written April 16, 2024
  • knf;dv nad'vxlj x
    Virginia Beach, Virginia9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice rainy day activity!
    Enjoyed visiting on a rainy day. The summer palace provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of some of Hawai'i's last royals. We enjoyed learning more about the royal family and seeing how they lived at their special get-away that was less formal than the palace in Honolulu.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 6, 2024
  • Valarn
    Wellington, New Zealand2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Iconic building
    Having visited the Iolani Palace we decided to also visit this exquisite Summer palace of Queen Emma's. As we were a walk-in we did our own tour around this small building although there were a couple of volunteers on site to ask questions. Ok to take pictures without flash. Lovely collections to view. Parking was a bit of an issue on-site (due to a dance class in the adjacent building) so best to book your tour ahead to probably avoid that problem. No refreshments on site but they have a good gift shop. Well worth a visit.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 19, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles384 reviews
Excellent
233
Very good
110
Average
38
Poor
3
Terrible
0

Monte David Z
Fort Worth, TX44 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
The parking lot is small because so few people seem to visit here. the price was very reasonable. The docents were wonderful! Most places like this allow you to just look into a room from the doorway. Here you get to walk into each room and get up close to everything. They expect you to be responsible and not touch anything. The self tour is only about 30 minutes. Take time to ask the docents questions and be prepared to learn a lot!
Written January 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RichH6109
Yorkshire103 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Family
I won’t lie and say there’s a great deal to do at the Queen Emma palace. On a non-guided tour, we took around 25 minutes to see the site. Considering this, the entry price (for adults at least) is a little steep.

However, we visited after being stuck on the road for more than two hours so we were thankful of the tranquility and the airy spaces. As part of the Go Card it’s probably worth a visit if you are in the area.
Written August 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JW W
St. Petersburg, FL444 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2019
It has been some time since my visit to the Queens Summer Home. I will never forget the feeling of empowerment of this woman and how important she was for her people. A must see to get the feel of what it must have been like in the 1800s too.
Written January 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kccote
8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Family
Definitely worth the visit if your into architecture, history and rain forests. I saw some complaints about the fees but you have to remember that the only thing supporting the museum are the entry tickets. I enjoyed learning more about Queen Emma and seeing the original furniture. What craftsmanship! Definitely check out the gift shop for locally crafted items. This is also a great stop on the way to Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout.
Written August 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Glen N
1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We arrive to very small parking lot. The gift shop is in the back where you pay your admission which is reasonalbe. You take off your shoes upon entering the house. The docents were busy with a large group. So we began our tour reading the information on the cards provided when we paid our admission. After the large group left, the docent asked if we had any questions, then proceeded give wealth of information not on the card. Very helpful. Most of the items in the house are authentic. This added the the mystic of the Hawaiian royals. Very nice visit.
Written January 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Valarn
Wellington, New Zealand2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Couples
Having visited the Iolani Palace we decided to also visit this exquisite Summer palace of Queen Emma's. As we were a walk-in we did our own tour around this small building although there were a couple of volunteers on site to ask questions. Ok to take pictures without flash. Lovely collections to view. Parking was a bit of an issue on-site (due to a dance class in the adjacent building) so best to book your tour ahead to probably avoid that problem. No refreshments on site but they have a good gift shop.
Well worth a visit.
Written September 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rachel S
Las Vegas, NV834 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • Couples
Finally got a chance to visit the Queen Emma's Summer Palace. I first heard of Queen Emma when I saw her portrait at Kawaiaha'o Church back in 2001 and I've slowly been making my way around the islands to check out places relevant to the Hawaiian monarchy.

This summer palace is basically just a small house with some historic furniture and items from various Hawaiian royals as of the 1800's. Many items and places other than the main house were gone as this house was salted for demolition to make way for a baseball field. Luckily, a historic society was able to save this main house a week before demolition.

My husband and I paid for a docent-led tour. There were a few other couples and we were all asked to remove our shoes and leave them outside before walking into the home. Although they do have booties upon request, make sure to wear socks if you are shy about walking barefoot in public.

The docent was fairly knowledgeable about the royal family but couldn't always answer questions about some of the artifacts inside the house, specifically the various vessels in the dining room / guest room. I did feel like I came away with having learnt things I didn't already know.

Overall, it was a short tour as the property is quiet small, but if you're interested in Hawaiian history, this is a place you should be visiting.

Visited September 2024
Written October 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia13,591 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023
Queen Emma Summer Palace is a return to the days when Hawai'i was a monarchy. Queen Emma occupied the property from 1857 until she passed in 1885. The house is in very good condition and contains memorabilia, artifacts and books on Hawai'i. The Palace is secluded. Although it is only a 10-minute drive to downtown Honolulu, it's cooler than the coast in summer. The property also has a impressive view of the surrounding area. There is a story that it was marked out as a baseball stadium, but the plan was scrapped after a public outcry.
Written April 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GG12014
Aiea, HI88 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Friends
We signed up for the docent led tour and really enjoyed it! The guide was knowledgeable and interesting. Queen Emma has a story tinged with tragedy and accomplishment. The palace itself is quite small. The gift shop had some good items and we also visited the large city park next door. It was a fun morning!
Written June 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Adrian M
Melbourne, Australia69 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
For us, this was the third and final palace we went to, starting with the Hulihe'e Palace on the big island before going to the main Iolani Palace and finishing up with Queen Emma's Summer Palace. It was a bit of a sad story, and the docent we had was lovely, even if we were accidentally overbooked with 26 people against a maximum of 15 in the party! Having the docent there was that much better than the audio tour we had at Iolani and was a lot better than the self-guided wander I had at Hulihe'e. Chronologically this should probably be the second one, and you should finish with Iolani, but it was okay. It was just lovely to see this relatively unimportant summer palace, but it just completed the picture. I now know that Hawaii belonged to England from 1795 to 1843, after Kamehama gave Hawaii to England in return to getting to unify the islands, then England gave it back, and in return the Union Jack became a part of the Hawaiian national flag, even though England never really enforced their ownership of Hawaii and never colonised it. Hawaii don't even seem to realise that they belonged to England for 48 years. It was great to have that clarity.
Written January 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Queen Emma Summer Palace - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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