ʻIolani Palace
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Historic house · local-legend
The Story
At Honolulu’s ʻIolani Palace, storyteller Lopaka Kapanui has shared accounts of a figure at an upstairs window and music heard in quiet rooms. These publicly told stories accompany a place of enduring Hawaiian national significance. Visits should follow the palace’s cultural protocols and authorized museum arrangements.
The Hauntings
ʻIolani Palace is more than a surviving royal residence. Its restored rooms hold the history of the Hawaiian Kingdom, its last reigning monarchs and the overthrow that transformed their home into government offices. Music, ceremony and memory are part of that history. Publicly shared supernatural accounts add another layer, but they do not replace the palace’s living importance to Native Hawaiians or the care owed to its sacred grounds. In Diane Lee’s HONOLULU Magazine interview, Hawaiian storyteller Lopaka Kapanui recalls a Sunday evening tour in 2006. From across the street, he saw what appeared to be the silhouette of a Hawaiian woman at an upstairs palace window. He associated the setting with the room where Queen Liliʻuokalani had been imprisoned, while leaving the figure’s identity unresolved. Kapanui also relays accounts told to him by security guards, including a royal figure on the grounds and a piano heard in the Blue Room. These are stories shared with him, distinct from his own window encounter. The piano account belongs to the Blue Room, not the separate upstairs Music Room.
The History
The present palace was completed in 1882 for King Kalākaua, replacing an earlier royal residence. It served the Hawaiian monarchy until the overthrow in 1893. Queen Liliʻuokalani’s later confinement took place in an upstairs room, while the Throne Room was used for her trial. The restored interiors preserve both the public ceremonial spaces and private royal suites. The building subsequently housed the provisional, republican, territorial and state governments. Offices moved to the new capitol in 1969. Restoration drew on archival research and the recovery of furnishings dispersed through auctions and private ownership. The Friends of ʻIolani Palace continues that stewardship, presenting the palace as part of a living Hawaiian cultural inheritance.
A sense of place.
Visitor Experiences
Have you experienced something here?
This future chapter will bring together stories from the PHASM community. An unexpected encounter, a lingering feeling, or a quiet visit—your experience will be welcome.
Submissions are not open yet.
Sources & further reading.
- The Friends of ʻIolani Palace — ʻIolani Palace — official overview (history)
- The Friends of ʻIolani Palace — The Palace (history)
- The Friends of ʻIolani Palace — Palace Grounds (history)
- The Friends of ʻIolani Palace — Restoration of the Palace (history)
- HONOLULU Magazine — Friday Night Frights: The Ghosts Who Haunt Hawai‘i’s Historic ‘Iolani Palace (reports)
- The Friends of ʻIolani Palace — The Palace (reports)
- The Friends of ʻIolani Palace — Visit (visiting)
- The Friends of ʻIolani Palace — Palace Grounds (visiting)
Plan Your Visit
Reserve an authorized docent-led or self-led audio tour through the palace. This is not permission for a paranormal investigation. Respect areas marked kapu, remain behind barriers and follow attire rules. Personal still photography is allowed under conditions, but flash, video and audio recording are prohibited; commercial photography needs written permission. Check current notices for gallery or accessibility closures before traveling.