Iolani Palace reaches out, visitor numbers at an all time high

HONOLULU—Iolani Palace is perhaps the most recognizable, historic, beloved and, at times, embattled structure in all of Hawaii. Built by King David Kalakaua in 1882, the palace is now much more than another tourist attraction in guidebooks thanks, in part, to recent efforts to reach out to the public about its cultural and historical importance.

With the help of a grant from the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Iolani Palace has been able to increase its profile in domestic and international tourist markets. The release of the feature film Princess Kaiulani, has also been helpful in generating interest in the only royal palace in the United States. “We’re embracing the awareness the film has created,” says Kippen de Alba Chu, executive director of Iolani Palace.

Increased attendance at the palace has resulted in increased revenue, which is used to offset the considerable costs of keeping the palace not only open, but functioning as a state of the art museum and reliquary of some of the most important cultural and historical artifacts of ancient Hawaii up through the Hawaiian Kingdom. Electricity costs alone mount to up to $25,000 monthly.

When asked about the hardest part of operating the historic building, de Alba Chu says, simply: “Keeping the lights on.”

Traffic at the palace has increased so much that since February, Iolani Palace is now open on Mondays to accommodate the new demand for access. Surprisingly, only about 10 percent of the palace visitors are Hawaii residents.

In order to remain relevant as a museum, Iolani Palace must adopt new strategies and technologies. “We’ve changed our behavior,” says de Alba Chu. “We’ve installed CFL bulbs and tinted windows. It’s also as simple as making sure doors are shut and things like that.” Iolani Palace will also intall a new, more efficient air conditioning system.

As a symbol of the overthrown Hawaiian monarchy, Iolani Palace has at times become ground zero for protests by a variety of native Hawaiian groups. “We don’t take a position. We’re neutral,” says de Alba Chu. “Our purpose is solely to educate the public about Iolani Palace.”

That commitment to education is evident in the many new attractions currently being developed at Iolani Palace. A free panel discussion about Princess Victoria Kaiulani will be held on July 15 and is open to the public. A new textile exhibit has already received attention from local media and is set to be revealed in the Music Room in October. Also in October, a Scottish expert on Princess Kaiulani will speak at the palace.

Iolani Palace set a record for attendance in 2009, which staff say is the result of efforts to increase awareness about the palace’s role in preserving the legacy of the Hawaiian monarchy have been fruitful. Those efforts have also been acknowledged nationally, with First Lady Michelle Obama recently designating the Friends of Iolani Palace a Save America Steward.

In addition to day-to-day operations, work is constantly underway to locate and procure lost artifacts from the palace that have made their way to far-flung places all over the world. De Alba Chu recalls the return of an artifact, an elephant tusk, from a man living in rural Minnesota. Facilitated by State Representative Corrine Ching, the return of the artifact brought to light the fact that the tusk had originally been a part of the Bishop Museum collection. 

Discoveries like that are indicative of the seemingly limitless potential for Iolani Palace to continue the narrative of the historical residence’s meaning for the people of Hawaii. Says de Alba Chu: “The most rewarding thing for me here at the palace has been learning.”