Known by the Hawaiian name Hanaiakamalama, Queen Emma’s Summer Palace in lush Nuuanu Valley was the secluded retreat of Queen Emma and her husband King Kamehameha IV with their son Prince Albert. The Summer Palace is now a museum that exhibits many of the Queen’s own belongings including royal antiques and furnishings.
An elegant Hawaiian-Victorian home, Queen Emma’s Summer Palace is now listed on the National Historic Registry. The site’s ongoing preservation is managed by the Daughters of Hawaii which also sponsors numerous programs and events from small concerts to an annual Book Day at the Palace.
Queen Emma was a descendant of Hawaiian royalty but she was also the granddaughter of the British-born John Young who was a military adviser to King Kamehameha I. Due to this mixed lineage the Queen was a symbol of Hawaii’s increasing cosmopolitan culture.
Queen Emma’s Summer Palace and its contents reflect both Hawaiian and Victorian influences. The Palace includes many exhibits, artifacts and personal memorabilia.
Queen Emma Summer Palace is open every day from 9 am to 4 pm except major holidays.
Access: From Waikiki, follow the H-1 freeway west to the Pali Road exit and look for the Queen Emma Summer Palace on the right side just after Ahi Place. Up the Pali Highway from Queen Emma’s Summer Palace is the Nuuanu Pali Lookout.