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Huliheʻe Palace

4.2 (56 reviews)
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Huliheʻe Palace Museums Photos

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Hulihe'e Palace

Out lovely guide Sunshine knew so much history behind the palace and the royal family. I lived here for six years, drove by it a million times, and decided to slow down to take in the history. So glad I did.

James D.

Hulihe'e Palace is located in historic Kailua-Kona on Ali'i Drive. The Palace was originally built out of lava rock during the Kingdom of Hawai'i on land known as Kalāke'e, a former residence of Kamehameha the Great. This is a major piece of Hawaiian history !! Please include this as part of your next visit to the Kona Coast

Huliheʻe Palace
Brooke H.

A beautiful piece of Hawaiian history in the middle of Kona Town. Although many tourists visit here, I highly recommend Native Hawaiians to hold space in this wahi pana!!

Built in 1838! Wow!
Kay O.

I love walking by the palace in downtown Kona! I cannot believe it was built in the 1800s with Western materials that they were able to find and import from the islands!! You have to register online for a guided tour, and I will do that for next time!! There's something so magical, quaint, and simplistically beautiful about this area everything you fall in love with once you're here! The vibe, and the people are simply amazing!

Nicole E.

It's a simple, well kept palace with beautiful ocean views. Waves climb up and crash above the walls of the palace grounds. Volcanic ashen stone blocks surround the perimeter of the house. The palace is small in today's term, but still nice and moderate, yet regal.

Alexander G.

I had some time to spare on my last day in Kailua-Kona and spend it just walking around exploring the town. It felt like everything was commercial or restaurants (you can only eat at so many!) so I thought I'd visit the historic sites. Hulihee Palace sits right near the bay and is open to the public. They have a gift shop, which is where you buy your tickets. The grounds are gorgeous as is the building itself. Tours are available. If you don't want to spend the money or don't have the time, feel free to explore the grounds.

Pride of America as seen from Palace grounds
Theresa C.

The Hulihee Palace in historic Kailua-Kona was the former vacation home of Hawaiian royalty. It was originally built of lava rock and later plastered over to make it look more 'refined' We walked around the outside and took some photos on our way back to our cruise ship. We were running short on time and the $30 it would have cost the three of us to go in wasn't worth a rushed visit. We did go into the historic church across the street for free.

On the way into the palace!
Hailey M.

Absolutely beautiful palace. I believe Sunshine was working and was a very sweet greeter. They seemed to be VERY knowledgeable in all things regarding the palace. Inside was beautiful and rich with history. The price was pretty affordable, can't remember what it was. Online you can make a reservation on Saturday's I believe, but it wasn't crowded enough to need one. Shoes off inside to protect the floors. To the person who complained $30 was too much- you're literally there on a cruise ship. $30 to see a historical site of a place you're being touristy around and spending money on souvenirs anyway is nothing. The least you can do is put the money toward preserving historical sites.

Palace
Jaclyn P.

This palace is worth a stop! We decided to take the docent guided tour and learned a lot about the history of Hawaii and we got to see some amazing artifacts. Highly recommend the 1 hour guided tour to appreciate the inside of the palace. You need to book ahead online.

Richard F.

This is a beautiful little palace located right on the main street and a short walk from the ship's tender dock. The grounds are beautiful and well manicured and there are benches around so you can sit and enjoy gorgeous views of the bay. The palace seemed small to me compared to the King's palace in Oahu but, very beautiful just the same. There is a nice little gift shop on the side that has some local crafts at reasonable prices.

Cost $10 to go inside. I thought it was worth it!
Amie B.

The procession of the 200th year commemoration passing of King Kamemeha I on May 8th, 2019. started here at 5am. It piqued my curiosity so I wanted to tour this palace. The gift shop is beside the palace and that's where we purchased tickets for $10. The lady behind the counter asked if I'm kamaaina. She asked twice. I had to ask her what that meant. She figured it out then. Ha! Kama'aina is a local resident of Hawaii. We took our receipt to the palace where one of the docents was waiting and gave us the rundown on the rules as well as gave as a tri-fold pamphlet with details on the palace. We had to take any footwear off. It was all hardwood inside and it felt good to walk in bare feet. No photos of any kind is allowed. BUMMER! I did ask why and she mentioned they want to preserve the palace and there are also unique hand-made furniture they don't want anyone copying. In today's standards, the house wouldn't be considered a palace as it only has 6 rooms, 2 of which are bedrooms. We went from room to room reading the pamphlet as we went and looking at all the details. We were awe of the intricacies of the wood working on the Victorian furniture. Wow! I can't even begin to describe it's beauty. My Sweetie and I had numerous questions and there were two docents available at the time, who were very patient with us. They were a whole host of knowledge and enjoyed answering all our questions. In order to enjoy this palace, you have to be able to appreciate history and art. With that in mind, I highly recommend taking a tour of this palace.

Outside of Hulihe'e Palace.
Veronica N.

Although we did not go inside, it looks beautiful, we just went around the perimeter of the palace where we were able to take some beautiful photos along the ocean wall. There is a small fee to go inside the palace and it's open until 4 PM.

Howard M.

Every month the Daughters of Hawaii hold a tea, Wilhelmina's Tea, featuring a tour of the royal Hulihe'e Palace. Really pleasant way to have a light lunch and the tour is very informative and interesting. One of only three royal palaces in the US, all of which are in Hawaii. $40.00 each, for a good cause (student support). Highly recommend to visitors but you need to make a reservation a month ahead. Our tea was on 3/19 so I think they are usually scheduled at that time of the month. Best to call just after the current tea.

Outside the palace

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Review Highlights - Huliheʻe Palace

She was obviously an expert on Hawaiian royalty, and was able to answer any and all questions.

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Huliheʻe Palace - museums - Updated May 2026

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