Originally called "the Honolulu Municipal Building", The Honolulu Hale is where the chambers of the Mayor of Honolulu and the Honolulu City Council are located. It is the official seat of the government for the city and county. The building opened in 1927 in downtown Honolulu. The architect of the building was Charles William Dickey and was modeled in the same style as the Bargello Palace, which was built in Italy in the 13th century.
The Honolulu Hale features pillars and arches, decorative balconies and a tiled roof. The building has an open courtyard at the center where musical performances often take place and beautiful artwork in the lobby. At the entrance at the front door is a large bell which came from the World War II ship USS Honolulu that had been commissioned in 1938. A memorial in front of Honolulu Hale includes a plaque and an "eternal flame" that remains lit in honor of the victims of the World Trade Center attack on September 2001. The Honolulu Hale was placed on the National Registry of Historic places in 1978.
The building is among popular tourist attractions and Christmas times particularly, the city lights, the Christmas tree outside of the building provide a ceremonial atmosphere where visitors, friends and family can see Santa and Mrs Claus dipping their toes in the outside fountain, there is lots of food and a parade passing right in front of the building. The Book and Music Festival held in the month of May each year is also a great moment to visit the building. The festival is held in the courtyard of the Honolulu Hale. Lots of books are on display, music shows, panel discussions and many stories are told.
The Honolulu Hale is in close proximity of various historic landmarks such as the Hawaii State Capitol, the Iolani Palace, the Kawaiahao Church and the Mission Houses Museum. Two three-story wings were added to the original architecture in 1951.