Hānaiakamalama is located in the Nu'uanu Valley. It long used to be
a popular retreat for the Hawaiian royal family. Queen Emma of Hawaii and
her husband, King Kamehameha IV, Prince Albert Edward and their son often
sought refuge there between 1857 and 1885 particularly for enjoying the
upper climate of the upland.
Now known as Queen Emma Summer
Palace, it has become an historic landmark, a museum, and a popular
tourist attraction. It can be reached for less than a minutes drive from
outside Honolulu.
The
frame of the home had been built in Boston and shipped to Hawaii in
1848. The house was built on a property bought by John Lewis from the
Hawaiian government. It included six rooms, a story and a porch. Two
years after its completion, the home was purchased by John Young for
$6000. He Kept the estate until 1857 after which he gave it to his
niece, Queen Emma. In 1869, Queen Emma refurbished the home and added a
large room at the rear of the structure. The property was then
purchased by the government of Hawaii after Queen Emma's death. A plan
was made to build a basketball court, but the Daughters of Hawaii
purchased the site with the aim of restoring it and keeping it as a
monument to Hawaii's history.
The estate sits on 2.16 acres. The
surrounding landscape is full of native plants. The estate is a museum
which displays Queen Emma's possessions and those of her husband, King
Kamehameha IV, and their son, Prince Albert Edward, as well as that of
other Hawaiian royals.
The estate features, an entrance hall,
front bedroom - which originally was a dining room, a parlor, a
cloakroom, a back bedroom, a center hall, and the Edinburgh room which
had been built by Queen Emma. Photographs are not allowed inside the
estate, but visitors can obtain various items for souvenir from the gift
shop. The estate is listed on the National Register as an historic
landmark.