Skip to main content

Notable locales in downtown Honolulu

During Tom's 2021 trip to O'ahu there was numerous locations in downtown Honolulu that were visited but did not fall under the umbrella of a notable highway.  This blog is intended to serve as a compellation of notable locales in downtownn Honolulu which were not attached to a highway blog.  The blog cover is the Aliʻiōlani Hale which once was the seat of government for the Kingdom of Hawaii.  In a highway related twist the Aliʻiōlani Hale is more well known as the headquarters of the fictional Hawaii Five-0 Task Force.  

This page is part of the Gribblenation O'ahu Highways page.  All Gribblenation and Roadwaywiz media related to the highway system of O'ahu can be found at the link below:

https://www.gribblenation.org/p/gribblenation-oahu-highways-page.html


Hawaii State Capitol 

The Hawaii State Capitol is located 415 South Beretania Street in downtown Honolulu.  The Hawaii State Capitol building broke ground on November 10th, 1965 and was completed on March 15th, 1969.  The Hawaii State Capitol is somewhat unique looking given the central atrium is open-air.   The Hawaii State Capitol features numerous designs intended to represent features of the state such as; the reflecting pool around the building perimeter is intended to represent the Pacific Ocean and the legislative chambers are shaped to represent the volcanos of the Hawaiian Islands.  

The Eternal Flame is located across Beretania Street north of the Hawaiian State Capitol and was dedicated on July 24th, 1995.  The Eternal Flame is a metal sculpture that is intended as a tribute honoring the enlisted Hawaiian servicemen and servicewomen of conflicts the United States has been engaged in.


  

ʻIolani Palace

'Iolani Palace is located at 364 South King Street in downtown Honolulu.  Construction of 'Iolani Palace began with the cornerstone being laid December 31st, 1879 during the reign of Hawaiian King David Kalākaua.  'Iolani Palace features an American Florentine design which has traditionally been most popular on the Hawaiian Islands.  A European style coronation ceremony at 'Iolani Palace was held on February 12th, 1883 despite King David Kalākaua having been in power for nine years.  Following the death of King Kalākaua in 1891 the grounds of 'Iolani Palace would become home to Queen Liliʻuokalani.  'Iolani Palace would remain the home of the Hawaiian royal family until the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom during 1893.  'Iolani Palace would become the seat of the Hawaiian Territorial government and State of Hawaii government prior to the construction of the Hawaii State Capitol.  'Iolani Palace was featured heavily in original run of Hawaii Five-0 as offices for the fictional police organization.  'Iolani Palace is the only former royal palace located in the United States.  


Aliʻiōlani Hale

Aliʻiōlani Hale is located 417 King Street in downtown Honolulu and can be found directly south of 'Iolani Palace.  Aliʻiōlani Hale features a Italian Renaissance design which was intended to be the home of King Kamehameha V.  King Kamehameha ordered the designs for Aliʻiōlani Hale be repurposed as chambers for the Kingdom of Hawaii government which at the time had inadequate facilities.  The cornerstone of Aliʻiōlani Hale was laid by King Kamehameha V on February 19th, 1872 but would not be completed before his death.  Aliʻiōlani Hale was dedicated by King David Kalākaua during 1874.  Aliʻiōlani Hale would serve as the home to numerous Hawaiian government bodies, the Hawaiian Legislature and Hawaiian Courts until the Kingdom of Hawaii was overthrown during 1893.  As noted in the intro Aliʻiōlani Hale served as the background as the fictional Hawaii Five-0 headquarters and is presently home to the Hawaii State Supreme Court.  

The statue in front of Aliʻiōlani Hale is of King Kamehameha I who lived 1758-1819.  King Kamehameha I is generally considered to be the most important figure in Hawaiian history due to his conquest which united the Hawaiian Islands.  



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l...

Massena Center Suspension Bridge

The Massena Center Bridge, also known as the Holton D. Robinson Bridge, has had quite the tumultuous history. Situated on the Grasse River just east of Massena, New York in the hamlet of Massena Center, the Massena Center Bridge is a reminder of the efforts the community has made in order to connect over the river. The first and only other known bridge to be built at Massena Center was built in 1832, but that bridge was never long for this world. During the spring of 1833, the Grasse River dammed itself due to an ice dam, flooded and lifted the bridge off its foundation, destroying the bridge in the process.  The floods were frequent in the river during the spring, often backing up the river from Hogansburg and past Massena Center, but not to nearby Massena. After the first bridge disappeared, local residents had to resort to traveling seven miles west to Massena to cross the next closest bridge, and that was no easy task for a horse and buggy. However, it was many decades befo...

The Dead Man's Curve of Interstate 90 and Innerbelt Freeway in Cleveland

"Dead Man's Curve" refers to the transition ramp Interstate 90 takes between Cleveland Memorial Shoreway onto the Innerbelt Freeway in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.  Said curve includes a sharp transition between the two freeways which is known for a high rate of accidents.  Currently the curve (not officially named) has a 35 MPH advisory speed and numerous safety features intended to mitigate crashes.  When the Interstate System was first conceived during 1956, Interstate 90 was intended to use the entirety Cleveland Memorial Shoreway and connect to the Northwest Freeway through Lakewood.  The Innerbelt Freeway was initially planned as the northernmost segment of Interstate 71.  The extension of Cleveland Memorial Shoreway west of Edgewater Park was never constructed which led to Interstate 90 being routed through the Innerbelt Freeway.   Part 1; the history of Cleveland's Innerbelt Freeway and Deadman's Curve The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signe...