Queen Emma Summer Palace

Honolulu

LoginSave

In the heat and humidity of summer, Queen Emma (1836–85), the wife and royal consort of Kamehameha IV, used to slip away from her formal downtown Honolulu home to this cooler hillside retreat in Nuʻuanu Valley. Gracious docents from the Daughters of Hawaiʻi society show off the cathedral-shaped koa cabinet that displays a set of china given by England’s Queen Victoria, brightly colored feather cloaks and capes once worn by Hawaiian royalty, and more priceless antiques.

Built in Greek Revival style, the exterior recalls an old Southern plantation home, with its columned porch and high ceilings. Good free tours are offered at various times daily.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Shangri La

    Shangri La

    6.15 MILES

    In the shadow of Diamond Head, the former mansion of billionaire tobacco heiress Doris Duke is a sight to behold for art-lovers and celebrity hounds…

  • The Stones of Life - four stones on Waikiki Beach that were placed there as tribute to four legendary mahu.

    Stones of Life of Kapaemahu and Kapuni

    4.25 MILES

    Near the police substation at Waikiki Beach Center, four ordinary-looking volcanic basalt boulders are actually sacred and legendary Hawaiian symbols…

  • There is a fisherman about to cast his line in the water over a tall cliff. Spitting Caves Hawaii is a hidden gem of East Oahu.

    Spitting Cave

    9.98 MILES

    This impressive, little-known viewpoint is at the end of Lumahai St in Portlock, makai (toward the sea) from the traffic lights at the Koko Marina Center…

  • The USS Arizona Memorial straddles the sunken hull of the battleship without touching it.

    USS Arizona Memorial

    7.42 MILES

    This somber memorial is one of the USA's most significant WWII sites, commemorating the Pearl Harbor attack and its fallen service members with an iconic…

  • Interior of Bishop Museum, main gallery with sperm whale hanging from ceiling.

    Bishop Museum

    2.07 MILES

    Hawaii’s version of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, the Bishop Museum showcases a remarkable array of cultural and natural history exhibits…

  • iolani palace honolulu hawaii usa

    ʻIolani Palace

    2.37 MILES

    No other place evokes a more poignant sense of Hawaii’s history. The palace was built under King David Kalakaua in 1882. At that time, the Hawaiian…

  • The Honolulu Museum of Art

    Honolulu Museum of Art

    2.29 MILES

    This exceptional fine-arts museum is among the best of its kind anywhere. The collection is effectively a 'best of' summary of major art movements…

  • The USS Arizona Memorial straddles the sunken hull of the battleship without touching it.

    Pearl Harbor National Memorial

    6.78 MILES

    One of the USA’s most significant WWII sites, this National Park Service (NPS) monument narrates the history of the Pearl Harbor attack and commemorates…

View more attractions

Nearby Honolulu attractions

1. Royal Mausoleum State Monument

0.91 MILES

Known as Mauna ʻAla, or Fragrant Hills, in Hawaiian, this is the final resting place of Hawaii's two prominent royal families, the Kamehamehas and the…

2. Old Pali Hwy

1.01 MILES

On the Honolulu side of the island, you can make a scenic side trip along a remnant of the Old Pali Hwy, now called Nuʻuanu Pali Dr. The road runs through…

3. Spalding House

1.69 MILES

Embraced by tropical sculpture gardens, this art museum occupies an estate house constructed in 1925 for Oʻahu-born Anna Rice Cooke, a missionary…

5. Foster Botanical Garden

1.8 MILES

Tropical plants you’ve only ever read about can be spotted in all their glory at this spectacular botanic garden, which took root in 1850. Among its…

6. Puʻu ʻUalakaʻa State Wayside Park

1.86 MILES

The best free view in Honolulu! At this hillside park, sweeping views extend from Diamond Head on the left, across Waikiki and downtown Honolulu, to the…

7. Kuan Yin Temple

1.87 MILES

With its green ceramic-tile roof and bright red columns, this ornate Chinese Buddhist temple is Honolulu’s oldest. The richly carved interior is filled…

8. Lum Sai Ho Tong

1.97 MILES

Founded in 1899, the Lum Sai Ho Tong Society was one of more than 100 societies started by Chinese immigrants in Hawaii to help preserve their cultural…