America's only palace, 'Iolani Palace was home to Hawaiian royalty from 1882 until Queen Lili'uokalani surrendered the Islands to the United States in 1893. The Hawaiian government funded 'Iolani Palace's restoration in 1969 and it opened to the public in 1978. The palace offers a 90-minute guided tour, departing every 15 minutes, that visits the palace's common rooms and private chambers, accompanied by the guide's discussion of the history of 'Iolani Palace and its royal residents. The palace strongly suggests reservations for its guided tour. 'Iolani Palace also offers self-guided tours with a 45-minute accompanying audio recording.
The Mokupapapa Discovery Center is an educational outreach project of the Pahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, offering interactive mulit-media exhibits through consoles, video kiosks and plasma displays designed to appeal to children and adults alike. The center examines Hawaii's history, native culture and ecology with exhibits such as its 2,500-gallon aquarium, home to the species common within Hawaii's northwest reef systems, and a presentation hall featuring the native Hawaiian creation myth, depicted through video and a recitation of the Kumulipo, Hawaii's traditional chant of creation.
The Waikiki Aquarium is America's third oldest aquarium and its residents represent over 500 marine species. The museum is built alongside a coral reef and its Edge of the Reef exhibit recreates a Hawaiian shoreline complete with native marine life. The aquarium also has a habitat for Hawaiian monk seals, of which on 1,400 remain in existence, and allows the public to visit its coral farm, which cultivates formations for other aquariums and educational facilities.
The Monument's Visitor Center hosts exhibits on the 1941 surprise attack that marked America's entry into World War II. The Center also has a bookstore and a theater that shows a 23-minute documentary on the attack. Visitors can also take a shuttle to the USS Arizona Monument, built over the battleship's final resting place within the harbor, and the center offers headsets with an audio tour narrated by Ernest Borgnine with background on the exhibits and memorial. Frommer's strongly suggests arriving before 1:30 if you want to take the tour, because the visitor center sells tickets strictly on a first-come, first-served basis.
