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

Dillon Road

Dillon Road is a 34.2-mile highway located in northern Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California.  Dillon Road begins at Avenue 48 on the outskirts of Indio and ends to the west at California State Route 62 near San Gorgonio Pass.  Dillon Road was developed the 1930s as a construction road for the Colorado River Aqueduct.  Dillon Road serves as a northern bypass to much of the development of Coachella Valley.  Dillon Road is known for it's frequent dips and spectacular views of San Gorgonio Pass.   Part 1; the history of Dillon Road Dillon Road was constructed as a haul road for the Colorado River Aqueduct through Coachella Valley.  The Colorado River Aqueduct spans 242 miles from Parker Dam on the Colorado River west to Lake Mathews near Corona.  Construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct began during January 1933 near Thousand Palms and was made functional on January 7, 1939.  West of Berdoo Canyon Road the alignment of Dillon Road is largely concurrent with the Colorado

Oldtown Toll Bridge - Maryland and West Virginia

  The Oldtown Toll Bridge linking Oldtown, Maryland over the Potomac River with neighboring Green Spring, West Virginia is only one of a few truly privately owned toll bridges located in the United States. It's a simple bridge by design, as the 318 foot long Oldtown Toll Bridge is a low water bridge. Low water bridges are designed to allow water to safely and efficiently flow over the bridge deck. Additionally, a dozen concrete pedestals have been secured in the Potomac River in order to support the bridge and wooden deck. The bridge was constructed in 1937 when a gentleman by the name of Mr. Carpenter obtained the proper permits to build the Bridge through an Act of Congress. This was a blessing for residents, especially on the West Virginia side of the Potomac River, as it saved motorists commuting to Cumberland an hour in travel time. Using Mr. Carpenter's blueprints, the Army Corp of Engineers and a number of local laborers constructed the bridge and it remained under the

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road is an approximately 21-mile highway located in southeast Kern County.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road begins at Tehachapi Boulevard (former US Route 466) in Tehachapi and crosses the Tehachapi Mountains via the 4,820-foot-high Oak Creek Pass.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road enters Antelope Valley of the wider Mojave Desert and passes by the historic stage station of Willow Springs to a southern terminus at Rosamond Boulevard.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road has historic ties to the Havilah-Los Angeles Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road due to the once reliable presence of water at Willow Springs. Part 1; the history of Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road Oak Creek Pass and Willow Springs were known to the local tribes of the Tehachapi Mountains for generations.  The first documented European crossing of Oak Creek Pass was during 1776 as part of an expedition by Francisco Garces.  Oak Creek Pass is as used again by John C. Fremont during an 1844-1845 expedition to e