Kailua-Kona's famous Hulihe'e Palace, a National Historic Landmark, has been restored to its circa 1885 stateliness after being severely damaged by the October 2006 earthquake.

With a $1.5 million renovation concluded, the palace will reopen its doors at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, with a blessing and open house celebration for caretakers of the landmark -- the Daughters of Hawai'i and the Calabash Cousins.

The palace resumes regular operation Wednesday, Sept. 30, for public self-guided tours.

The palace also boasts fresh landscaping and a newly enlarged Palace Gift Shop, located in the next-door Kuakini Building. Open during palace hours, the gift shop offers Hawaiian books, Ni'ihau shell lei, koa gifts and wall art created on location at the palace by local artists.

Following the earthquake, Hulihe'e operated on a limited basis, providing visitors with video viewing of its pre-earthquake splendor.

The landmark has been closed since December 2007 for the renovation work, although the Daughters and the Calabash Cousins have continued to host free monthly concerts on the palace south lawn.

Built in 1838 by Gov. John Adams Kuakini, Hulihe'e has again been restored to circa 1885, a period known in Hawaiian history as the Kalakaua Era when King David Kalakaua ruled the Hawaiian kingdom.

The palace was restored under the direction of the Connecticut-based John Canning Painting and Conservation Studios.



Click Photo to Enlarge This visitor's bureau sign is posted at the entrance to the palace grounds in Kailua-Kona.
The firm, which specializes in historic preservation, has worked on numerous national landmarks, including the U.S. Capitol, Radio City Music Hall and New York's Grand Central Station.

According to Fanny Au Hoy, long-time Hulihe'e Palace administrator, Hulihe'e is painstakingly restored to a specific time frame to retain its status on the National Register of Historic Places. Selection of the Kalakaua Era enables the palace to keep its two oceanside lanais and display its exquisite donated and on-loan collection of Victorian artifacts from the King Kalakaua reign -- including a koa armoire that was awarded a silver medal in the 1889 International Exhibition in Paris.

Known as the "Merrie Monarch" for his love of music and entertaining, King Kalakaua (1836-1891) spent much time at Hulihe'e.

He stuccoed the exterior, widened the two oceanside lanais and built an adjacent cookhouse, as the palace had no kitchen.

Inside, the robust king plastered the walls, added refined decorating touches and commissioned Victorian furnishings.

During the 20-month restoration project, Hulihe'e's artifact collection was catalogued and stored. The treasures were recently returned to the two-story palace in all their splendor.

"Our many treasures, which date to pre-Western contact Hawaii, are finally back in the palace in their familiar places," added Au Hoy. "It's been a long process and we're thrilled to open our doors again.

"We invite the community on Sept. 30 to come in and see how the palace has been restored to its original magnificence."

Treasures include javelins and spears belonging to King Kamehameha the Great.

Marvel at the king's massive, rotund lava rock. He used it as an exercise ball to master agility and balance; it weighs a whopping 180 pounds.

Check out a 70-inch tabletop made from a single piece of koa, steamer trunks used to carry belongings to attend Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887, portraits of Hawaii's monarchs, pieces of fine Lokelani china and a rare mat made from the endemic sedge, makaloa. There are more than 1,000 artifacts on display.