Hawaii is perhaps America’s most fascinating state — at least when it comes to history, that is. From the first Europeans visiting the islands in 1778 and the establishment of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1795 to Hawaii’s admittance to the United States of America in 1959, the Hawaiian Islands are steeped in history. Perhaps nowhere will you find more evidence of this intriguing history than at the Royal Mausoleum.
Known as Mauna ‘Ala (fragrant hills) in the Hawaiian language, the Royal Mausoleum is the final resting place of two prominent royal families: the Kamehameha Dynasty and the Kalakaua Dynasty.
This peaceful place is surrounded by a grassy area, palms, and a black fence with golden accents and the royal seal of the Kingdom of Hawaii at the entrance gate.
Near the center of the grounds immediately behind the tomb of Kalakaua and his family is a small chapel. In the shape of a Latin cross, the chapel is one of a few examples of Gothic Revival architecture found in Hawaii.
Constructed in 1863, King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma planned the mausoleum as a burial site for their families. The first to be interred was their four-year-old son, Prince Albert, who died in 1862. King Kamehameha IV joined his son just fifteen months later in 1863 after becoming ill. It is said that Queen Emma was so overcome with grief that she slept in the mausoleum alongside her late husband and son.
Construction was completed in 1865, and other members of Hawaiian royalty were soon transferred to the Royal Mausoleum. Only two Hawaiian kings were not laid to rest here: Kamehameha I, whose body was buried in a hidden location in order to preserve the sacred mana of the ali’i, and William Charles Lunalilo, Hawaii’s shortest-reigning monarch who was buried at Honolulu’s Kawaiahaʻo Church.
Today, more than 50 members of Hawaiian royalty are buried in four tombs and crypts, in addition to several caskets containing the remains of several Hawaiian chiefs.
Of all the tombs, only the Kalakaua Crypt remains open, because members of the Kawananakoa family have grandparents who were interred in the crypt. There are, however, only two keys to the crypt, and very few are ever able to visit.
The Royal Mausoleum is one of only three sovereign places in Hawaii, where the Hawaiian flag can be flown here without the American flag. The other two places are Iolani Palace and Hawaii Island’s Pu'ukohola Heiau.
This sacred burial place of Hawaiian royalty was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, more than a century after its construction.
Serving as a memorial to Hawaii’s past rulers, the Royal Mausoleum is as sacred as it is historic.
The Royal Mausoleum State Monument is located at 2261 Nuuanu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96817, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The monument is closed Saturdays and Sundays. If you choose to visit, please be respectful of this sacred place.
For another glimpse into the history of the Kingdom of Hawaii, pay a visit to the nearby Iolani Palace.
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