Friday, December 23, 2011

The 'Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawaii - A Palace Were Royal Ghosts Still Walk

Photo of 'Iolani Palace at Night 2011 By PJ

The 'Iolani Palace is located in downtown Honolulu on the island of Oahu, it was completed in 1882 under the rule of King Kalakaua and when he died in January of 1891 his sister Lili'uokalani became Queen. She was to the best of my knowledge the last royal to live in the 'Iolani Palace. We know so well the sad events that took place while she was Queen and she was a very beloved Queen of Hawaii, eventually she died of a stroke in 1917. Sometime after that date the U.S. government moved in and used the 'Iolani Palace as headquarters until 1969. After that the Palace was restored to as much as original condition and is now open to the public for tours.

Photo of 'Iolani Palace at Night 2011 By PJ

Some say the Queen is still at the Palace. There have been many reports by both employees of the Palace, guides and tourist alike of strange things that happens there. I and friends of mine have heard so many things that supposedly happen at the 'Iolani Palace, and the surrounding Palace grounds that we wanted to go there and see what we could find out for ourselves. We went to the Palace at night and talked with one of the security guards. He was very helpful and insightful of the happenings at the Palace. Even though we could not enter we felt like we knew the Palace like the back of our hand after our conversation with the guard.



Photo of 'Iolani Palace at Night 2011 By PJ

Here are some of the things he was kind enough to let us in on. In the blue room of the Palace, is a piano that is locked in a glass case. The security guards do not have the key to that glass enclosure. Yet at times, the guards can hear the piano playing. Not a song but, just keys being pressed in random order. Now, it is not one of the pianos that will play on its own with no one pressing the keys. Someone must be stroking the keys to make any sound. They of course have security cameras there and when they zoom in to the piano, no one is there and no keys are being pressed down but yet, the piano music keeps playing.

 Photo of 'Iolani Palace at Night 2011 By PJ

Another fascinating piece of information he gave us was, at night all the doors are sealed. About 30 minutes after the sealing the alarm goes off in the Queens bedroom and when the guards go up and check, the seal had been broken and the door to the Queens bedroom was open. The guards will of course reseal the door and about 30 minutes later, the alarm goes off again.

The Queen was known for her love for her people and her love of cigars. Yes, the Queen did smoke cigars.  At times I and many other people have smelled cigar smoke on the Palace grounds and by the Queen's statue across the street when no one was smoking at all. I can only assume that is the Queen's way of saying she is around.

 Photo of 'Iolani Palace Gate with 
the Royal Seal at Night 2011 By PJ

The Palace has a few towers on the top of it. The guard said that on more then one occasion he would be outside at night in the wee hours in the morning, he would look up at the tower beside the imprisonment room and there would be a very bright light in the tower. Now, there is nothing strange about a bright light, except there are no lights in the towers. None of these experiences happen every night but, they do happen often. There are often voices and foot steps heard in the Palace at night when only one person is there.

Photo of 'Iolani Palace at Night 2011 By PJ

He also told us that several people have reported seeing a lady dressed in an early last century style black dress, both in the Queens dressing room and in the next door office that the Queen worked. The Lady is assumed by many to be Queen Lili'uokalani, but since she only appear in the corner of your eye in a split second none have been able to say for sure whom the mysterious Lady in black is.

Photo of 'Iolani Palace Auxiliary Building
at Night 2011 By PJ

Not only the Palace itself but also the surrounding compound and auxiliary buildings are also known to be haunted. Another lady that we talked with mentioned that she has herself observed mysterious lights and heard things she could not explain when working late at night and while closing, she also told us that it was common knowledge among those that worked there to share other similar stories.

Photo of 'Iolani Palace Auxiliary Building
at Night 2011 By PJ

I do hope the Queen's spirit is still at the palace. It is her home. She loved the people of Hawaii and they loved her. I myself believe the Queen is there still looking after her home and her people. That's the way it should be.

Photo of 'Iolani Palace at Night 2011 By PJ

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1 comment:

  1. Lili'uokalani didn't live in the Palace. After she was released from being imprisoned there, she went to her actual home where she was under house arrest.

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