Ali'iolani Hale means "House of the Heavenly King" in Hawaiian. It's one of Honolulu's must-see landmarks that houses the Supreme Court of Hawaii, the court administration offices, a law library, and the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center. Just outside is the
King Kamehameha the Great Statue and directly across the street is
Iolani Palace. In 1972, the building was listed on the US National Register of Historic Places. Look for the
Ali'iolani Hale each week on Hawaii 5-0!
History
The
Ali'iolani Hale was designed by Australian Thomas Rowe in an Italian Renaissance Revival as the royal palace for King Kamehameha V. In Hawaiian, "Ali'iolai" means "House of the heavenly King", Ali'iolani was also one of the given names of Kamehameha V. On February 19, 1872 King Kamehameha V laid the cornerstone for the building that he had commissioned as a government office building not a palace. He died before the building was completed. It was dedicated in 1874 by
King David Kalakaua.