Hawaii State Capitol

Built in the 1960s, the blocky architecture of the Hawaii State Capitol reflects the postmodern era in which it was built, but its details are rife with local symbolism. Inside, the central courtyard opens to the sky via narrowing layers set to mimic the interior of a volcano, and the two legislative chambers also feature sloped walls to achieve a similar effect. The eight supporting pillars on the front and back of the building narrow toward the top to evoke the trunks of royal palm trees—there is one for each of the main Hawaiian Islands—and a reflecting pool surrounds the building to symbolize the islands emerging out of the Pacific.

Many guided tours of Honolulu pass by the Hawaii State Capitol, but you can explore the building on a self-guided tour or book a public tour by contacting your district legislator.

• Brochures for self-guided tours are available on the fourth floor.

• The self-guided tour brochure, activity booklets for children, and a map of the Capitol district area can also be downloaded from the Hawaii governor’s webpage.

• The House and Senate galleries are not accessible on self-guided tours.

• A popular point of interest is the statue of Queen Liliuokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawaii, located between the Capitol and Iolani Palace.

The building is located at 415 S. Beretania Street in downtown Honolulu, within a short walking distance of attractions including Iolani Palace, the King Kamehameha statue, and the Hawaii State Art Museum. The Hawaii State Capitol is a stop on the hop-on hop-off Waikiki Trolley’s Red Line. If you are driving, there is a paid parking garage below the reflecting pool.

The Hawaii State Capitol building is open from early morning until late afternoon Monday through Friday and closed on Saturday and Sunday. Public tours are available by prior appointment on weekdays only and typically depart in the early afternoon; they last around 75 minutes.

Visitors can wander through the courtyard and grounds, which has a notable statue of Father Damien. The priest treated Hansen’s disease patients on a remote Molokai peninsula in the late 1800s before succumbing to the disease himself—he was canonized in 2009. An exact duplicate of the statue represents Hawaii in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.