Hawaii Tourism Blog

June 11 in Hawaii is King Kamehameha Day in Hawaii. The day honors the king who united all of the main Hawaiian islands under one rule. Over the past three days lei draping ceremonies have taken place at the identical statues of Kamehameha I in Honolulu on Oahu and Hilo and North Kohala on Hawaii Island.Although the King Kamehameha the Great Statue isn’t an exact representation of how Kamehameha I looked—the sculptor gave him Roman-like facial features instead of Polynesian. At 8 1/2 feet tall, King Kamehameha holds a spear in his left hand to represent the kingdom’s will to keep harm at bay. His right hand is extended as a warm gesture of aloha. Located in front of the Ali’iolani Hale, the statue is one of many sacred structures located in historic Downtown Honolulu. Nearby is the Iolani Palace and Kawaiahao Church, so spend some time walking around the area!

The King Kamehameha Statue stands proudly in front of Aliiolani Hale in downtown Honolulu on the island of Oahu. It is one of four statues of King Kamehameha I. The other three are located in Kohala on the Big Island of Hawaii, near downtown Hilo (which is a replica of the Kohala statue) and another one stands in Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. The statue was cast in Paris from a model made by American artist T.R. Gould.

Parades are held to honor the great King