The King Kamehameha Statue stands in front of Aliʻiōlani Hale in downtown Honolulu, facing ʻIolani Palace across King Street. It honours Kamehameha I, who united the Hawaiian Islands into one kingdom in 1810, and it exists only because the first cast of the statue sank in a shipwreck on its way to Hawaiʻi.
The King Kamehameha Statue at a glance
- Where: on King Street in downtown Honolulu, in front of Aliʻiōlani Hale, home of the Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court, and opposite ʻIolani Palace.
- Created: modelled in 1880, cast in Paris and unveiled in February 1883.
- By: the American sculptor Thomas Ridgeway Gould; the reliefs on the base were finished by his son, Marshall S. Gould.
- What it is today: one of the best-known symbols of Hawaiʻi and the centre of the lei-draping ceremony on King Kamehameha Day, 11 June.
- Time needed: 15 minutes, or an hour if you combine it with the palace grounds across the street.
A statue that sank and came back
In 1878 Walter M. Gibson, a member of the Hawaiian legislature, proposed a statue to mark the centenary of Captain James Cook's arrival in the islands. Gould made the full-size model in his studio in Florence in 1880, and the figure was cast at the Barbedienne foundry in Paris. The ship carrying it to Hawaiʻi sank near the Falkland Islands, so a second cast was ordered with the insurance money.
The replacement arrived in Honolulu in January 1883, but by then the first cast had been recovered from the sea and had also reached Hawaiʻi. The newer statue was in better condition, so it went up in front of Aliʻiōlani Hale, and its unveiling became part of King Kalākaua's coronation celebrations in February 1883. The salvaged original was sent to Kapaʻau in North Kohala on the Big Island, near Kamehameha's birthplace, where it still stands.
What to look for
- The gilded garments: the dark bronze figure wears a golden feather cloak, helmet and sash, which shine against the dark patina.
- The pose: the king's right arm is stretched out in a gesture of welcome, while his left hand holds a spear.
- The four reliefs on the base: they show Kamehameha meeting Captain Cook aboard HMS Resolution in 1778, fending off spears as a warrior, reviewing a war fleet off Kohala, and travellers resting by a road, a reference to his Law of the Splintered Paddle, which protected people on the roads.
- The sandals: look at the feet; the sandals look more like those of a Roman statue than anything worn in old Hawaiʻi.
- Aliʻiōlani Hale: the building behind the statue, with its clock tower, was built in 1874 and now houses the Supreme Court and a judiciary history centre.
Lei for the king
Every year on 11 June, King Kamehameha Day, the statue is draped with long lei of flowers that hang from the king's shoulders and outstretched arm. A floral parade through Honolulu also takes place around the holiday. If your trip falls in early June, this is the best moment to see the statue as part of living Hawaiian culture rather than as a photo stop.
Tips for your visit
- Come in the morning, when the sun lights the front of the statue and the gold of the cloak.
- Stand on the lawn in front of the statue, or across King Street, to get both the statue and the clock tower of Aliʻiōlani Hale in one picture.
- Treat the statue with respect: it is a revered figure for Native Hawaiians, so don't climb the base or touch the lei left there.
- Combine your visit with ʻIolani Palace and Kawaiahaʻo Church, both a few minutes' walk away.
Nearby
- ʻIolani Palace: the residence of Hawaiʻi's last monarchs, King Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani, directly across King Street.
- Kawaiahaʻo Church: Honolulu's historic church built of coral blocks in the 1830s and 1840s, a few minutes' walk away.
- Hawaiʻi State Capitol: the modern capitol building behind the palace, designed to evoke a volcano and the ocean.
- Washington Place: the former home of Queen Liliʻuokalani, near the State Capitol.
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Facts checked in October 2026.