HONOLULU, HAWAII -- She walks down the path brought to life by the scent of a cool breeze, as spring showers fall among the dewy leaves and elegant flowers. She reaches the path's end and rests her gaze on her magnificent palace standing in the morning mist: Queen Emma's Summer Palace.
Built in 1848 by John Lewis in Boston, and re-assembled in the Nuuanu Valley on Oahu, Queen Emma's Summer Palace is filled with both Victorian and Hawaiian treasures, rare artifacts and personal memorabilia of Hawaii's royalty.
John Young II, one of King Kamehameha's trusted advisors, first purchased the 26-acre estate in 1850, and since he didn't have any children of his own, Young willed the house to his favorite niece, Emma Rooke, who later became Queen Emma.
Emma wed King Kamehameha IV, and they had a child named Prince Albert Edward, after Queen Victoria's consort. Their marriage was happy, but short-lived, as their son died at the age of 4, and then shortly thereafter, so did King Kamehameha IV, of asthmatic causes.
Queen Emma never remarried, but tended to her gardens, and set up hospitals and schools. Until her death in 1884, she devoted her life to charitable endeavors.
Today, tucked away and nestled deep in the Nuuanu Valley in Honolulu, Queen Emma's Summer Palace has been established as a museum for everyone to enjoy. It sits on two acres and is run by the Daughters of Hawaii, a nonprofit organization founded in 1903 whose purpose is to preserve the language, culture and historic sites of Hawaii.
Among Queen Emma's many treasured belongings are gifts from Queen Victoria and Napoleon III, which have been acquired over time and remain in the house.
"What really makes this place unique is that it is open to the elements all the time," said Leinani K. Bortles, palace administrator. "Live flowers are always inside, and people are more then welcome to play the old piano."
The open-air makes for a really high-maintenance job to keep the palace in top shape over time, Bortles added, but the gardens that flourished when Queen Emma tended to them still blossom with their beauty from the constant care of devoted staff.
Tours are available every day at the palace. The cost for service members is $4; children, $1; and regular admission, $6. Tourists and kamaaina (Hawaii residents) who visit the palace on Fridays have the option to participate in luncheon tours ($25), from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A morning or afternoon tea is also offered on Fridays (for $25) from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. or from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Bortles can provide more options at (808) 595-3167, or at (808) 595-3603.
Queen Emma's Summer Palace hosts Hawaiian culture courses too. A 10-day historical journey of the Hawaiian monarchy begins April 5, and continues on Mondays through May 24. Participants can travel to and experience a myriad of historical sites and museums that capture and enliven the majestic history behind the Hawaiian monarchy.