Mauna ʻAla Chapel, Mauna ʻAla, Nuuanu Avenue, Nuuanu, Honolulu, HI - 52144679063.jpg — Established in 1863 as the final resting place for members of the Hawaiian Royal Family, this cemetery and the tombs within it hold the remains of various Hawaiian royal family members, including some that were originally interred on the grounds of ‘Iolani Palace in Downtown Honolulu. Designed initially by Theodore C. Heuck, Mauna ‘Ala was planned by Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma in the early 1860s as a place for members of their family to be buried. The first member of the Hawaiian royal family to be buried at Mauna ‘Ala was Prince Albert, whom died in 1862, with his father, King Kamehameha IV, becoming ill shortly thereafter and dying in 1863. Under the direction of King Kamehameha V, the mausoleum began construction shortly after the death of King Kamehameha IV, with the west wing being complete in January 1864, allowing Kamehameha IV to be interred at the site. By 1865, the main building of the mausoleum was completed, with the Gothic Revival-style structure featuring lancet windows, buttresses, a stucco-clad exterior, slate roof, a front entrance with a decorative iron and gold gate, and several oxeye windows. On October 30, 1865, the remains of many other previously deceased members of the Hawaiian Royal Family were removed from tombs and graves on the grounds of ‘Iolani Palace and transported in a solemn procession up the Nu’uanu Valley to be interred at Mauna ‘Ala with Kamehameha IV and Prince Albert. Over the rest of the 19th Century and into the 20th Century, additional burials of members of the Hawaiian Royal Family took place at the site. On June 24, 1910, the remains of the members of the Kalākaua family were moved to a separate tomb on the grounds, with the rest of the remains being moved to other tombs prior to 1922, when the main mausoleum building was converted into a chapel. The mausoleum building and surrounding cemetery were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, owing to their historical significance. w_lemay · CC BY-SA 2.0

Royal Mausoleum State Monument

State Historic Site · Hawaii · Hawaii Division of State Parks

3 acres

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Official site: dlnr.hawaii.gov
Managed by: Hawaii Division of State Parks

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Sources: Wikimedia Commons / editorial, State agency, USGS PAD-US · updated 2026-09-12