Iolani Palace grounds
to close at night

The gates will be shut at 11 p.m.
to prevent possible vandalism

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By Keiko Kiele Akana-Gooch
kakana-gooch@starbulletin.com

The grounds of Iolani Palace will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. beginning Sept. 15.

Concerns over vandalism, loitering and other illegal activities have led The Friends of 'Iolani Palace to shut all four gates on the fence surrounding the former royal residence.

The nonprofit organization, which operates the palace as a museum, also will hire a guard to patrol the palace outskirts. A guard already patrols the palace interior.

Friends Executive Director Deborah Dunn said the group has considered the closure since the palace was vandalized in 1984, and then again in 1991 and 1995.

The closure also is in response to the steady increase in night-time alarms. Dunn said the palace has had more than 140 alarms during late night hours each year. Many of the alarms are set off near the steps leading to the palace entrance and the moat.

Dunn said the Friends group is concerned about the high costs of restoring the damage left by vandals.

The cost to repair two broken panes in the 1984 incident was $14,554. In the 1991 case, the palace entry doors were broken and graffiti was sprayed over the doors and the building. It cost $7,198 to repair one broken pane and the staff worked with a curator to remove the graffiti.

The Friends hope the new security measures will deter future vandalism. "This is all for the preservation of the site," Dunn said.

The palace is not the only historical monument that needs to be protected from vandals, Dunn said. An original royal burial site on the makai-Diamond Head side of the palace grounds is also important.

The site, a fenced mound of grass, was where the remains of Hawaii's royalty were initially buried. The remains were relocated in 1865 to the Royal Mausoleum in Nuuanu.

But some believed the bones of certain chiefs remained buried in the Royal Tomb site, prompting King Kalakaua to build a mound over it. The Friends is worried about possible illegal activity in the vicinity of the mound and elsewhere on the grounds.

Those wanting to use palace grounds for cultural practices during its closed hours must submit a permit application to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. The Friends will help applicants submit the form and expedite the process.

For assistance in submitting permit applications or more information, call the Friends of 'Iolani Palace administrative offices at 522-0822.