Things to do / Travel Guide
Ancient Hawaii
Puu O Mahuka Heiau State Monument marks the remains of an old Hawaiian temple. The temple used to be the largest and oldest Hawaiian shrine on Oahu and it is located on the cliffs above the Waimea Valley on the North Shore.
Hawaiian Monarchy
To see where King Kamehameha the Great sealed his conquest of Oahu, thus uniting all the islands under his rule, go to the Pali lookout. It was here that Kamehameha drove Oahu's native warriors over the cliffs. In addition to being a historical site, the view here is absolutely fantastic.
Many missionaries came to Oahu in the 1800s. Some of the historic sites from this period are the Mission House Museum and Kawaiahao Church, both located in Honolulu.
The most famous historic site and building from the Hawaiian monarchy period is the world-famous Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu. It has the distinction of being one of only two royal palaces in the U.S. Another site from the monarchy period is Queen Emma's Summer Palace, located along the Pali Highway.
U.S. Territorial Hawaii
To get a glimpse into the plantation era of Oahu, you can visit Hawaii's Plantation Village in Waipahu and the Hawaiian Railway at Ewa Beach.
Before the 1960s, Oahu was basically dependent on ships for tourism, commerce, food staples, and most other things. The Hawaii Maritime Center at Honolulu Harbor gives you the chance to explore this era in Hawaiian history.
The Honolulu Academy of the Arts is both a registered national historic site as well as a famous art museum. It was started in 1927 and features an impressive collection of Oriental and European art, especially Italian Renaissance paintings.
The most famous (and overall most visited) historic attraction on Oahu is Pearl Harbor. This still active and large U.S. naval base is the site of the infamous December 7th, 1941 surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese forces. The attack cost the lives of over 2,000 citizens and members of the armed forces and catapulted the U.S. into World War II. The most popular and profound site to visit within Pearl Harbor is the USS Arizona Memorial, where over 1,100 navy personnel are entombed in the sunken battleship. Other sites to visit there are the USS Missouri Memorial and the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park.
Historical Sites in Honolulu, Waikiki and Oahu, Hawaii
Historical-Sites
|
|
|