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Through A Glass Darkly The Strange and Tragic History Of Honolulu | 1 hour 30 minutes

3 Reviews | Oahu
New On TravelOne
From $29.00 per person Lowest Price Guarantee
Select Date and Travelers
You can select up to 15 travelers in total.
Adult (18-100) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 15
2
Youth (12-17) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
0
Child (3-11) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
0
Infant (0-2) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
0
Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Through A Glass Darkly The Strange and Tragic History Of Honolulu
2 Adults x $29.00
$58.00
Approx Total
$58.00

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • A well-informed perspective from a life-long Hawaii resident, history teacher, and teller of tales.
  • Forever access to the largest online trove of Hawaiian history videos (several thousands, all free)

Overview

Who would imagine that such a happy place has such a tragic history? Hawaii's tumultuous encounter with the outside world began with the arrival of Captain Cook, whom they ate, sort of, for his troubles. A few years later, King Kamehameha celebrated his conquest of Oahu in 1795 by sacrificing his own cousin. The missionaries, who arrived in 1820, came here to do good... and did very well. Then there was the demographic bomb of waves of imported labor to cut sugar cane. Then the overthrow of the monarchy, annexation, and statehood. In the meantime, there was Pearl Harbor. And it seems that for all of that, we're just getting started.

Meeting points

We'll meet at 10:45 AM at the King Kamehameha Statue, located right across the street (S. King St.) from Iolani Palace. Abundant free parking in the lots adjacent to the statue on weekends. Your guide is the big guy with the walking stick and lantern.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

  • King Kamehameha Statue

    Learn the amazing (and horrifying) story of the conquest of Oahu by King Kamehameha.

    5 minutes

  • Iolani Palace

    Imagine... a royal palace (with kings and queens and thrones and stuff) in the United States... and a storied past that ends with the tragic overthrow of the monarchy.

    10 minutes

  • Kawaiaha'o Church

    Designed by the infamous missionary Hiram Bingham, this "stone church" (to the Hawaiians) was anything but.

    10 minutes

  • Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives

    As the Hawaiians say, "the missionaries came here to do good, and they did very well."

    5 minutes

  • Honolulu Hale (City Hall)

    A lovely Italianate Spanish Colonial Revival structure with an unlovely past.

    5 minutes

  • Hawaii State Capitol

    An elegant expression of the aloha spirit... and a statue (with a story) of the queen who embodied that spirit.

    5 minutes

  • Washington Place

    Queen Liliuokalani's home where she lived in an unhappy marriage and where she returned to after the overthrow of the monarchy.

    5 minutes

  • Cathedral Of St. Andrew

    A church built from thousands of block of sandstone cut in England and shipped to Hawaii. A magnificent stained glass nave. And a tragic tale of a king and his little boy.

    5 minutes

  • Capitol Modern

    Also known as the Hawai'i State Art Museum, this was the original Royal Hawaiian Hotel (built in 1872). So successful that a second Royal Hawaiian was built on Waikiki Beach (the Pink Palace).

    5 minutes

  • Ali'iolani Hale

    Now the Judiciary Building and home to the Hawaii State Supreme Court, this was where the Massie Affair, the marquee event of Hawaiian jurisprudence), played out

    5 minutes

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Assistance available for those who need help with stairs or inclines
  • Foldable wheelchairs, powered wheelchairs, scooters, and walkers can be accommodated

Free Cancellation

September 13100% refund
September 14No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Reviews

5.0

3 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    3
  • 4 stars
    0
  • 3 stars
    0
  • 2 stars
    0
  • 1 star
    0

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 3 reviews with 5 stars

Stories and ghosts

Published on Jan, 2025

Terry is a great storyteller and extremely knowledgeable based on over 50 years on Oahu. We really enjoyed learning about the history of the city we now call home.

Stories and ghosts

Published on Jan, 2025

Terry is a great storyteller and extremely knowledgeable based on over 50 years on Oahu. We really enjoyed learning about the history of the city we now call home.

Knowledgeable and Sufficiently Spooky

Published on Jan, 2025

Terry was an excellent tour guide. He was patient, knowledgeable, and made it interesting for three generations of people.

Knowledgeable and Sufficiently Spooky

Published on Jan, 2025

Terry was an excellent tour guide. He was patient, knowledgeable, and made it interesting for three generations of people.

Excellent history lesson

Published on Jan, 2025

Retired history professor who has in-depth knowledge about history. It is worth of money. $27 is worth of money.

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