'Iolani Barracks, adjacent to 'Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu, housed the personal royal guards to the reigning monarch of Hawai'i.
'Iolani Barracks, or Halekoa (House of Warriors) in Hawaiian, was built in 1870 by the architect Theodore Heuok under the direction of King David Kalakaua. Adjacent to 'Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu, it was the headquarters of the personal royal guards to the reigning monarch. It was constructed of coral block walls from the same coral source used to built Kawaiaha'o Church and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace. It has a slate roof, crenelated parapets and towers. The structure harkens to architecture of medieval castles of Europe in antiquity.
After the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 (and the disbanding of the Royal Gurad), the barracks were used on several occasions as the headquarters of the National Guard of Hawai'i. In addition, the building was used as temporary shelter for victims of the 1899 Chinatown fire. It also housed government offices and was even at one point used as a storage building.
'Iolani Barracks was originally built a block behind Iolani Palace. In 1965, the barracks were moved, stone by stone, to its current location to make room for the present Hawaii State Capitol to be built.
Today, the barracks serves as a "visitor's center" for the 'Iolani Palace. Today, it houses a Palace shop, ticket office, and video theater.
´Iolani Palace was restored to its 1886-1893 condition in the 1970s.
On its grounds are the 'IolaniBarracks, originally built in 1871 to house the royal guards, and the Coronation Pavilion, which Kalakaua built for his coronation in 1883 and moved to its current location later that year.
´IolaniBarracks was moved and reconstructed from rubble.
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