Iolani Barracks

The Iolani Barracks was built in 1871 to house the Royal Guards and household troops. Built partially from salvaged coral blocks and blocks cut with prison labor, the Iolani Barracks structure contains an open courtyard surrounded by rooms once used by the guards as a mess hall, kitchen, dispensary, berth room, and lockup. Iolani Barracks have been used at various times as temporary shelter for refugees of the 1899 Chinatown fire, a service club, a headquarters for the National Guard of Hawaii, a government office building, and a storage facility. Today, Iolani Barracks now houses The Palace Shop, the ticket office and video theater.

Also known as Halekoa, Iolani Barracks was designed by German architect Theodore C. Heuck. The original plan, an open rectangle 70′ x 80′ in size, was somewhat enlarged. Walls were of coral stone with crenelations capped with cast concrete. Two-story towers were built at each corner with somewhat higher towers over each of the two entrances. Notched parapets create a fort-like appearance to the exterior of the building. Additions were made to the original open rectangle. To make space for the new capitol building, the masonry walls of the barracks were removed and rebuilt in 1965 on a corner of the grounds of the Iolani Palace.

Iolani Barracks is located at 364 South King Street in downtown Honolulu. It is located at the corner of Richards Street and Hotel Street. It is located near the Iolani Bandstand is on the grounds of the Iolani Palace.