Open Iolani Palace to All? Some Native Hawaiians Say No Thanks

Flickr: L. Richard Martin, Jr.

Drive past Iolani Palace's typically staid stone facade this weekend and you'll see it dressed up with colorful banners and red, white and blue bunting.

The 130-year-old palace — the only royal residence on U.S. soil — is ready for a big party Monday. Neil Abercrombie will be sworn in as the State of Hawaii's seventh governor, and everybody's invited.

The palace atmosphere, generally reserved for gubernatorial inaugurations once or twice a decade or other dignified events, could soon be the setting for a sizable annual shindig. The state is considering eliminating permit requirements for one day each year — Jan. 17, the anniversary of the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy.

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