Explore America and discover people, places, art, history, and other items related to Hawai‛i in the Smithsonian’s growing digitized collections. Hawai‛i stands out as the only U.S. state with a royal palace—‛Iolani, the official residence and capitol of the last ruling monarchs of the Kingdom of Hawai‛i. The overthrow of Queen Lili‛uokalani in 1893 began a tumultuous transition that culminated in Hawai‛i becoming the 50th U.S. state on August 21, 1959.
Learn about the language and dance form hula and Hawaiian musical instruments. Discover five things you probably don't know about the ‛ukulele. The steel guitar is a Hawaiian invention that has influenced country, blues, and rock music. Watch a video of Hawaiian slack-key guitar master Ledward Kaapana performing at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
Hawai‛i is renowned for its world-class surfing and some of the biggest waves in the world. The father of modern surfing, Duke Kahanamoku (1890–1968), is celebrated with a commemorative postage stamp at the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum. A surfboard shaped by Kahanamoku is at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.