the daughters

What the daughters does

Daughters of Hawai‘i is a private nonprofit incorporated in Hawai‘i that operates and maintains Queen Emma Summer Palace on O‘ahu, Hulihe‘e Palace on Hawai‘i Island, and the Kamehameha III birthplace site at Keauhou Bay. Founded in 1903, it preserves two of Hawai‘i’s three royal palaces, original royal furnishings and artifacts, and Hawaiian cultural knowledge for residents, tourists, educational groups, members, and event hosts.

Revenue comes from direct-to-consumer palace admissions, including self-guided and docent-led tours, supplemented by annual memberships, facility rentals, gift-shop sales, donations, classes, festivals, and special events. Visitors can buy tickets online or at palace gift shops; the organization also reaches customers through email, online search, reviews, community programs, and school outreach. The core product is physical-site stewardship and access rather than software, and no application, public API, or proprietary technology stack is disclosed.

Name

the daughters

Legal name

Daughters of Hawai'i

Website

https://daughtersofhawaii.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Daughters of Hawai‘i is a nonprofit preserving three Hawaiian historic sites and serving residents, tourists, schools, members, and event hosts through public museum tours, cultural programs, memberships, rentals, and fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage / Historic House Museums

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Historical Sites (71212), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC), Historic & Heritage Homes (THAMAAAJ)

Keywords

• Historic house museums
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Palace museum tours
• Hawaiian cultural education
• Event venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission: Ticket sales for self-guided and docent-led tours of Queen Emma Summer Palace and Hulihe'e Palace. Pricing varies by residency status (kama'aina vs. visitor) and age.
2. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for Daughter of Hawai'i (descendants of pre-1880 Hawaii residents) and Calabash Cousin categories. Includes multiple tiers from Junior ($35) to Life ($2,500).
3. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from individuals supporting historic preservation. In-kind services donated by volunteers. Special event fundraisers like Emalani Tea.
4. Facility Rental: Venue rental for private events including weddings, receptions, dinners at Hulihe'e Palace. 350 guest maximum, fees starting at $1,000.
5. Gift Shop Sales: Sale of locally hand-crafted items, Hawaiian books, and Daughters of Hawai'i publications at palace gift shops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Daughters of Hawai'i operates and maintains three historic Hawaiian royal sites — Queen Emma Summer Palace on O'ahu, Hulihe'e Palace on Hawai'i Island, and the Kamehameha III birthplace at Keauhou Bay — as house museums offering self-guided and docent-led tours, facility rentals, cultural classes, and special heritage events. Revenue is supported by tour admissions, membership dues, donations, gift shop sales, and event ticket sales.

Product overview

The Daughters of Hawai'i is a nonprofit organization operating and maintaining three historic sites: Queen Emma Summer Palace (Hānaiakamalama) on O'ahu, Hulihe'e Palace on Hawai'i Island, and the birthplace of Kamehameha III at Keauhou Bay. The organization offers historic house museum tours (self-guided and docent-led Mo'olelo tours), facility rentals for events (up to 350 guests at Hulihe'e Palace), cultural programs including 'ukulele and yoga classes, special events such as Emalani Tea and Ho'onanea vintage experiences, and annual festivals. Membership programs (Daughter of Hawai'i and Calabash Cousin) provide palace admission passes and discounts. The organization relies on donations and membership dues to fund preservation efforts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Ainsley Halemanu (Musician)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 April 2026Entertainment provider for Emalani Tea event, providing live music performance in the Emalani Hale at Queen Emma Summer Palace.
• Halau Uhakawai (Hula Troupe)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 April 2026Cultural performance partner for Emalani Tea event, providing traditional hula dance performances.
• Mu'umu'u LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2026Partner for the Ho'onanea: A Vintage Experience event, providing curated vintage mu'umu'u garments for participants to wear during the palace experience. Mu'umu'u Library supplies women's sizes S-3X for the event.
• Kumu KuhiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2026Cultural partner for Ho'onanea events guiding participants in crafting fresh lei kupe'e (flower bracelets). Provides hands-on Hawaiian cultural instruction as part of the vintage experience.
• Chasen St. Onge of Hale MomonaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 April 2026Catering partner for Ho'onanea events, providing a one-of-a-kind picnic lunch menu for participants.
• Royal Hawaiian BandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe only band in the United States with a royal legacy performing at the 2025 Day at Hānaiakamalama festival to open the community event.
• Various Festival VendorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal vendors participating in the Hanohano Hulihe'e festival including Keolanani Flowers, Palaka Princess, Maui Rooted, My Little Lemon, and 20+ others selling food, crafts, and Hawaiian products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bishop Museum: Largest Hawaii cultural heritage museum in Honolulu; comparable as a nonprofit preserving Hawaiian cultural artifacts, hosting visitors, and offering membership programs and special events with very similar mission.
• Iolani Palace: Operates the third royal Hawaiian palace in Honolulu; most directly comparable peer as the only other Hawaiian royal palace museum with guided tours, membership, and cultural programming.
• Lahaina Restoration Foundation: Hawaii-based nonprofit that preserves historic sites including the Baldwin Home and other Maui heritage landmarks; directly comparable mission of community-led preservation of Hawaiian historic house museums.
• Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum: Same as Bishop Museum listed above; called out separately to emphasize it as the largest comparable heritage museum operation in Hawaii.

Regional players

• Hawaii State Archives: Government-operated institution preserving Hawaiian historical records and cultural heritage in Honolulu; comparable as a Hawaii-focused cultural heritage preservation organization but with public funding rather than nonprofit donation model.
• Maui Historical Society: Hawaii-based nonprofit operating the Hale Ho'ike'ike at the Bailey House museum; comparable as a small Hawaiian heritage preservation nonprofit but focused on Maui rather than O'ahu and Hawaii Island.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: National nonprofit focused on historic site preservation; comparable as a heritage preservation organization but operates at much broader geographic and programmatic scale than Daughters of Hawai'i.
• Honolulu Museum of Art: Larger Hawaii cultural institution with museum operations, membership programs, and special events; comparable as a Honolulu-based nonprofit museum but focused on visual arts rather than Hawaiian monarchy heritage specifically.

Emerging players

• Polynesian Cultural Center: Oahu-based cultural theme park and visitor attraction; comparable as a Hawaiian cultural heritage tourism destination but operates at larger commercial scale with paid admission, events, and educational programming.
• Waikiki Historic Trail: Hawaii heritage tourism initiative offering historical interpretation and guided experiences; comparable as a cultural heritage tourism operator but operates a trail rather than fixed museum sites.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/daughters-of-hawaii-gift-shop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about the daughters