Honolulu, Hawaii: 40 Things To Know

1. Within the city limits of Honolulu, it is illegal to annoy a bird. What constitutes “annoying” is still up for debate.
2. You can go to jail for fishing with poison, electric currents, or dynamite. Who fishes with dynamite?
3. There’s no falling back or springing ahead, as it does not participate in daylight savings time.
4. Clearly, the island city wants its residents to have a good time because you can be fined for not owning a boat.
5. We can all thank Honolulu for Casual Friday. Back in the 1970s, clothing companies in Honolulu convinced executives to allow employees to dress down so they could sell clothes. The relaxed dress code then circled around the rest of the country.
6. It’s against the law to board more than 15 cats or dogs in one place.
7. She may tout her Australian roots, but actress Nicole Kidman was actually born in Honolulu. The city is also the hometown to actresses Shannyn Sossamon and Lauren Graham, Hollywood icon Bette Midler, and former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger.
8. Despite its poor reputation, Spam is hugely popular. The difference is locals know how to cook it right, creating Spam musubi and Spam sushi.
9. The Honolulu fish auction, modeled after Tokyo’s Tsukji’s fish market, is the only live tuna auction of its kind in the entire United States.
10. In the Hawaiian language, the word “Honolulu” can be translated to “sheltered bay” or “place of shelter,” and if you give the city one look, you know why.
11. Honolulu plays host to two famous hula festivals, including the World Invitational Hula Festival, for which people travel from all over the world to celebrate the signature dance.
12. It’s has been named the No. 3 happiest city to work in by Forbes magazine. Wonder why?
13. Just like you dreamed, more than 100 world-renowned beaches form a ring around Honolulu.
14. Despite rumors to the contrary, President of the United States Barack Obama was also proudly born in there.
15. Honolulu still honors a monarch—and Hawaii is the last remaining U.S. state to do so. Locals celebrate King Kamehameha Day in honor of the man who united the Hawaiian islands, on June 11.
16. You’ll be able to see gorgeous vistas without advertising interruptions because billboards are outlawed.
17. The stunning Cathedral of Our Lady Peace in Honolulu was built in 1843 and it’s the oldest Catholic cathedral used continuously in all of the United States.
18. There are two official languages spoken in Honolulu, English and Hawaiian. However, many natives know several more local languages, including Samoan, Tongan, and Pidgin.
19. The famous Naval Station Pearl Harbor is adjacent to Honolulu and is probably best known for the attacks on it to start World War II. However, it’s still an active military facility, now called Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, and it has a large presence in the city.
20. Honolulu isn’t just for beach trips; its home to more than 30 Buddhist temples—one of the largest concentrations in the whole West.
21. Average temperatures in Honolulu range from 50 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Which, yes, means that it’s perfect outside all year round.
22. With the NFL Pro Bowl in February, college football’s Aloha Bowl in December, and the University of Hawaii Warriors in the Fall, Honolulu enjoys outdoor football well into the winter.
23. Mongoose enthusiasts take note: It is a crime to own a mongoose in Honolulu.
24. Honolulu’s Bishop Museum has Hawaii’s largest collection of natural history specimens. It’s also home to the world’s largest Pacific culture artifacts.
25. Classical music lovers should know that the Hawaii Symphony in Honolulu, formerly the Honolulu Symphony, was created in 1900, making it one of the oldest in the whole country.
26. The lush Honolulu Zoo is home to loads of rare wildlife, including Galapagos tortoises, Hawaiian nene goose, and Francois monkeys. The zoo also holds a special “Zoo by Moonlight” tour under full moons.
27. More than 28,000 runners flock to Honolulu each year for a marathon in December. Yes, December. The course is appealing to athletes because it is almost entirely flat.
28. One of the most popular meals in Honolulu—you’ll find it on menus everywhere—is known as the Hawaiian Plate Lunch. It includes a pork, chicken or beef entrée, two scoops of rice, and one scoop of macaroni salad.
29. The Aloha Festival in Honolulu began as a local celebration, but it has expanded to a week-long tribute to Hawaiian heritage, that includes the crowning of the royal court.
30. Strangely, while riding in the backseat of a car without a seatbelt is a crime in Honolulu, anyone can ride in the bed of a pickup unfastened with no repercussions whatsoever.
31. Honolulu, and the rest of the state of Hawaii, has been ranked No. 1 in the country for general well-being. And with landscapes like theirs, it’s not hard to see why.
32. Since 1981, every year thousands of filmmakers and producers flock to Honolulu for HIFF, the Hawaii International Film Festival, which is world-renowned for its East-Meets-West style and is the only one of its type in the country.
33. One of the most popular tourist attractions in Honolulu is the Punchbowl, or as tourists know it, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. This memorial to men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces is listed on the National Register of Historic places and hosts millions of visitors a year.
34. Don’t let the beaches and laidback lifestyle fool you; Honolulu is the 11th largest metropolitan area in the entire United States.
35. In fact, Honolulu is the largest city in the world—if you’re talking city borders. According to Hawaii’s constitution, any island not named to a county, is considered part of Honolulu, making the city 1,500 miles long. For those keeping count, that’s halfway across the whole contiguous United States.
36. In Honolulu, it is considered a crime to use imitation milk in a milkshake if the server hasn’t effectively warned the customer.
37. Along with its natural beauty, Honolulu has several gardens you can visit, including the Foster Botanical Garden, Liliʻuokalani Botanical Garden, Walker Estate, Koko Crater Botanical Garden, which all feature truly beautiful and unique flora.
38. There is a working marine biology laboratory in the Waikiki Aquarium that is partnered with universities worldwide to study ocean life.
39. Daredevils should be careful, but not just for death defying feats. It’s illegal to feed a shark.
40. Waves are incredibly high in December, which means it’s time for Honolulu to host Van’s Triple Crown, the absolute showcase event in the world of professional surfing.
What’s your favorite Honolulu fun fact? Tell us in the comments below!