In May, Elks Lodge #2714 members Holly and David Aulen spent some time on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu and had the opportunity to visit the local Elks Lodge in Honolulu.
Honolulu's Elks Lodge 616 sits in a unique location with the ocean at one side and Diamond Head State Monument on the other side.
Whenever we talked with residents about our plans to visit the lodge we were told how lucky we were. It seems to be a special place among locals and has legendary status after its establishment in 1901. To get there we took a half-hour walk from our downtown Waikiki Hotel along the oceanfront Kapiolani Park.
The lodge building itself was impressive (built in 1959 after razing the original building) and felt very Hawaiian with rock pillars and bamboo furnishings. When you enter, you are met by the reception team (3 people working the desk when we visited) to verify membership and sign the guest log. Straight ahead is the lounge and dining room that easily can accommodate over 100 diners. The display of the lodge's history is impressive!
Fun fact: The lodge was a filming location for the original Magnum P.I. series in Season 1.
It would have ben easy to spend the day here. The bar was lively with both local and visiting members and there were many food and drink options. Facilities include a swimming pool, gym, and locker room. If we wanted to swim in the ocean all we had to do was climb down a staircase leading directly to the water. On the second floor we found the large banquet room, a smaller room where members were using for card games, and an outdoor terrace that was being decorated for a wedding. A variety of merchandise was available for purchase and we had to restrain ourselves.
Membership is hard to come by. We found out that it is capped to 5,000 and the waiting list is years long. We were surprised to learn that dues were only $400/year given all the amenities that came with membership.
We had a great afternoon visiting this unique place and enjoyed having the privilege to be able to visit a local lodge during our travels.
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