The 2001 Michael Bay film “Pearl Harbor” was primarily filmed in Hawaii, Southern California and England. In the film, Rafe McCawley, played by Ben Affleck, is accompanied by Danny Walker, played by Josh Hartnett, as he departs a train station to join the front lines of the war in England. These scenes were filmed at Union Station, a train station in Downtown Los Angeles. It has been featured in many films, such as “Blade Runner” “Catch Me If You Can,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Species,” “To Live And Die In L.A.,” “Bugsy,” “Nick of Time,” “The Replacement Killers,” “Mike’s Murder,” “The Way We Were,” “Union Station,” “Under the Rainbow” and more.
LOCATION: 800 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The scenes where Doolittle, played by Alec Baldwin, prepares his pilots to fly short takeoffs were filmed at the north hangar of the Marine Corps Air Station Tustin (72-7 Tustin Ranch Rd, Irvine, CA 92606). There are two hangers located at the air station, which closed back in 1999 and has since been used in many productions, such as the 2009 version of “Star Trek,” “The Hindenburg,” “The Man’s Navy” and “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.” It also appeared in Michael Jackson’s music video for “Hold My Hand,” as well as countless commercials. In 2023, a fire destroyed the north hanger. However, the south hanger, which has been seen in such TV shows as “The X-Files” and “From the Earth to the Moon,” was unaffected by the fire and remains standing.
Evelyn Johnson, played by Kate Beckinsale, leaves a movie theater after she is upset by one of the newsreels. This scene was filmed at the Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro, California. The same theater also appeared in many other films, including “Zodiac,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Babylon,” “Seabiscut,” “Remote Control,” “Win A Date With Tad Hamilton,” “It’s Pat: The Movie,” “Ghosts Of Mississippi,” “Boys And Girls,” “Live By Night,” “Worth Winning,” “Mark Of Love,” “Invasion Earth: The Aliens Are Here” and “From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks.” It has also appeared in such television series as “The O.C.,” “Party Of Five,” “Melrose Place,” “T.J.Hooker,” “7th Heaven” and “Cousin Skeeter.”
LOCATION: 478 W 6th St, San Pedro, CA 90731
Evelyn and Danny talk next door to the theater at the fictional Black Cat Diner.
LOCATION: 470 W 6th St, San Pedro, CA 90731
Japanese planes are seen approaching Hawaii near Kualoa Regional Park, with a small island known as Mokolii seen on the right. It is a popular photo spot for tourists and very close to the house from “50 First Dates.”
LOCATION: Near Kualoa Regional Park, 49-479 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744
A man is seen riding a motorcycle towards a bunker, where the planes are first detected by American radar. This scene was filmed at Kualoa Ranch in O’ahu. The ranch offers tours and this area can be seen on their film tour. Inside are many props and displays showcasing the many filmed shot at the ranch over the years.
LOCATION: Kualoa Ranch, 49-560 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744
The Japanese planes are also seen passing this area, which is also part of Kualoa Ranch. Kualoa Ranch has been featured in dozens of films, such as “Jurassic Park,” “Jurassic World,” “Triple Frontier” and many more, as well as the television show “Lost.”
The 2004 comedy “50 First Dates” was filmed primarily in Oahu, Hawaii, with some additional scenes filmed in Southern California.
The Hukilau Cafe, where Henry, played by Adam Sandler, first meets Lucy, played by Drew Barrymore, was a set built for the film. Contrary to some information online, it no longer exists. It was filmed near the Moli’i Fishpond, which is adjacent to Kualoa Ranch. The ranch in fact owns this land and it has been featured in many films, including “Jurassic World,” “Triple Frontier,” “Snatched,” “Tears of the Sun,” “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates,” “You, Me and Dupree” and the TV show “Lost.” There are some buildings there, but they were not used as the restaurant set, which was torn down after filming.
There are a couple ways to see this area. The local shops near the pond, which rent their buildings from Kualoa Ranch, offer tours of their own near the water for a small fee. However, the Premier Movie Site Tour offered by Kualoa Ranch itself stops at this area and covers it in detail, which is our recommended way to see it. Here is a view of the general area where the cafe set was built.
LOCATION: 49-243 Kuukama St, Kailua, HI 96734
Here is a small sign nearby marking it as the filming location.
It is a challenge to find the house of Lucy and even more of a challenge to photograph it. The easiest way to pinpoint the general area is to find the Waikane Store on Kamehameha Hwy, located at 48-377 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744. There is an unnamed road sitting right beside the store, which leads to Lucy’s house. However, where the road dead ends, you still can’t see the house very well. Here instead is an aerial view of the property.
The pier, known as Waikane Pier, also appeared in the TV show “Lost.” Only remnants of it exist now. Further out in the water, you can see a small island known as Mokolii, which can also be seen in the film. It is a popular photo spot for tourists.
The road where Henry keeps finding creative ways to stop Lucy can be found on Kualoa Ranch. Countless other films have shot in this area, ranging from “Jurassic Park” to “Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle” to “Windtalkers.” If we have one complaint about the Kualoa Ranch tours (which are otherwise great), even on their Premier Movie Site Tour, they drive through this area rather quickly and do not stop. This makes getting decent photographs a challenge.
LOCATION: Kualoa Ranch, 49-560 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744
Later in the film, Lucy is admitted to the Callahan Institute for Brain Injuries. This was filmed at the Cabrillo Beach Bath House in San Pedro, California. The same location was famously featured in the film “Face/Off.”
LOCATION: 3800 Stephen M White Dr, San Pedro, CA 90731
The Cabrillo Beach Bath House interiors were also used in the film. The staff is very friendly there and welcoming to the public, so don’t hesitate to visit.
While much of J.C. Chandor’s 2019 heist film “Triple Frontier” is set in South America, it was mostly filmed in O’ahu, Hawaii, with a few scenes filmed in Colombia and the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.
Ben Affleck’s character is introduced unsuccessfully trying to sell a property to prospective buyers at Pae Ko Gardens in Kapolei. As he exits, Oscar Isacc is outside waiting to speak with him.
LOCATION: 91-1040 Kaiau Ave, Kapolei, HI 96707
The two stand in the parking lot and talk.
Just a few blocks away is Ben Affleck’s house in the film, where he is only allowed in the garage.
LOCATION: 91-228 Pilipiliula Pl, Kapolei, HI 96707
The camera is mostly positioned inside the garage, looking out towards the neighboring houses across the street.
LOCATION: 91-229 / 91-225 Pilipiliula Pl, Kapolei, HI 96707
As Affleck drives his daughter to school, he stops by a convenience store. The real building is currently a restaurant.
LOCATION: 91-775 Papipi Rd, Ewa Beach, HI 96706
He then drops his daughter off at school, which was filmed at Samuel Wilder King Intermediate School in Kaneohe.
LOCATION: 46-155 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744
The freeway establishing shot in South America is actually the iconic Interstate H-3 in O’ahu, also known as the John A. Burns Freeway, which crosses east and west over the Southeast side of the island. The freeway is known for it’s viaducts running alongside the lush Hawaiian landscape. We could not replicate the aerial view seen in the film, but here is a view of the freeway from one of the nearby neighborhoods.
LOCATION: Interstate H-3, Kaneohe, HI 96744
This is the view actually driving the H-3. Some visual effects were used in the film to add a small village near the road.
The house where the heist takes place was a composite of a couple different locations. The main building is part of the historic Clarence H. Cooke Residence, which can be found on Old Pali Road in Honolulu. It’s actually almost directly across the street from George Clooney’s house in “The Descendants.” Unfortunately, the building seen in the film is not visible from the road.
The gate and surrounding jungle seen in the film were actually filmed at Kualoa Ranch (49-560 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744). Unfortunately, the area where the gate set was built was not identified on their movie tour. Here is a view of the real gate to the Clarence H. Cooke Residence, which of course was never seen from this residential view in the film.
LOCATION: Clarence H. Cooke Residence, 3860 Old Pali Rd, Honolulu, HI 96817
The crew can be seen having drinks at this cottage, which sits near the the Moli’i Fishpond in Kailua. The property is actually owned by Kualoa Ranch. This cottage building can also be seen in the Bruce Willis film “Tears of the Sun.” The surrounding buildings and pond have also been featured in many movies, such as “Jurassic World,” “50 First Dates,” “Snatched,” “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates,” “You, Me and Dupree” and TV show “Lost.”
This area, while private, can be seen as part of the Premier Movie Site Tour of Kualoa Ranch. It’s worth mentioning that parts can also by seen by visiting the local shops near the pond, which rent their buildings from Kualoa Ranch. They offer tours of their own near the water for a small fee, but the Premier Movie Site Tour offered by the ranch is our recommended way to see it.
LOCATION: 49-243 Kuukama St, Kailua, HI 96734
The helicopter crash site was filmed on the main property of Kualoa Ranch. Their tours do not go up close to the exact site, but they do pass nearby and offer a view in the distance. A couple buildings from the film, seen on the left side, are still standing. Countless productions have also filmed in this area, including the 1998 remake of “Mighty Joe Young,” “Windtalkers” and dozens more.
LOCATION: Kualoa Ranch, 49-560 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744
Steven Spielberg’s classic 1993 film “Jurassic Park” takes place on the fictional island of Isla Nublar, supposedly near Costa Rica. The real locations were filmed mostly in Hawaii, on the islands of Kauaʻi, O’ahu and Maui, with some additional scenes filmed on studio lots near Hollywood, California.
The Velociraptor pen seen in the film was a set built at Limahuli Garden & Preserve in Northern Kauaʻi. It was removed after filming and a visitor’s center building now stands in it’s place. However, the mountains in the background can still be matched up. If you want to visit the garden itself, it has a very small parking lot that fills up quickly, so advanced reservations are recommended.
LOCATION: Limahuli Garden & Preserve, National Tropical Botanical Garden, 5-8291 Kuhio Hwy, Hanalei, HI 96714
Grant and Ellie, played by Sam Neill and Laura Dern, are introduced discovering dinosaur fossils at a dig site supposedly located in the Badlands, near Snakewater, Montana. These scenes were actually filmed at Red Rock Canyon State Park in Cantil, California, a couple hours north of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert. To get to the area seen in the film, you can take the Red Cliffs Nature Trail from the Red Rock Cliffs Parking Area, which will lead you most of the way there. We’ve provided GPS coordinates below.
LOCATION: Red Rock Canyon State Park, Cantil, CA 93519 (GPS coordinates: 35°22’26.2″N, 117°58’18.2″W)
Here is the area where Grant talks to the young boy about the hunting techniques of the raptor.
Here is one of the angles from the area where the monitor canopy was set up. Closer to the rocks is also the area where the camper trailer is parked and Hammond, played by Richard Attenborough, opens the champagne.
This area is not seen in the film, but we’ve included it for reference to those who wish to visit. From the Red Rock Cliffs Parking Area, you start where this Red Cliffs Nature Trail sign is located. It is roughly a 20 minute hike from here, which we’d describe as moderate with some hills. Once you get over the hills from the parking lot, there is a trail most of the way. You can follow the cliffs to the left as a reference to keep your bearings most of the way. We highly recommend knowing your route before you go, as cellular service is spotty. We also recommend plenty of water and avoiding hiking during excessive heat.
Nedry, played by Wayne Knight, meets Dodgson at an outdoor dining area, supposedly located in San Jose, Costa Rica. The real location is just off the Kuhio Highway in Kapaʻa, Kauaʻi. There are numerous food trucks there where motorists can stop and enjoy local food. This is the spot where Dodgson first arrives by the side of the road.
LOCATION: 4-1620 Kuhio Hwy, Kapaʻa, HI 96746
This is the general area where Nedry and Dodgson sit and discuss plans to steal dinosaur DNA from InGen and sell it to a rival company. As you can see, the area has changed a little bit. While there are tables you can sit and eat, they are closer to the road at the food trucks. In the film, the two sit further back near the palm trees.
One of the most memorable scenes in the film is of course the first dinosaur sighting. For years, it also remained one of the most elusive locations to fans. The brachiosaurus encounter was filmed at Jurassic Kahili Ranch in Kauaʻi. The land is a private ranch for horse, sheep and cattle. For decades, it did not offer tours of any kind and only a select few ever made it onto the property. That changed in 2019, when the ranch began offering public tours for the first time, including a tour dedicated to filming locations around the ranch. The tours were unfortunately suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic, but they may resume in the future. Besides the original film, “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” “Jurassic Park III” and “Jurassic World” also filmed at the ranch.
Here is where Hammond rides with Grant, Ellie and Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) in the Jeeps, as they first approach a hill towards the brachiosaurus.
LOCATION: Jurassic Kahili Ranch, 5-1771D, Kuhio Hwy, Kilauea, HI 96754
The vehicles continue driving past this row of trees.
Here is the exact spot where they first see the brachiosaurus. It is eating from the tree on the right. As iconic as this scene is, the ranch itself is so vast, it would be quite easy to miss if you didn’t know the general vicinity. However, once you’re there, if you know the film, it’s very identifiable.
LOCATION: Jurassic Kahili Ranch, 5-1771D, Kuhio Hwy, Kilauea, HI 96754, USA (GPS coordinates: 22°11’09.7″N, 159°23’19.4″W)
As Grant sits on the ground bewildered by what he’s just seen, he looks the opposite direction and sees a herd of dinosaurs at a lake. This is made to appear as if it’s right near the trees where the first brachiosaurus is seen, but in reality is a completely different part of the ranch. Visual effects were used to composite the actors into the shot, to appear to be overlooking the lake.
This was filmed at the Pu’u Ka Ele Reservoir, located on the ranch. After a breach of the nearby Ka Loko Reservoir in 2006, located about 2 miles east of the ranch, the owners decided to decommission the Pu’u Ka Ele Reservoir in 2009 and downsize it into a lake. This is how it appears now. This same lake was featured again in “Jurassic Park III,” when Dr. Grant and the survivors ride a barge along the water and pass herds of dinosaurs standing along the banks.
If you get a chance to visit Jurassic Kahili Ranch in Kauaʻi, we certainly encourage you to do so if you’re a fan of the film. There are other, very recognizable locations from the other “Jurassic Park” films to be seen there as well. The staff is very friendly and welcoming to photography and video and eager for fan input on how to improve the experience. With the ranch now open to tours, it will likely grow as a tourist hot spot in the years to come.
Later in the film, a storm arrives on the island, which was filmed at Nawiliwili Harbor in Kauaʻi. The very real Hurricane Iniki hit Kauaʻi during filming in 1992. Spielberg and the cast were safely holed up at the Marriott Resort in Lihue when the hurricane struck. The hurricane resulted in many scenes initially planned for filming in Kauaʻi to be shifted to O’ahu, as well as the studio lots in California. However, they managed to use footage of the actual hurricane in the film, taken at the hotel looking out over the harbor. If you don’t want to visit the hotel, there is a nearby park, from which the harbor can also be seen pretty well.
LOCATION: Nawiliwili Harbor, Lihue, HI 96766 (seen near 3610 Rice St, Lihue, HI 96766)
The T-rex attack was filmed at Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank, California, on their tallest sound stage. The T-rex chasing Malcolm and Ellie was originally intended to be shot in Kauaʻi, however. Due to the hurricane, this scene was also shifted to the Warner lot and can sometimes be seen on their studio tours, depending on the production schedules around the lot (4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505).
Perhaps the most widely known location for this film is Kualoa Ranch in O’ahu. The Gallimimus stampede, with Grant and the two children, was not initially intended to be filmed at Kualoa Ranch. Instead it was meant to be another location in Kauaʻi. Kualoa was a replacement location, due to the hurricane. Here is the main valley at the ranch, where the stampede takes place.
LOCATION: Kualoa Ranch, 49-560 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744
The original log they hide behind as the T-rex hunts and eats the Gallimimus was replaced by the ranch in 2012, due to deterioration. However, the ranch still has a small piece of the original log behind the replacement. They added a sign for the film and it has since become the most popular photo location on the ranch. It’s right next to the main tour trail, so it’s very easy to access.
These mountains were seen in the background as Grant and the kids hide and watch the T-rex.
While “Jurassic Park” was not the first movie to film at Kualoa, it certainly became the most famous. After this film, countless other films, TV shows, commercials and music videos began filming on the ranch, bringing with it quite a lot of tourism. The ranch has so many filming locations, it’s almost like a studio tour. There are a wide variety of tours available at the ranch, many of which are not film related. While the locations from this film can be seen on quite a few of the tours, we recommend the Premier Movie Site Tour, as it takes you to many locations from other films that are only seen on that particular tour.
If you get a chance to visit Hawaii, there are quite a few “Jurassic Park” locations to be seen. Some are quite a challenge to visit, however, involving hiking or private helicopter rides as the only way to reach them. For the casual fan, we recommend Jurassic Kahili Ranch in Kauaʻi and Kualoa Ranch in O’ahu. Both offer spectacular views and very recognizable locations from multiple different “Jurassic Park” films. As a reminder, these are private ranches closed to the general public for unauthorized experiences. Please do not trespass. The only way to see them is by booking a tour.
Thanks to Sean Mello for providing the GPS coordinates of the brachiosaurus tree.
To see our “Jurassic Park” location page, click here.