Jurassic Park, the 1993 Steven Spielberg-directed blockbuster based on a novel of the same name, sparked a sci-fi franchise beloved by fans that has spanned five sequels over the three decades since its release.
Many key scenes were shot across various islands in Hawaii, with the original trilogy branching out to sites across California, and the more recent trio of films going global to Canada, Malta and the UK.
Diehard fans will be excited to know that many of these sites can be visited by tourists. Read on for everything you need to know about the various filming locations for Jurassic Park and its sequels, as well as how you can visit them.
Where was Jurassic Park filmed?
In the movies, the fictional island of Isla Nublar lies near Central America, 120 miles west of Costa Rica. In reality, much of the filming took place in Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.
O’ahu
The main island which stars as Isla Nublar is actually Oahu, the third-largest Hawaiian island. Kualoa Ranch provided a hub for several scenes – as well as plenty of other movies and TV shows, including Lost, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Kong: Skull Island.
Kauai
Another popular filming site for Jurassic Park – the state’s fourth-largest island.
A few scenes were shot at Jurassic Kahili Ranch, as well as Manawaiopuna Falls. The latter was used for a helicopter takeoff and landing scenes in the original movie.
Kauai’s “Blue Hole” serves as the front gate to Jurassic Park, while Olokele Valley is seen in the electric fence scene and Hoopii Falls in Kapaa acts as the Mano de Dios Amber Mine.
Also used are Valley House Plantation Estate in Kealia, which becomes the Visitor Centre exterior, and Waikoko Forest Management Road at the base of Mount Wai’ale’ale, which is the site of the Jurassic Park gate, according to IMDB.
Allerton Garden and Limahuli Garden, both part of Kauai’s National Tropical Botanical Garden, featured in the film, as did Lawai and Hanapepe Valley.
Maui
The Garden of Eden Arboretum and Botanical Garden on Maui was featured several times in the original movie, including in an opening scene when scientists make their way to the island by helicopter.
California
Various studios were used for on-set filming of interior and night scenes, including Warner Brothers Burbank Studios and Universal Studios.
Tehachapi Pass, across the Tehachapi Mountains in Kern County, was used to film an archaeological dig, as was Red Rock Canyon State Park near Ridgecrest in the Mojave Desert. The Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles was another filming site for the original movie, according to IMDB.
Where the other Jurassic Park movies made?
Many of the filming locations in Kauai and Oahu were also used in the sequels, which – in order of release – are:
- The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
- Jurassic Park III (2001)
- Jurassic World (2015)
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
- Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
Kauai’s Na Pali Coast serves as the fictional Isla Sorna, also known as “Site B2, in The Lost World, while Kipu Kai on the island’s south-east side appears in the franchise’s second instalment, when the Bowman family are dining on the beach.
According to IMDB, the second film also used sites in California including Redwoods National Forest.
In Jurassic Park III, the final rescue scene features Kauai’s Pilaa Beach.
The first film in the Jurassic World trilogy that followed the original trio is also set on Isla Nublar and therefore filmed at Jurassic Kahili Ranch, Manawaiopuna Falls, Olokele Valley and the Blue Hole.
Na Pali Coast State Park (revamped as “the Garden Isle”), Manoa Falls andHonolulu Zoo served as new locations in Jurassic World.
The 2015 film reportedly featured Makai Research Pier in Oahu for the arrival of the Nublar ferry, Hawaii Convention Centre on Oahu as the fictional Hilton Isla Nublar Resort, and Hangar 79 at the Pearl Harbour Aviation Museum for the scene where the characters reunite in a big aeroplane hangar.
The spot where Owen, Claire and Franklin wash ashore in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is Halona Beach on Oahu, while the 2018 movie’s escape sequence was filmed in the island’s He’eia State Park.
Are there Jurassic Park locations in Europe?
Yes. In the latest instalment, 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, some production moved to Europe. Many scenes were completed at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire.
Malta was also used, ioncluding the capital, Valletta, and the fortified cities Floriana and Birgu.
Other Maltese locations included Għar Tuta cave in Mellieħa – representing a dig site supposedly in Utah – and St Lawrence’s Church in Vittoriosa.
The crew also filmed in at sites in British Columbia, Canada, including the city of Merritt and The Bridge Studios in Burnaby. There was also filming in Atlanta, Georgia, in the USA.
Can I visit the filming locations for Jurassic Park?
It is possible to visit or see plenty of the locations.
For the key sites on Oahu and Kauai, fly into Honolulu International Airport (HNL), and then connect to Lihue Airport (LIH) for the latter.
The ease of getting to some of the popular sites varies, with some accessible by road or sea but others only able to be viewed from afar, including by helicopter tours.
For example, the best way to see the Na Pali Coast is by water or air, with charter boat and helicopter tours available, while Manawaiopuna Falls sits on private property but can be seen by helicopter ride.
Jurassic Kahili Ranch is also on private property, with no tours available and strictly enforced trespassing rules.
Kauai’s Kipu Kai beach is accessible but best reached by boat, with charters available, while Pilaa Beach is also tricky to get to but accessible by a steep, rocky access trail.
Allerton Garden and Limahuli Garden and Preserve can be explored more easily, by guided and self-guided tours which can be booked ahead of time on their website.
To reach Hoopii Falls, meanwhile, it’s a 1.8-mile out-and-back hike considered to be a “moderately challenging route”.
On Oahu, Halona Beach can also be hiked to, while the starring Kualoa Ranch offers outdoor activities and tours of many of its popular filming sites by bus, boat, ATV and e-bikes.
Honolulu Zoo, which doubled as the Isla Nublar resort’s petting zoo in Jurassic World, is a popular tourist attraction that be found in Kapi’olani Regoinal Park, between Waikiki Beach and the Diamond Head State Monument, while the Hawaii Convention Centre in Oahu regularly hosts a wide range of events throughout the year.
He’eia State Park is on the windward side of Oahu, in Kaneohe, and the 18-acre site can be seen by self-guided walking tours, while Makai Research Pier is open to the public and offers whale watching and dinner cruises.
Meanwhile, the Pearl Harbour Aviation Museum – where Hangar 79 is located – is of course open to visitors.
The Garden of Eden Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Maui features the Keōpuka Rock (“Jurassic Rock” in the first film) at the Keōpuka Rock Overlook, which can be hiked to by trail.
California’s Red Rock Canyon State Park is open for hiking and camping, while Universal Studios in California puts on tours.
The Griffith Observatory is located on the south slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park, in the centre of metropolitan Los Angeles, and therefore easily accessible by public transport, walking, biking or driving, with paid parking available nearby and free parking downhill.
For fans of the later films, the various metropolitan filming sites in British Columbia can also be reached with relative ease, as can those in Malta.