It’s a brand new show, ok a remake, on CBS, and it’s shooting all over the island of Oahu. Hawaii Five-0, Episode 1, the Pilot episode, originally aired on September 20, 2010. It included locations all over the island and some great spots that if you’re here on vacation, you’ll probably want to hit up. (Like the beach where Grace Park smacked some surfer chump.)
These are the most filming locations on Oahu where the scenes were shot for this episode that you could visit while here. We’ll try and do screen shots as best we can from each episode that we pulled from the online videocast at CBS.com.
Makua Valley: The episode starts out with Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) riding in an Army vehicle. A lot of people think this scene was shot at the Kualoa Ranch where a lot of LOST episodes were filmed but I’m pretty sure they’re driving on Makua Valley Road in the amazing Makua Valley. The Valley is on the furthest point North West on the island of Oahu.
This valley is best viewed from above but you can drive down Farrington Hwy and get a good view too. The Valley is a military training ground that is one of the most sacred spots for Native Hawaiians, said to be the mythic birthplace of Hawaiians.
The valley and surroundings have a huge number of native and endangered Hawaiian plants that if you get a chance to go on a hike around here, tread carefully, and enjoy. It’s an amazing place.
Arizona Memorial – Pearl Harbor: The next place, where McGarrett is after he touches down in Hawaii and where he meets Chin Ho Kelly (Daniel Dae Kim) is the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. If you’re headed to Hawaii and the island of Oahu you don’t want to miss this tour. From the visitors center where the historical museum and information posters will keep you busy during the hour or two wait, to the video, to the boat ride out to the USS Arizona Memorial. It’s all truly remarkable.
It looks like the scene with Chin Ho is filmed on the lawn outside the visitors center but that was a little trickier to see if it was actually there or somewhere else.
Hale’iwa Ali’i Beach Park: Chin Ho takes McGarrett and Danny “Danno” Williams (Scott Caan) to find out some information and it looks like he’s taking him to a great little beach side shave ice place to meet a local guy. The place he takes them is Hale’iwa Ali’i Beach Park on the North Shore of Oahu. The beach park itself doesn’t have a shave ice place in that building, it’s a lifeguard building, but the beach is amazing.
In the summertime the beach is filled with families just cruising. BBQs tents, you name it. In the winter, it’s a whole other crowd. Filled with anyone looking to catch some of the waves in Hale’iwa. One of the stops of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is at the breaks in front of this beach. Great spot to visit any time of year.
Waimea Bay Beach Park: Waimea Bay Beach Park and the water here is featured twice in this episode. The first time is just before the Ali’i Beach park scene where the boy is jumping off the rock/cliff into the water and a yellow bikini clad babe pops out of the water. That’s Waimea Bay and if you want to jump off the rock there, you need to go in the summer or on a super calm winter day, and you need to make nice with the local kids who usually set up shop at the top.
The other time Waimea Bay Beach Park is featured is when Chin Ho takes McGarrett and Danno to meet his cousin, the ex pro surfer, bikini beauty Kono Kalakua (Grace Park). This is the Grace Park surf scene where she punches the guy after he drops in on her. A lot of pictures have been floating around the internet for quite a few months now that were taking at Waimea Bay, the best one of the scene we just couldn’t resist grabbing.
Finally, a few randoms. The gun scene where McGarrett and Danno race through the rundown homes in the jungle looks like somewhere in Waimanalo while the fight scenes where Grace Park strips down to her bra and underwear look like they’re somewhere out on Sand Island Access Road. The Bridge scene with McGarret and Danno is Ford Island Bridge. All those places are tough to get to or you don’t really want to go.
More next week from the second episode of Hawaii Five-0.
Tags: Alex O'Loughlin, Daniel Dae Kim, Filming Locations, Grace Park, Hawaii Five-0, Hollywood, Scott Caan
I LOVE HAWAII 5-0 AND STEVE AND DANNO