Finding Hawaii Five-0 Filming Locations On Oahu

In addition to the attractive detectives solving the weekly crime mystery, Hawaii is the shining star of the CBS hit TV series Hawaii Five-0. We may never know the influence the show has had on Hawaii tourism, but every Monday night, the show highlights Hawaii’s beauty — enticing viewers to visit.

The vast majority of scenes are filmed on Oahu, where the Five-0 team is stationed in the tropical metropolis of Honolulu.

I love playing my own detective role with each episode by trying to determine where Hawaii Five-0 scenes are filmed. In fact, sometimes I find I’m more interested in the scenery than the story line.

I’ve put together this list of recognizable filming locations for fellow Hawaii Five-0 fans to explore as part of their Oahu vacation.

Kualoa Ranch Many of the jungle and mountain scenes are filmed at Kualoa Ranch on windward Oahu. (See this map for the exact location.) The ranch has been the site of many television shows and movies, such as LOST, 50 First Dates and Jurassic Park, to name a few. The ranch offers a movie set and ranch tour that’s roughly an hour-long. Read our review of this tour. Kualoa Ranch is nice to see, regardless of its television and big screen fame.

Ali’iolani Hale — Hawaii Five-0 Headquarters  Historic Iolani Palace and Ali’iolani Hale are located near each other in downtown Honolulu. In the show the exterior of Ali’iolani Hale is shown. This building is the headquarters for the state of Hawaii’s judicial system. You would probably also recognize the statue of King Kamehameha in front of the building.

Hilton Hawaiian Village This longstanding Waikiki hotel has been the backdrop for many scenes. (See our post with photos and video of Hilton Hawaiian Village.)  When the team meets up for dinner, usually it’s at the oceanfront Tropics Bar and Grill, though I’m not sure how recognizable it would be.

Do you recall the episode when Chin was grieving the loss of his wife and he was sitting on the beach and Danno joined him? That was shot on the beach just outside of Tropics Bar and Grill. The rest of the team were dining in Tropics while Danno and Chin had their conversation.

Perhaps a more recognizable filming spot near Hilton Hawaiian Village, is where Kamekono parks his shrimp truck. It’s near the ocean side of Kahanamoku Lagoon. I believe the shrimp truck is only onsite just for filming, though. The scenery should look familiar. The following photo shows Rainbow Tower of Hilton Hawaiian Village. Kahanamoku Lagoon is located on the right side of Rainbow Tower. The shrimp truck scenes are filmed near the top sliver of sandy beach just to the left on Rainbow Tower  and near to the rock wall that’s built into the ocean.

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Many of the show’s funeral scenes are filmed at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, which is also known as Punchbowl. Steve McGarrett’s father’s grave site is set here. We recommend that you visit this site regardless of your interest in the television show. It’s a beautiful and moving place to visit. See our post on visiting Punchbowl.

Other Hawaii Five-0 related posts

• Though Leonard’s Bakery and Liliha Bakery haven’t been the sites of filming, their food has been featured. See Hawaii Five-0 has great taste in bakeries.
• The exceptionally picturesque Byodo-In had been featured in Hawaii Five-0 and other popular movies and television shows.
• During the first season, we shared these eight myths of Hawaii Five-0.