For the movie adaptation of the book
JURASSIC PARK by Michael Crichton, the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i was chosen to depict the fictional Isla Nublar. Billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) has built a wildlife park on this island where visitors can see cloned dinosaurs.
 |
| Jurassic Park, 0:21:18 |
However, before the park will welcome its first visitors some dangerous species break loose when part of the security network is turned off by computer programmer Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight). At that time Hammond has a few scientists and his two grandchildren among his guests, while the island is being hit by a tropical storm. In reality Kaua'i was hit by hurricane 'Iniki on 11 September 1992, and production was put on hold.
Filming had started on August 24 and would continue on other islands, see the blog posts
Kualoa Ranch, O'ahu HI and
Keopuka Rock, Maui HI. The scene in which Ray Arnold (Samuel L. Jackson) is chased by raptors was canceled because the hurricane had destroyed the scet. Despite the setbacks, Steven Spielberg's film became a huge success, thanks in part to the lifelike dinosaurs.
Before traveling to Isla Nublar, Dennis Nedry has an appointment in San José, Costa Rica, with Lewis Dodgson (Cameron Thor). Nedry is bribed by him to smuggle dinosaurs embryos from the island in a can of shaving foam. This scene was filmed on 1624 Kuhio Highway near Kapa'a. There never was a restaurant here, the current building is furniture store Otsuka's which was build after filming. The palm trees are still recognizable. Across the street is the Kauai Bar. Above the entrance is a large shark, reminiscent of
Jaws, another Steven Spielberg film.
 |
| Jurassic Park, 0:13:13 |
 |
| 1624 Highway, Kapa'a, Kaua'i, 22 June 2017 |
 |
| Jurassic Park, 0:13:28 |
 |
| 1624 Highway, Kapa'a, Kaua'i, 22 June 2017 |
 |
| Jurassic Park, 0:13:50 |
 |
| 1624 Highway, Kapa'a, Kaua'i, 22 June 2017 |
 |
| Jurassic Park, 0:15:03 |
 |
| 1624 Highway, Kapa'a, Kaua'i, 22 June 2017 |
 |
| Kauai Bar, 1607 Highway, Kapa'a, Kaua'i, 22 June 2017 |
The Hammond helicopter with on board Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) and lawyer Donald Gennaro (Martin Ferrero) arrives on a helipad at the bottom of a waterfall. This is Manawaiopuna Falls in the Hanapepe Valley, now also known as Jurassic Falls. The helipad was built especially for the film and then removed. The waterfall is on private property, the best way to see the valley is during a helicopter flight.
 |
| Jurassic Park, 0:17:53 |
 |
| Manawaiopuna Falls, Hanapepe Valley, Kaua'i, 20 June 2017 |
 |
| Jurassic Park, 0:17:58 |
 |
| Manawaiopuna Falls, Hanapepe Valley, Kaua'i, 20 June 2017 |
 |
| Jurassic Park, 0:18:08 |
 |
| Manawaiopuna Falls, Hanapepe Valley, Kaua'i, 20 June 2017 |
 |
| Jurassic Park, 0:18:19 |
 |
| Manawaiopuna Falls, Hanapepe Valley, Kaua'i, 20 June 2017 |
The moment when Hammond's guests (and also the viewer) first see dinosaurs was filmed at the Jurassic Kahili Ranch. For years this ranch remained closed to the public, until 2019 when movie tours were being offered for the first time. Part of the terrain can be seen from the Kuhio Highway. The lake where the brachiosaurians come out of the water is Pu’u Ka Ele Reservoir. It is elsewhere on the ranch, although in the film it looks nearby.
 |
| Jurassic Park, 0:20:20 |
 |
| Jurassic Kahili Ranch, Kaua'i, 22 June 2017 |
 |
| Jurassic Park, 0:20:15 |
 |
| Jurassic Kahili Ranch, Kaua'i, 22 June 2017 |
The Limahalu National Tropical Botanical Garden is located on the same Kuhio Highway at number 8291. This location can be seen a few times in the film, amongst others when the park's game warden Robert Muldoon (Bob Peck) and Ellie discover that animals have escaped. The building is the residence of the raptors, which was built especially for the film at the entrance of the botanical garden.
 |
| Jurassic Park, 0:31:50 |
 |
Limahalu National Tropical Botanical
Garden, Kaua'i, 22 June 2017 |
 |
| Jurassic Park, 1:37:56 |
 |
Limahalu National Tropical Botanical
Garden, Kaua'i, 22 June 2017 |
During production in Hawaii, cast and crew stayed at the Kaua'i Marriott Resort in Lihue. From the hotel they could see the breakwaters near Kalapaki Beach. These shots that ended up in the movie were made during the storm caused by hurricane 'Iniki.
 |
| Jurassic Park, 0:54:14 |
 |
| Kalapaki Beach, Kaua'i, 20 June 2017 |
 |
| Jurassic Park, 0:54:15 |
 |
| Kalapaki Beach, Kaua'i, 20 June 2017 |
Dr. Alan Grant and the two grandchildren of Hammond, Lex (Ariana Richards) and Tim (Joseph Mazzello), try to get to the exit of the park and encounter the electronically secured fence. This scene was filmed in the Olokele Canyon. Just like Manawaiopuna Falls it is largely on private grounds, we sa wit during a helicopter flight.
 |
| Jurassic Park, 1:39:46 |
 |
| Olokele Canyon, Kaua'i, 20 June 2017 |
After
Jurassic Park had become a huge success, sequels were inevitable. Steven Spielberg directed
THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK himself, for part III he was only executive producer. Both sequels were filmed again on the island of Kaua'i.
 |
| The Lost World: Jurassic Park, 0:22:53 |
The second film is based on the book 'The Lost World' that Michael Crichton wrote following the success of the first
Jurassic Park. It is reveiled that there is a second, secret location where cloned dinosaurs are kept. On Site B, or Isla Sorna, the animals now roam free after a devastating hurricane. An expedition team, led by Ian Malolm (Jeff Goldblum), is sent to the island to investigate how the animals were able to survive.
Production design wanted a different location for this movie with landscapes that the audience did not know. New Zealand was considered, but eventually nature reserves in California were chosen. Exceptions were the prologue and some short scenes shot on the Kipu Ranch, Kaua'i, in December 1996. Steven Spielberg had filmed the prologue of
Raiders of the Lost Ark here in 1980.
A wealthy British family sails along the island with their yacht and decides to have lunch on the beach. Their daughter Cathy (Camilla Belle) wanders off and is attacked by a group of compsognathus. Her screams alarm her parents and the crew. Kipu Kai Beach is only accessible from the water, the surrounding land is private property. The beach is visible from a distance during the
Ultimate Ranch Tour that the Kipu Ranch organizes. The same view can be seen in the movie
The Descendants.
 |
| The Lost World: Jurassic Park, 0:02:30 |
 |
| Kipu Kai Beach, Kaua'i, 23 June 2017 |
 |
| The Lost World: Jurassic Park, 0:03:43 |
 |
| Kipu Kai Beach, Kaua'i, 23 June 2017 |
 |
| The Lost World: Jurassic Park, 0:04:05 |
 |
| Kipu Kai Beach, Kaua'i, 23 June 2017 |
Later on in the movie the Kipu Ranch can be seen again as the expedition drives through the valley. During our visit it was clearly less cloudy than at the time of filming.
 |
| The Lost World: Jurassic Park, 0:21:45 |
 |
| Kipu Kai Beach, Kaua'i, 23 June 2017 |
For the third installment,
JURASSIC PARK III, production returned to Hawaii, besides Kaua'i also Molokai. The Jurassic Kahili Ranch was again chosen as a filming location.
 |
| Jurassic Park III, 0:45:20 |
In September 2000 production returned to the ranch for the third film. Dr. Alan Grant visits Isla Sorna through on request of the wealthy couple Paul (William H. Macy) and Amanda Kirby (Téa Leoni) who have promised him to fund his research. Of course there are also hungry dinosaurs on this island. Although the Jurassic Kahili Ranch is not open to the public, there is a
website with information about the history of the ranch and the films that were filmed there.
Towards the end of the film, the survivors manage to escape on a riverboat. They encounter a herd of brachiosaurians. Two landscapes have been combined for this scene, the foreground is the Wailua River, located in the east of Kaua'i, the background is the Jurassic Kahili Ranch which is located in the northern part of the island.
 |
| Jurassic Park III, 1:09:57 |
 |
| Jurassic Kahili Ranch, Kaua'i, 22 June 2017 |
 |
| Wailua River, Kaua'i, 23 June 2017 |
Screenshots © Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment
