If you have ever watched Magnum PI and wondered which parts of Hawaii are real, you are not alone.
I used to pause episodes just to check if that beach house was actually on Oahu. This guide answers that question in full.
Here, you will find every major filming location from both the original series with Tom Selleck and the 2018 reboot with Jay Hernandez.
That includes Robin's Nest, Kualoa Ranch, Hanauma Bay, La Mariana Sailing Club, and the real spot behind the King Kamehameha Club. You will also learn which locations you can visit today and which ones are gone for good.
I have gone through old episodes, fan records, and location guides to pull this together, so you get facts you can trust. No guessing, just the real spots behind the show.
Where was Magnum PI Filmed?
Magnum PI has two versions, and both used the island of Oahu, Hawaii as the main backdrop for almost every scene. The 1980s original ran for eight seasons and stuck close to real homes and clubs on the island.
The 2018 reboot leaned more on studio work and digital tricks, but still built its whole world around Oahu. Reboot showrunner Eric Guggenheim has said the crew tried to use every inch of the island, since almost any angle on Oahu looks good on camera.
Both shows used the same mix of beaches, cliffs, city streets, and private estates. Some spots you can still visit today. Others are long gone or off limits to the public. Here's the full guide to every spot, along with what still stands and what doesn't.
Complete Guide to Magnum PI Filming Locations
This guide covers every major Oahu location used in both Magnum PI shows, from beach estates to city streets and helicopter pads.
Oahu gave the show its whole look and feel. The producers used real homes, public parks, private clubs, and city streets to build the world of Thomas Magnum. Here's where each piece came from.
Robin's Nest Estate (Waimānalo)
The original Robin's Nest sat on a beach property in Waimānalo, on the windward side of Oahu. Locals called this address in Waimānalo the special spot where the series was filmed from 1980 to 1988.
The home itself was built in 1933 and designed by Louis Davis, an American architect known for homes and public buildings in Hawaii. Sadly, the house was torn down in April 2018.
Hanauma Bay
This bay sits on the southeast coast of Oahu. It shows up in aerial shots and gives the show its clear blue water look, a spot fans still visit today for snorkeling and swimming.
Honolulu and Waikiki
Honolulu handled most of the city scenes, and Waikiki Beach appears again and again. Waikiki Beach shows up so often across the show that it would take forever to list every episode it appears in.
Hawaii Kai
This residential area on the east side of Oahu shows up in several episodes as a backdrop for outdoor scenes and quiet neighborhood shots.
Diamond Head
The famous volcanic crater sits close to Waikiki. Some of the show's interior scenes were shot at a studio near Diamond Head in Honolulu.
Kualoa Ranch and Kualoa Regional Park
Kualoa sits on the windward side of the island and became one of the most used spots in the reboot. The wide aerial shot of Robin's Nest that opens almost every episode places the fictional house at Kualoa Regional Park.
The ranch also doubled as a North Korea jungle in the pilot episode and returned again for a helicopter chase scene near the end of the season. Just offshore sits Chinaman's Hat, also known as Mokoliʻi, a small island that shows up in the background of many outdoor scenes shot at the ranch.
Makai Pier (Island Hoppers)
This research pier sits near Makapuu Point in Waimānalo. It served as TC's Island Hoppers helicopter office and landing pad in the original series, with Roger E.
Mosley playing the pilot who flew Magnum around the island whenever he needed a lift.
Elks Lodge (King Kamehameha Club)
The private Elks Honolulu Lodge on Kalakaua Avenue stood in for the King Kamehameha Club during the first season.
It handled both indoor and outdoor scenes, including the parking lot, main bar, dining area, and deck patio, but noise and crowding made the crew drop it after season one.
Later seasons also used the Clarence H. Cooke House for club scenes, and the club itself was run on screen by Rick, played by Larry Manetti.
Other Notable Oahu Filming Locations
The show also used spots across Honolulu including Makiki Heights, Pali Highway, Kahala Avenue, and Kamehameha Highway. Downtown scenes used the First Hawaiian Bank building, and street art scenes were shot on Cooke Street in Kakaako.
Windward Oahu's Byodo-In Temple, a Buddhist temple in the Valley of the Temples, appears in one of the show's best remembered episodes too.
Where Was Magnum PI Filmed with Tom Selleck?
The original 1980s series leaned on real Oahu homes and clubs, giving fans actual addresses tied to Magnum's world.
The Original Robin's Nest
As mentioned above, this beach house in Waimānalo served as the main set for eight seasons. It had a private tidal basin and sat close to Rabbit Island. The house is gone now, but the shoreline still looks close to how it did on screen.
Classic Locations from the 1980–1988 Series
Beyond Robin's Nest, the crew used the Outrigger Canoe Club for beach volleyball and beachfront scenes, and later moved King Kamehameha Club scenes to Waialae Beach Park, where an outdoor bar set was built under a public pavilion.
That "Beach Bar" setting became the most used version of the club for the rest of the run.
Filming Locations That Still Exist Today
Not every spot got torn down. The old King Kamehameha Club location is now the Kahala Hotel & Resort, and a plaque there marks the site as the old set from the show.
The Outrigger Canoe Club and Elks Lodge also still operate today.
Where was the Magnum PI Reboot Filmed?
The 2018 reboot filmed on Oahu too, but used studio work and digital tricks to build a new version of Robin's Nest, with Jay Hernandez stepping into the lead role of Thomas Magnum.
CGI Robin's Nest
The new Robin's Nest doesn't exist as one single house. The exterior mixes a real oceanfront home in Kaneohe with the hills of Kualoa Ranch, digitally placed into the same shot, since no house like that actually stands on the ranch grounds.
Kaneohe and Kualoa Ranch
The interior mixes sets built at Kalaeloa Studio with parts of a working estate called Banyan House in Honolulu, while the wide shots of the property come from Kualoa Regional Park.
La Mariana Sailing Club
Rick's bar in the reboot took its style from La Mariana, a real Honolulu spot that has served tiki drinks since 1957.
The production designer said he pulled ideas from the "funky" real bar, though many set pieces came from California and many photos on set were donated by the cast and crew.
Other Reboot Filming Locations
Other spots used across the reboot include Maili Point, Heeia Kea Jungle, Kaneohe Bay, the Bishop Museum, and the Oahu Veterans Center, which stands in for the police station.
Famous Magnum PI Scenes and Where They Were Filmed
Some scenes became so well known that fans still track down the exact spot where they were shot.
Opening Credits at Hanauma Bay
The opening sequence uses coastal shots along east Oahu, giving the whole show its tone before a single line of dialogue plays.
Robin's Nest Scenes
Both versions of the house blend several real spots into one location, using camera angles and in the reboot's case, digital editing, to make it look like one estate.
Island Hoppers Helicopter Office
TC's helicopter business used Makai Pier in the original series, a real research facility that had nothing to do with tourism in real life.
King Kamehameha Club
This set moved locations more than once across the original run, landing at Waialae Beach Park for most of the show's later years.
Ferrari Driving Scenes Around Oahu
Magnum's red Ferrari appears cruising all over the island, often on roads that are only minutes apart in real life, even though the show made the distances look much longer.
Can You Visit the Magnum PI Filming Locations Today?
Yes, several spots are open to the public. Kualoa Ranch runs tours that cover many shows and movies filmed there, Magnum PI included. Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head, and Hanauma Bay are all open to visitors year round.
The original Robin's Nest is gone, but the shoreline near Waimānalo still exists. Private clubs like the Elks Lodge and Outrigger Canoe Club stay members only, so you won't get inside those without an invite.
La Mariana Sailing Club, on the other hand, is open to anyone who wants a tiki drink in the same spot that inspired Rick's bar.
Fun Facts About Magnum PI Filming
Small behind the scenes details most fans never noticed while watching.
- The showrunner said the crew used every part of Oahu since any spot on the island looks good on camera.
- The real Robin's Nest house was never owned by anyone named Robin Masters. It was built in 1933 and designed by architect Louis Davis.
- Tom Selleck's red Ferrari 308 GTS had the license plate ROBIN1, a nod to Magnum living on someone else's money.
- The production leased that Ferrari instead of buying it, since owning one outright cost too much.
- The show shares a universe with Hawaii Five-0 and MacGyver, all shot on the same island.
Conclusion
Going through these Magnum PI filming locations reminded me why I fell for this show in the first place.
I always figured that the beach house was just a set, so finding out it was a real spot in Waimānalo genuinely surprised me.
Next time I'm on Oahu, I'm driving past a few of these myself. If you've walked any of these Magnum PI filming locations, tell me about it in the comments.
And if this guide made you want to plan a trip, share it with someone who needs a reason to go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Magnum PI still filming in Hawaii today?
No. The reboot ended in 2022 after four seasons, and the original wrapped in 1988. No new episodes are currently in production on Oahu.
Can you book a stay at the real Robin's Nest?
No. The original house was demolished in 2018, and the reboot's version is a mix of CGI and separate real locations, so no single bookable property exists.
Were any Magnum PI scenes filmed outside Hawaii?
Yes. The original series filmed some indoor scenes on soundstages in California, even though almost every outdoor shot came from Oahu locations.
Why do so many TV shows film in Hawaii like Magnum PI?
Oahu offers beaches, mountains, and city streets close together, letting crews shoot varied scenes without traveling far, which keeps production costs and travel time down.
