where was jurassic park filmed
Most of Jurassic Park (1993) was filmed on the Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Oahu, with additional scenes shot in California and the U.S. mainland standing in for places like Montana.
Main Answer: Key Filming Locations
- Hawaii (primary locations)
- Kauai provided many of the lush “Isla Nublar” jungle and helicopter arrival shots, including the Na Pali Coast, Hanapepe Valley, Manawaiopuna Falls (“Jurassic Falls”), and areas around Kilauea used for the Brachiosaurus reveal and park exteriors.
* Oahu’s Kualoa Ranch was used for the Gallimimus herd stampede across open green fields.
- California & mainland USA
- Various interiors and night scenes (like parts of the T. rex paddock) were filmed on soundstages in California, including major studios in Burbank.
* Desert and “badlands” style exteriors for the Montana dig site were filmed in places such as Red Rock Canyon State Park and Tehachapi Pass in California, standing in for Montana.
- In-universe vs. real world
- In the story, Jurassic Park is on the fictional island Isla Nublar off Costa Rica, but the real landscapes you see on screen are almost all in Hawaii plus a few U.S. mainland locations.
Quick location table (HTML as requested)
| On-screen setting | Real-world filming location | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Isla Nublar jungles, helicopter approach | Na Pali Coast, Hanapepe Valley, Manawaiopuna Falls | Kauai, Hawaii | [9][1][3]
| Visitor Center exterior | Valley House Plantation Estate | Kauai, Hawaii | [1][5]
| Brachiosaurus reveal / “Welcome to Jurassic Park” meadow | Jurassic Kahili Ranch area | Kauai, Hawaii | [10][1]
| Gallimimus stampede field | Kualoa Ranch | Oahu, Hawaii | [5][1][3]
| Montana dig site | Red Rock Canyon / Tehachapi Pass | California, USA | [2][3][5]
| Various interiors & night sequences | Studio soundstages (e.g., Burbank) | California, USA | [3][5]
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.