If you’re a fan of the Jurassic Park movies, it’s probably safe to say that, despite the obvious danger, you’ve likely wished you could visit the park. I mean, real life dinosaurs — it doesn’t get any cooler than that!
While the islands in the films are supposed to be located off the Pacific side of Costa Rica, filming actually took place on the Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Oahu. Yup, that means you can totally visit the islands with no actual threat of being eaten by dinosaurs!
Sadly, this does also mean none of the islands include Chris Pratt. Sorry, guys.
Take a look at this list of seven filming locations you can visit, courtesy of Alanna Smith, from the travel website TravelPirates.
1. Allerton Garden, Kauai
Part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, Allerton Garden is home to large fig trees, which were featured in 1993’s “Jurassic Park,” when Dr. Alan Grant and his companions find a dinosaur nest. The garden is open for guided tours.
This 2,800-acre working cattle ranch has appeared in three of the Jurassic Parkfilms, including 2015’s “Jurassic World.” The ranch’s most famous scene is when Grant — and the audience — sees living dinosaurs for the first time in “Jurassic Park.”
The emerald cliffs of Kualoa Ranch have not only appeared in the Jurassic Park series but also other movies and shows like “Lost,” “Kong: Skull Island” and “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle“. You can even sign up for a tour of the ranch’s filming locations, including the log where Grant and the kids hide from a dinosaur stampede in “Jurassic Park.”
Also part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, the Limahuli Garden was the background for the imposing raptor paddock in the original film. You won’t be seeing any raptors if you visit, but you can expect to see some of Hawaii’s endangered flora and fauna.
Thanks to the movies series, the Manawaiopuna Waterfall is so recognizable that it has earned the nickname Jurassic Falls. It was used as the location of the helipad set from “Jurassic Park,” and if you visit, you’ll also want to take a helicopter tour.
The iconic Jurassic Park gates were constructed at the base of Mount Wai’ale’ale, and while the gates themselves are gone, the poles they were built around are still there. The area is also home to a few other filming locations from the movies, but they are only accessible if you’re a very brave hiker.
The cliffs of the Na Pali Coast are also the coastline of Isla Nublar, which is the fictional island where Jurassic Park was built. To preserve the integrity of the area, visitors and boats are not allowed on the shore. You can, however, see the cliffs on a helicopter or boat tour.
Kaitlin is a freelance multimedia journalist with a degree in journalism and psychology. Along with Simplemost, she also writes for Don't Waste Your Money, where she loves finding great deals to help people save money.
