Get Lost: Visit 16 Iconic O‘ahu Filming Locations From the Hit Show

You’ll never believe how they transformed some of these iconic O‘ahu locations into Lost film sets. Join us on a virtual tour of the show.

It’s been 10 years to the day since Oceanic Flight 815 crashed on The Island, aka O‘ahu, and we’re feeling pretty nostalgic. The cast and crew of Lost transformed dozens of destinations into shooting locations—some pretty obvious, others complete surprises. Did you recognize these 16? 

 

Kualoa Ranch

 

The vast landscape of Kualoa Ranch, from Ka‘a‘awa Valley to Hakipu‘u Valley, was used as a number of locations throughout filming. The golf course, a few Dharma stations (The Arrow and The Tempest), the security fence and some streams throughout the series were all filmed there. Some of these areas can be visited on Kualoa’s Movie Sites & Ranch Tour. (Just make sure you have your favorite lines memorized to shout out of the Jeep as you pass by.)

 

Valley of the Temples

 

The Byodo-In Temple, a replica of a temple in Kyoto, Japan, is a Buddhist temple just off Kahekili Highway in Kāneʻohe. You may recognize it as the site of Jin and Sun’s wedding. Heck, you probably recognize some of your Korean friends as extras.

 

Ala Wai Yacht Harbor

 

You may recognize the harbor behind Desmond and Penny in their iconic photo, but did you know it’s the same harbor Boone and Shannon have a fight at in Australia? It’s also the place Ben tries to kill Penny, where Charlie almost dies (for the billionth time) and where Sun points a Ben at gun (and we really want her to use it).

 

Mākua Beach

 

Things started to get weird (OK, more weird) when a giant Egyptian statue was seen at Mākua Beach. This was where Ben killed Jacob. The base of the statue was constructed and taken down each day of filming, but that doesn’t explain how no one else on the show ever managed to come across it, whether as a full statue or just a foot.

 

Hawai‘i Convention Center

 

One of the most recognizable locations Lost used was the Hawai‘i Convention Center, which became Sydney Airport in many characters’ flashbacks. Remember when Shannon betrayed Sayid by implying he had a bomb? And when Jack flipped out about his father’s body, screaming at the ticketing agent? But our favorite moment was when Jin held up a flower to Sun just as she was about to abandon him (and never crash on The Island).

 

Camp Erdman

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The Others seemed like a mystery for so long, but their camp was unveiled in season 3. New Otherton, Dharmaville, whatever you want to call it,  the barracks of Camp Erdman served as the community The Others took over after they killed all of the Dharma Initiative workers and dumped them in a hole. Today you can take a self-guided walking tour of the camp for $5, but it is still a functioning camp, so be mindful of children attending.

 

Papailoa Beach

 

The beach of all beaches. This is where the survivors made camp for most of the show, with tons of turtles and a view from Ka‘ena Point to Waimea Bay. The street access is through a small path, making it harder to find, but there’s plenty of room on the sand to run back and forth yelling "WAAAAALT!"

 

Paradise Park

 

When Kate and Sawyer were kidnapped by The Others and taken to Hydra Island, they found themselves trapped in polar bear cages. In reality, Paradise Park in Mānoa was a bird park with aviaries, but it is now closed to the public.

 

Mānoa Falls Trail

 

For Ethan’s scenes, producers needed a jungle. A dark, rainy, slippery jungle. So of course they chose Mānoa Falls. Look for the banyan tree Charlie was hanging by his neck from and try not to cry when you remember thinking he really was dead.

 

First Hawaiian Bank

 

Paik Industries, Sun’s father’s business, was shot upstairs in First Hawaiian Center downtown, easily recognizable with its tall blue windows. The location was also used in season 1 as the bank Kate robs to get her toy plane.

 

Waimea Valley Audubon Center

 

The waterfall and pool where part of the plane crashed is in Waimea Valley. The location popped up a few times—when Kate and Sawyer found a locked case (and dead bodies) while swimming, where Paolo found his diamonds (what was with this storyline?), and where Hurley and Kate woke up after Ajira Flight 316 crashed and half the survivors went back in time.

 

Waialua Sugar Mill

 

Add some actors, and Waialua becomes Nigeria. The area was used as a village to tell Mr. Eko’s story, but a nearby gas station also held up in Sawyer’s backstory as a place he and Cassidy tried to sell counterfeit jewelry.

 

Diamond Head

 

Everyone knows the Hawai‘i Film Studio, home base for Lost, is located at Diamond Head, but did you know the inside of the crater was transformed into Iraq for Sayid’s scenes?

 

The Cathedral of St. Andrew

 

St. Andrew’s Cathedral acted a monastery for Desmond and as Catholic churches for Charlie and Mr. Eko. Ironically, it also stood in as Oxford University, where Faraday was a professor who sent a rat’s brain traveling through time. So much for church vs. science.

 

Ala Moana Beach Park

 

In a flash sideways, Hurley takes Libby out on a picnic to Ala Moana Beach Park.

 

Sacred Hearts

 

The Lamp Post was a Dharma station in a Los Angeles church that could be used to find the Island. Its most memorable aspects were a large swinging pendulum and a catlike woman named Eloise who always hung out there. Sacred Hearts was used as the church, the final gathering place for all of the survivors whose most important times in life took place on The Island (after a party at Bishop Museum, of course). This flash-sideways ending confused pretty much everyone who watched the show, but we loved it anyway.

 

We couldn’t cover every Lost filming location on O‘ahu, but did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments!