Ilikai Hotel, 1777 Ala Moana Boulevard.  From the opening sequence forward, the Ilikai Hotel was a prominent face on Hawaii Five-0.  Developed and built by Hawaiian businessman Chinn Ho, it opened in 1964 as an upscale condominium and hotel. Although it has changed hands several times, it remains popular with residents and tourists, alike.

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The Ilikai appeared in many episodes, including... 

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"Just Lucky, I Guess" (Season 2) - The steps leading up to the Yacht Harbor Tower, the apartment where Angela Carlson was killed, the elevator lobby

"Leopard on the Rocks" (Season 2) - The rear entrance, the courtyard and pool

"The Reunion" (Season 3) - The terrace where the reunion met for drinks, the Top of the I elevator lobby, a meeting room, the Ilikai garage bridge

The Last Eden" (Season 3) - Canoes's restaurant and bar

"Dear Enemy" (Season 3) - exterior lanai scenes

"3,000 Crooked Miles to Honolulu" (Season 4) - The suite where Ambrose Pierce stayed

"Odd Man In" (Season 4) - Goro Shibata's suite and the hallway 

"Bait Once, Bait Twice" (Season 4) - The room and ledge, the room from which The Pro shot Howard Miller

"A Bullet for El Diablo" - The suite where Rita Salazar shot Emilio Ramos

"The $100,000 Nickel" (Season 6) - The room where the coin show was held, the corridor past the shops, the main entrance where Arnie put the nickel in the coin box

"One Born Every Minute" (Season 6) - The driveway, where Harry Maguire's body fell, Canoe's where the schemers met for lunch

"Bomb, Bomb, Who's Got the Bomb" (Season 7) - The front driveway as the senator walks up, the rooftop, and the glass elevator

"Ring of Life" (Season 7) - Where Nichols stayed and met his cat burglar

"Death's Name is Sam" (Season 8) - The room, courtyard, and back entrance

"Sing a Song of Suspense" (Season 8) - The swimming pool, the elevator lobby and steps to the driveway

"The Last of the Great Paper Hangers" (Season 9) - The driveways before the main tower and the Yacht Harbor Tower

"Blood Money is Hard to Wash" (Season 9) - Where Victor Jovanko and his wife stayed and sat on the lanai (Yacht Harbor Tower suite)

"Up the Rebels" (Season 10) - The courtyard, where McGarrett warned Casey Fogarty to beware of Daniel Costigan

"East Wind, Ill Wind" (Season 10) - Where Madame Sandanarek stayed (Yacht Harbor Tower suite)

"The Silk Trap" (Season 10) - Where the senator stayed (Yacht Harbor Tower suite)

"Frozen Assets" (Season 10) - Where Millicent Shand stayed (Yacht Harbor Tower suite)

"Number One With a Bullet" (Season 11) - Where Allie Francis stayed (Yacht Harbor Tower lanai)

"The Pagoda Factor" (Season 11) - Where Victor Fong stayed (Yacht Harbor Tower suite)

"A Lion in the Streets" (Season 12) - Rear steps, possibly the kitchen

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'Iolani Palace, S. King Street. Built by King David Kalakaua in the 1880s as his royal residence, the Palace went on to serve as the territorial and state capitol building. Thus, Five-0 was said to be located there. In March 1969, the new state capitol building opened, and the Palace was closed for a complete restoration. Today, it serves as a museum of Hawaiian history.

 

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Hawai'i State Capitol Building, S. Beretania Street. Where the governor’s office was located. We saw McGarrett walk from 'Iolani Palace, up the back steps, across the mural, and toward the elevator to the governor's office in numerous episodes.

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Washington Place, S. Beretania Street. Mentioned by name only once, in “Rest in Peace, Somebody” (Season 4), but never seen, it was built by John and Mary Dominis in the 1840s and was home to Queen Lili'uokalani following the fall of the Kingdom of Hawai'i. It served as the governor’s residence until a new residence was built a few years ago. Today, it serves as a museum of Hawaiian royal history and for official entertaining.

 

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YWCA Building, Richards Street. This yellow art deco building is where Dylan Heywood tried to shoot McGarrett in “‘V’ for Vashon” part 2 (Season 5).

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Ali'Iolani Hale, S. King Street, across from 'Iolani Palace. It was where Leonard Tokura testified at a committee hearing in “Samurai” (Season 1) and where Charlie Cadison was murdered in “Deathwatch” (Season 1).

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Diamond Head Road. Location of the overlook and bunker seen in “…And I Want Some Candy and a Gun that Shoots” (Season 3) and “Little Girl Blue” (Season 4). Also the location of the Diamond Head lighthouse.

 

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Kahala Avenue. This upscale neighborhood is where all the nouveau riche criminals lived. Many of the beautiful homes on Kahala Avenue have been razed and replaced by McMansions, but it’s still a visually familiar route. Near the end, you’ll pass the Kahala Beach Apartments, where Jack and Marie Lord lived. At the end, you’ll reach the Kahala Resort (then, the Kahala Hilton), where several episodes were filmed, perhaps especially, "FOB Honolulu."

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Kalaniana‘ole Highway. McGarrett’s beach house was located at 5439 Kalanaiana'ole Highway in “Sing a Song of Suspense” (Season 8). Also along this stretch, McGarrett pulled off when the artist Duncan’s studio exploded in “Highest Castle, Deepest Grave” (Season 4). The group trying to get the capsule from the Polaris missile in "The Defector" (Season 8) had a hideout on the Kalanaiana'ole Highway.

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Portlock. This ultra-upscale neighborhood is located on the east side of Maunalua Bay. Leonard Tokura’s house in “Samurai” (Season 1) was actually the Henry Kaiser Estate. Betty Landers’ house in “Bait Once, Bait Twice” (Season 4) and Roger Bancroft’s house in “Use a Gun, Go to Hell” (Season 12) were located there, as well.

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Hanauma Bay. That glorious vista seen in “Cocoon” (pilot), “Beautiful Screamer” (Season 2), and other episodes is located on the back (east) side of Portlock and the south side of Koko Head.

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Beach and cliffs in the area of the Halona Blowhole. This is a stretch along the east side of Koko Head and includes the overlook (now largely eroded) where Daniel Costigan and Casey Fogarty met in “Up the Rebels” (Season 10), the beach where Alex Cline and Wanda Russell met in “Three Dead Cows at Makapuu” (Season 2) and the archaeology students dug in “Highest Castle, Deepest Grave” (Season 4). The cliff is where Eadie Hastings leaped to her death in “Up Tight” (Season 1).

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Beach and cliffs at Makapu'u – The beach is where Danno and Yoko flirted in “A Thousand Pardons, You’re Dead” (Season 2). High atop the cliff is the Makapu‘u lighthouse, which we saw from the top in “Will the Real Mr. Winkler Please Die?” (Season 5).

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Makai Research Pier – Seen in numerous episodes, including “FOB Honolulu” part 2 (Season 3), “Murder With a Golden Touch” (Season 6), and “Kill a Mind” (Season 9), among others. It also appeared in Jack's production, M Station: Hawaii.

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The Anderson Estate, Kalaniana'ole Highway, Waimanalo (razed, April 2018). This beautiful Spanish Revival house was seen in 12 episodes of Hawaii Five-0:

* “Forty Feet High and It Kills” (Season 2)

* “Sweet Terror” (Season 2)

* “The Second Shot” (Season 3)

* “The Gunrunner” (Season 3)

* “Is This Any Way to Run a Paradise?” (Season 4)

* “While You’re at It, Bring in the Moon” (Season 4)

* “Cloth of Gold” (Season 4)

* “You Don’t Have to Kill to Get Rich, But it Helps” (Season 5)

* “Death’s Name is Sam” (Season 8)

* “A Stranger in His Grave” (Season 10)

* “The Case Against Philip Christie” (Season 11)

* “Woe to Wo Fat” (Season 12)

Interior scenes are seen in

*  "Sweet Terror" (Season 5)

*  "Woe to Wo Fat" (Season 12). 

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Byodo-In Temple and Valley of the Temples, Kane'ohe. This real-life Buddhist temple was seen in numerous episodes, but first in “Pray Love Remember, Pray Love Remember” (Season 1).

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​​​Pali Highway – The area close to Honolulu was seen in several episodes, first as the ambulance is seen making its way to the Castle Hospital in “All the King’s Horses (Season 2). The Walker Estate on the Pali Highway was the Nelson Blake home in "The Ransom" (Season 3), "Let Death Do Us Part" (Season 9), and the Barlow home in "Invitation to Murder" (Season 10). The area near the Pali Lookout was where Eleanor Kalakua fell to her death in "The Big Kahuna" (Season 1).

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The Clarence Cooke House, Old Pali Road. Seen in "Wooden Model of a Rat" (Season 8) and "Dealer's Choice - Blackmail" (Season 10).

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The Charles Cooke House, Manoa Road. Seen in "Highest Castle, Deepest Grave" (Season 4) and in "Ring of Life" (Season 7). 

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Turtle Bay Resort (formerly Kuilima Resort), North Shore O'ahu. The hotel was used extensively in “Thanks for the Honeymoon” (Season 4) and “The Flip Side is Death” (Season 6).

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Pipeline, Sunset Beach, and other North Shore surfing beaches. Seen in several episodes, including “Banzai Pipeline” (Season 6) and “Tall on the Wave” (Season 10).

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Kaena Point, northwestern point of O'ahu. Was seen most notably in “Odd Man In” (Season 4). 

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Agricultural fields along the H-2 and Route 99, central O'ahu. Seen in the days when sugarcane flourished, perhaps most notably in “Run, Johnny, Run” (Season 2) and “Is This Any Way to Run a Paradise?” (Season 4).

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Chinatown and downtown, including Hotel and Maunakea Streets. The episodes are too numerous to mention, although the streets were used notably in “Tricks Are Not Treats” (Season 6).

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Canlis, Kuhio Avenue. The restaurant and bar featured a large and ominous Tiki god. It was said to be owned and operated by Harry Kwon (Alfred Ryder) in "The Late John Louisiana" (Season 3). Its real-life bartender, Don, appeared in his real-life role in that episode. Canlis was seen again in "One Born Every Minute" (Season 4) as Five-0 was about to move in on Joe Connors (Ed Flanders) et al. See pictures: http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=34862&forum=2&start=30

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Sunhala, Kahala. Honore Vashon’s house in Season 5, was one of two houses comprising the McMillian Estate. It was also seen in “By the Numbers” (Season 1), “The Joker’s Wild, Man, Wild” (Season 2), and other episodes.

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College Hill, 2234 Kamehameha Avenue in Manoa. It served as the Colonel’s house in “Journey Out of Limbo” (Season 5) and as the hippie house in “See How She Runs” (Season 9) College Hill was built by Frank Atherton in 1906. Today, it serves as the home of the president of the University of Hawaii – Manoa.

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New Town and Country Stables, Waimanalo. It is visible from the Kalaniana‘ole Highway, not far from the Anderson Estate. “Requiem for a Saddle Bronc Rider” (Season 9) was filmed there.

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Kaneohe Omega Transmitter Station, Haiku Valley. It was used as the laboratory in “Woe to Wo Fat” (Season 12). It was a US Coast Guard facility that was used to transmit very low frequency signals for global radio navigation. It was replaced in 1997 by the Global Positioning System. The Haiku Valley stairs to heaven are located behind the station.

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Honolulu Police Department Headquarters, 801 S. Beretania Street. The HPD Museum is located there and includes a corner dedicated to Hawaii Five-0. See pictures of Chin Ho when he was a real-life police officer. The headquarters building appeared in And They Painted Daisies on His Coffin (Season 1) when McGarrett and Danno walked from the parking garage and up to the street.

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Battery Harlow. It was the hideout used by the kidnappers in "The Ransom" (Season 3). It was where McGarrett and Intelligence met in "The Ninety-Second War" (Season 4). It was the site to which McGarrett & Co. were led to "watch the birdie" in "Fools Die Twice" (Season 5). It was the hideout of the People's Attack Group in "The Young Assassins" (Season 7). It was where Officer Sandi Welles (Amanda McBroom) and McGarrett hid from Kim Chee's henchmen in "Loose Ends Get Hit" (Season 8).  

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Pantheon Bar, Chinatown. This piece of Old Hawai‘i has been closed to business for about 25 years, yet it retains its influence in Chinatown, Honolulu. The Pantheon Bar first opened its doors under the auspices of Joseph Silva in 1883. Its large wooden bar was shipped in and made the journey around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America.  The Pantheon Bar appeared in two episodes of Hawaii Five-0, “Dear Enemy” (Season 3) and “Draw Me a Killer” (Season 6).

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It occupied three locations during its lifetime. In 1900, the building housing the Pantheon was demolished by the health department following two deaths from the plague in the building next door. The building, located at 1129 Nu‘uanu Avenue, was rebuilt in 1911 and to this date houses the old wooden bar. The sidewalk before the Pantheon is notable, as well. Its granite blocks are reinforced with discarded ballasts from 19th century sailing ships that had imported tea and exported sandalwood.

 

The Pantheon was popular with King David Kalākaua even before it became popular with visiting sailors. It played host to merchant seamen, navy seamen and members of the other armed forces, tourists, and locals, alike, for about 100 years, although its closing date remains an elusive research datum.

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Since its closing, the Pantheon has been the subject of dispute over how it should be used. In 2000, rumor spread that the restaurant next door would take over the space and refurbish it while retaining the old wooden bar. Over the past few years, the Hawai‘i Theatre Center, which occupies the land behind the Pantheon, has wanted to obtain the land where the old saloon sits in order to expand its facilities. It is another battle in the never-ending war between historical preservationists versus developers. 

The theater center points out the fact that the Pantheon is in a sad state of deterioration and needs to be taken down. Historical preservationists would like to retain the structure and restore it. Perhaps, the answer lies in the suggestion that the Nu‘uanu Avenue façade be retained to reflect what once was.

 

The closing of the Pantheon Bar is remembered in the movie Goodbye Paradise (1991) in which the Paradise Bar is closed in order that a developer can refurbish it as an upscale restaurant and bar. Several Hawaii Five-0 alumni appear, including Joe Moore, Elissa Dulce Hoopai, Kwan Hi Lim, James Hong, Danny Kamekona, Dennis Chun, Rod Aiu, the voice of our beloved Kam Fong Chun, and Five-0 casting director, Dick Kindelon.

 

NOTA BENE:  An article by historian Peter Young is drawn from newspaper articles from 1870 through the early 20th century. It paints quite a lively picture of what life was like at the Pantheon Saloon: Young, Peter. Pantheon Saloon. Images of Old Hawaii. June 26, 2018.http://imagesofoldhawaii.com/pantheon-saloon/

 

Read more about it:

Campbell, Jeff. Hawaii. Ebook edition, p. 130.

Chinatown’s Rejuvenation.

http://www.hawaiihistory.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ig.page&PageID=552

Donnelly, Dave. “Renewed Nuuanu” in Hawaii Today in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. February 4, 2000. http://archives.starbulletin.com/2000/02/04/features/donnelly.html

Keany, Michael. “Austin and Pantheon Buildings” in HONOLULU Magazine.http://historichawaii.org/2014/02/19/austin-and-pantheon-buildings/

Ruby, Laura and Ross Wayland Stephenson. Honolulu Town. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2012, p. 107.

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USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor. No list of Five-0 historical sites could begin without the USS Arizona Memorial. Designed by Honolulu architect Alfred Preis and built in 1962, the memorial straddles the sunken ship in its resting place near Ford Island. Entombed within the ship to this day are the remains of 1177 servicemen, who died aboard the ship during the Japanese attack on O'ahu on December 7, 1941.

 

We saw the memorial in "Time and Memories" (Season 3) and "Murder - Eyes Only" (Season 8). In "Murder - Eyes Only," we saw the tour boats carrying visitors from the visitor's center to the memorial and heard a portion of the actual introduction that is given by Navy tour boat operators during the ride. 

 

The introduction explains the significance of the memorial's design: The 21 windows (seven windows on each side and the top) represent a 21-gun salute to the fallen. The tree-shaped windows on each side of the shrine room, at the back of the memorial, represents the tree of life (or the olive branch, representing peace). The raised ends and sunken center represent America's high point before the war, its low point during the war, and its height after the war. The back wall of the shrine room lists the names of all who were killed in the attack, both aboard the Arizona and at other facilities at Pearl Harbor.

 

On May 27, 2017, the memorial was damaged when a tug piloting the USNS Mercy pushed the large hospital ship into the boarding ramp at the east end of the memorial. The ramp was repaired, and the memorial was reopened. Then, on May 27, 2018, a tour boat officer noticed a crack in the memorial near the point of the 2017 accident. When repairs failed to hold, the memorial was closed indefinitely until proper repairs can be made. 

 

Did You Know?

 

-- The mast on which the American flag flies is affixed to the mast on which the flag flew aboard the USS Arizona.

-- Alfred Preis, architect of the memorial, was interned at Sand Island during World War II. As a native Austrian, he was felt to be a danger to the United States during the war years. I'd say Mr. Preis got up, dusted himself off, and started again very nicely.

-- Bunker C fuel oil continues to leak from the sunken ship to this day. Its rainbow-like colors on the waters of the harbor are called the sailors' tears. Containment "ropes" are used to keep the fuel oil from spreading to other parts of the harbor.

-- Principal funding for construction of the memorial was provided by the Territory of Hawai'i; private donations raised following a televised salute to RADM Samuel Fuqua, the senior surviving officer aboard the Arizona; benefit concert given by Elvis Presley; proceeds of sale of plastic models of the USS Arizona sponsored by the Fleet Reserve Association and Revell Model Company; and federal funds from legislation initiated by Senator Daniel Inouye.

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National Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). We saw Punchbowl Cemetery when we attended Hennessy's funeral in "Cocoon" (pilot) and CDR Nordoff's funeral in "Murder - Eyes Only" (Season 8). In addition, we saw the Lady Columbia monument in the opening credits of each and every episode.

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USA Today featured an article in May 2018 about 25 buildings in Hawaii that the American Institute of Architects found to be memorable in their design.  See how many of them you've seen on Hawaii Five-0.  25 must-see buildings and public spaces in Hawaii (usatoday.com)

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