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Check Out Where Magnum P.I. Is Filmed, Including the Robin's Nest and La Mariana
Can you visit either Robin Masters' palatial estate or Rick's tiki bar featured on the show? Well, sort of.
Getting an eyeful of the gorgeous exterior view of the Robin’s Nest estate on Magnum P.I. is enough to spark Hawaiian wanderlust, or just plain real estate envy.
Seeing the sprawling landscapes and angelic scenery of Magnum P.I. is one of the most delicious parts of soaking up the sun with Thomas Magnum (Jay Hernandez) and the crew. Fans never tire of his island-side adventures, leading many viewers to be curious about the stunning scenery the characters enjoy.
But where do they shoot the property that super sleuth Magnum gets to call home thanks to the rich novelist Robin Masters? Is the local bar La Mariana an actual restaurant? How many Magnum P.I. shooting locations mirror its legendary predecessor?
Well, we’ve cracked the mystery of the Robin’s Nest whereabouts and Magnum P.I.'s shooting locales. Read on to learn more about the Polynesian oasis Magnum and his friends call home.
Where is the Robin's Nest estate in the Magnum P.I. reboot located?
The exterior of Robin's Nest is actually the magical work of CGI (computer-generated imagery).
Robin Masters’ property is inspired, in part, by an oceanfront estate set in Kaneohe — which is on the eastern part of Oahu — according to Atlas of Wonders. The property, though not the home's exterior, served as a location for the first season. The home as it appears on the series is mostly computer generated.
The background of the home is from the Kualoa Ranch, which is inland and about 10 miles north of Kaneohe.
To give a richer and more expansive context to Thomas Magnum’s world, a bird’s eye view of the Robin’s Nest pops up periodically in the series. The shot positions the mansion at Kualoa Regional Park, about a mile southeast of Kualoa.
The covered, oceanside gazebo is part of the Lanikuhonua Cultural Institute on the southwest side of Oahu.
The living room, some waterview interior shots, and the driveway are filmed at the Banyan House in southeast Oahu, Atlas of Wonders and Homey Hawaii report.
Where else is the Magnum P.I. reboot filmed?
The NBC reboot of Magnum P.I. makes the most of the island of Oahu, where the show primarily films.
“We used every inch of that Island,” Eric Guggenheim, the showrunner for Magnum P.I., told NBC Insider. “No matter where you are, it's beautiful. It's so picturesque. There are no bad angles on that island. So we use all of it.”
“We try to be outside as much as possible," he added "Because when you shoot in such a beautiful place, you want to be outdoors. Obviously, we have our stages, but we try to be on location more than we try to be indoors..."
"We try and bury our stories as much as possible so that we can explore the different parts of the island," Guggenheim continued. "So it certainly does play into decisions that we make as far as storytelling goes. I really wanted [the reboot] to be something that showed off just how beautiful the island is. Hawaii has some of the most beautiful beaches in the entire world."
Is Rick's La Mariana on Magnum P.I. a real place?
La Mariana is a real place — but the one you see on the show is a set.
The inspiration for Magnum P.I.'s La Mariana, the bar in the series run by Magnum’s pal Orville "Rick" Wright (Zachary Knighton), is a real bar named La Mariana Sailing Club that is still standing in Oahu. It has been serving delicious tiki drinks since 1957.
RELATED: Yes, You Can Have A Drink At The Bar In Magnum P.I. — Sort Of, Anyway
The actual La Mariana was founded by Annette and Johnny Campbell, according to hawaii-guide.com. Decades later, it is a “living museum” of old Hawaii.
Production designer John Zachary told TV Insider that he took his inspiration from the "funky" Honolulu haunt — but that many of the set pieces were shipped in from California, and many of the photographs are family photos donated by the cast and crew when the set was built.
Where is the original Robin's Nest from Magnum, P.I.?
The Robin’s Nest seen in the original 1980s series — called the “Waimanalo Beach House” by locals — was demolished in April 2018.
RELATED: Does The Original Thomas Magnum, Tom Selleck, Appear In The New Magnum P.I.?
Built in 1933, according to Honolulu Magazine, it was designed by Louis Davis, an American architect known for homes and public buildings in Hawaii. The storied estate had fallen into disrepair before it was torn down.
Where else was the original Magnum, P.I. filmed?
Like its NBC reboot, the original Magnum, P.I. was primarily shot on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
From 1980 to 1988, the series filmed on location, with some indoor scenes filmed in California. According to Hawaii Star, the original Magnum, P.I. series made good use of Honolulu's urban centers, the lush jungles of Kauai, and the beautiful coastlines of Maui.
Tom Selleck's mustachioed antics and the beautiful Hawaiian sunsets remain a fixture within the island's pop culture history.
Originally published Apr 5, 2023.
