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50 First Dates: Oʻahu's Windward Coast

50 First Dates is set and mostly filmed on Oʻahu, Hawaii: Henry Roth works at Sea Life Park, near Makapuʻu Point, and falls for Lucy Whitmore, who loses every day's memories overnight. Kāneʻohe Bay, Laie, Kualoa Ranch and Makapuʻu Point's lighthouse all appear.

Contains major story spoilers.

Mapped by Mapped Chronicles editors5 locationsCountries: United StatesGPX

#filming-locations#hawaii#2004#oahu#romantic-comedy#50-first-dates

Timeline & locations

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The pin marks the actual place where it happened or was filmed.
Approximate
The right area — a town, park or district — but not a precise spot.

  1. The film's opening credits show Mokoliʻi, the small basalt islet in Kāneʻohe Bay. Its Hawaiian name means "little lizard", and the islet belongs to Kualoa Regional Park, a third of a mile offshore. It is open to the public from dawn to dusk. You can reach it by kayak, boat or surfboard, or wade across at low tide, then take the 20-minute hike to the top.

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    Visitor guidance: Open dawn to dusk; reached by kayak, boat or surfboard, or by wading at low tide.

    Sources

  2. Dr. Henry Roth is a marine veterinarian at Sea Life Park Hawaii, and he only dates tourists so that nothing gets serious. His friends include Jocko, a walrus who lives at the park. The real park, a marine mammal park, bird sanctuary and aquarium at Waimānalo near Makapuʻu Point, opened in 1964 and appears in the film. The walrus habitat and underwater shark tunnel on screen, though, were filmed in Vallejo, California.

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    Visitor guidance: A working marine park at Makapuʻu Point; check opening times before you go.

    Sources

  3. Stuck waiting for the Coast Guard after his boat breaks down, Henry meets art teacher Lucy Whitmore at the Hukilau Café, building architectural art from her waffles. They connect over breakfast, but the next day she has no recollection of him. The café's owner explains that Lucy wakes every morning thinking it is Sunday, October 13. Reports place the real Hukilau Café in Laie, though the director also pushed for café scenes to move to Kualoa Ranch.

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    Location precision: The café is said to still stand in Laie, with no address given, and some café scenes were moved to Kualoa Ranch; the pin marks Laie.

    Sources

  4. Warned to stay away from the café, Henry arranges daily schemes to meet Lucy on the road, while her father Marlin and brother Doug re-enact the same birthday every day to protect her. The road they drive each day is in Kaʻaʻawa Valley, part of Kualoa Ranch, which has hosted more than 200 movies and TV shows. The ranch runs guided tours, including film-site tours, and horseback tours.

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    Location precision: The road lies somewhere in Kaʻaʻawa Valley within Kualoa Ranch; the pin marks the ranch.

    Visitor guidance: Kualoa Ranch is open for guided tours, including a film-site tour; book a tour rather than entering on your own.

    Sources

  5. Over repeated "first" dates and "chance" encounters, Henry wins Lucy over, and she enjoys every "first kiss". One of the best known was filmed beside the lighthouse at Makapuʻu Point, the easternmost point of Oʻahu. The Makapuʻu Point Light has the largest lens of any lighthouse in the United States. The point is a popular hiking spot with views over Makapuʻu and Waimanalo Bay.

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    Location precision: The kiss was filmed beside the lighthouse, with no exact spot named; the pin marks the lighthouse.

    Visitor guidance: A popular hiking spot; the lighthouse and the area around it belong to the U.S. Coast Guard.

    Sources

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