Iconic “Magnum, P.I.” Robin’s Nest Has Just Been Demolished

One of Hawai‘i’s most famous estates comes down just as “Magnum, P.I.” is about to make a comeback.

By Rachel Ross Bradley

Video: Hiep Nguyen at Slick Pixels Hawai‘i

Sometimes Tom Selleck drove around Hanauma Bay, over Old Pali Road and then right down the Ala Wai on his way home to Pahonu, the 3-acre estate that belonged to Robin Masters on the hit TV show, Magnum, P.I. And that was only slightly less believable than that whole “just crash in Master Robin’s bathhouse and use his Ferrari” gig he had going.

The estate where Magnum lived, which was built in 1933 in a beautiful Spanish Colonial style on an even more beautiful piece of land, was demolished this past weekend. It was designed by Louis Davis, who also designed McKinley High School, and owned for many years by Eve Anderson, a local politician. It was known across the country and beyond as Robin’s Nest, Magnum P.I.’s stunning crash pad, and the perfect place to teach a babe to snorkel in the turtle pond of former royalty.

In 2014, the estate was listed for sale for $15,750,000. It sold in March 2015 for $8.7 million. It’s now held in an LLC registered by Marty Nesbitt of Chicago, the CEO and founder of The Parking Spot and a close friend of former President Barack Obama. It’s sat empty since the sale while rumors flew—some think it was really Obama who bought it.

Now, all 11,000-plus square feet of it are gone—just as Magnum, P.I. is set to make a comeback. There are more than 130,000 square feet of land to work with, and its zoned R-10, meaning one home can be built for each 10,000 square feet of land. We hope something equally beautiful comes next.