Q. What is it supposed to be on the show? A. A park, where a Civil War reenactment is about to start. Q. Where is it supposed to be on the show? A. Somewhere in Miami. Q. When did we see it on the show? A. In Episode 10, of Season 7, "The Dark... Whatever". Dexter suspects that Fire Inspector Phil Bosso may be the "Phantom" arsonist who has been burning victims to death around Miami. So he follows him to a park. He peers into Bosso's SUV, and sees electric fuses and camping fuel, making him even more suspicious. But just then, Bosso shows up.  He's dressed in a Confederate Civil War uniform, and is surprised to see Dexter there. He asks him if he's a Civil War reenactor too, and if he's there for the battle. Dexter looks around, notices lots of costumed characters walking around, and realizes that he's stumbled into the middle of a Civil War reenactment. Dexter pretends that he's fighting on the side of the North.  Bosso says he's responsible for the battle's special effects, like air bursts and artillery fire (explaining what was in his car). Dexter thinks to himself that Bosso isn't the Phantom - that he's just strange. (An ironic comment, coming from a man whose own hobby involves... well, you know.) Q. What is it actually in real life? A. A public park. Q. Where can I find it in real life? A. This scene was shot in El Dorado Park, in Long Beach., in a small parking lot next to a ranger's station, near a lake.

The park's official address is 7550 E. Spring Street, but this scene was shot in the northern section of the large park, north of Wardlow Road.

The building seen is actually a small ranger station, on the west bank of the big lake there.

They actually do have Civil War reenactments at El Dorado Park. In fact, they had a big one not long before they filmed this scene. (I'm surprised that they didn't recruit some of those volunteers and shoot an actual battle reenactment for this scene.)

While they were here, they also shot that short scene of LaGuerta and Matthews visiting Doakes's old cabin.

Dexter has shot a lot at El Dorado over the years.


That same ranger's station was used in Season 5 as the old  visitors center where Dexter held Lumen captive.


In the very first season, they filmed the Flamingo Park scene  (where a jogging Dexter stalked a teen killer) by this same lake.

They shot Dexter's car crash, for the start of the 4th Season, and later the scene where Trinity's car breaks down (and Dexter captures him) for that season's finale.

The photo below, of the ranger station, was shot by Kerry in October 2010): 

  
(Thanks, Kerry.)

Q. How the heck did you figure out where it was?

A.  They have used this park location so many times, and I've gone there and shot photos of it on several locations - that it would be hard to miss, especially when they showed a wide shot of the area (as Dexter drove in) and the scene featured the same rangers' station that they used as Lumen's lockup.

Rick had tipped me that they were shooting a Civil War reenactment here.  The lake area itself was blocked off, but I drove by on Wardlow, expecting to catch a glimpse of them shooting some large battle scene. So did one of my tipsters, Ellen.  But neither of us saw anything.  And now I know why.  It turned out to be a relatively small scene.