Top Movie Locations in the USA
The USA happens to be the hub of movie spots, many of which are shot outside famous studios where movie buffs swarm to get pictures clicked. Here is a curated special list for movie fanatics to travel to such locales while on your tour to the USA.
We all love it when someone gets our movie references and responds accordingly, don't we? Although some of us may have watched like a thousand films till today, there are always those very special films that tend to attach themselves to us. Sometimes, some films bring out the best in us. They teach us or show us things that are too beautiful to contain.
Films like Shawshank Redemption and Forrest Gump gained fame worldwide because their message and teachings are meant for all, irrespective of a person’s identity, they never lose their aura, they only get better with time. Now imagine obsessing over a film or a series for a long, long time and finally getting the opportunity to visit the location where it was shot.
We all are Jake from Brooklyn Nine-Nine trying to live his share of moments of his favourite series Die Hard, aren’t we? If you too share this madness and wish to know and visit popular movie destinations across the USA, so that you can re-enact and get pictures clicked of your favourite moments from a film/series, we are here to help you out with this bucket list wish.
Here is a curated special list for movie fanatics to travel to such locales while on your tour to the USA. The USA happens to be the hub of movie spots, many of which are shot outside famous studios where movie buffs swarm to get pictures clicked. Read the article below and join the bandwagon!
Scene from Forrest Gump, Savannah Georgia
You may have already watched this film like a hundred times and by now you must have all the dialogues memorised and the scenes and stills from this film are etched in your brain forever. If this isn’t the situation and you still haven’t watched the film, then you are missing out on life, dear.
There is this iconic bench scene in the film where Forrest talks to an unknown lady and in the conversation, he tells her life is like a box of chocolates... This specific scene gained a lot of weightage because of the conversation these two strangers had on that bench, giving that ordinary bench a very meaningful dimension. If you wish to see this place where life-transforming dialogues were exchanged, you will need to travel to Chippewa Square located right in the heart of Savannah, Georgia.
The bench that was originally used in the film is kept at the Savannah History Museum but the place where the scene took place still has other benches of the same kind so you can always travel down to this location and live the moment Forrest lived. Maybe get your own box of chocolates and get a nice picture clicked for memories!
Scene from Rocky, Philadelphia Pennsylvania
This film groomed a whole culture with its fame and till date, it is celebrated the same across the world. If you haven't already, watch the sequel of the film Rocky, how a small-time boxer's life catapulted when he chooses to fight the finest boxer of all. The film came out in the 1980s and was an immediate hit.
The very famous stairs shown in the film are the stairs of the famous Philadelphia Museum of Art which in itself is a place worth visiting thanks to all the splendid art displays it has. The museum however gained worldwide fame after the release of the film where they show an iconic scene on the 72 stairs of the museum.
The cinematography of the scene triggers a very rare emotion for what it portrays. Tourists often hop to this location to get similar pictures clicked from the scene. You too can travel to this place and get yours!
Scene from Father of the Bride - Pasadena, California
This location is famous for two prominent films that left an imprint in the history of Hollywood. Have you watched the rom com the Father of the Bride where the father is too resistant to let go of his beloved daughter? Watch this comedy for it got famous for its light-hearted comedy mixed with cute moments of bonding and knowing and understanding relations.
This beautiful house cost 1.3 million (when it was last sold) and this is the location where the famous Banks wedding scene took place. The place has spectacular views, a beautifully maintained garden, three garages, a basketball court and ensuite guest rooms for commendable hospitality.
The basketball court is the spot where the very-melodramatic-but-oh-so-wholesome scenes took place. Another film that utilised this very picturesque campus was the film Guess Who directed by Ashton Kutcher in the year 2005. Do not forget to miss out on this beauty, visit the place for its idyllic landscape!
Scene from The Firehouse in Ghostbusters
While the insides of the scenes of Ghostbusters was mostly shot within a Hollywood studio, the scenes that were shot outside took place in a firehouse that is a firehouse and has been functioning since the year 1866. How cool is that?!
The firehouse is a red building (as you might have noticed in the film itself) situated towards the corner of North Morre and Varick Street located in Tribeca, New York. The name of the building is Hook and Ladder 8. It gives off a very archaic vibe, quite suiting the purpose and mood of the scenes the film needed. However, reports suggest that the structure dates back longer than the functionality of the firehouse. You ought to visit this place if you have been a fan of Ghostbusters, additionally, visiting a firehouse is always fun (and spooky). You can visit the place with your friends and get some funky pictures for yourselves with the caption "Busting ghosts!".
Scene from Robocop - Dallas City Hall, Texas
First things first, if you haven't watched the film Robocop, immediately do so as you are missing out on some good stuff. To begin with, this film was way ahead of its time when it came to idea construction, execution, and graphic management.
It was perhaps the first of the films to put forward the ideation of cyborgs operating in a dystopian world. While director Paul Verhoeven shot most of the scenes inside make-believe studios to give it the required cyberpunk movie effect, a few of the scenes however were shot in real Dallas buildings located in the Dallas City Hall which might have served for the exterior of Omni Consumer Products Headquarters. What you see as the interiors of the headquarters with the glass elevators, is the interiors of the Plaza of the Americas.
Scene from The Avengers - Cleveland, Ohio
Do we have an Avengers fan here? If yes, there's a surprise for the superhero fans. This is not a fact unknown to many but while many of us know that most of the shooting of The Avengers took place in the cinematic busy streets of New York, a part of the film was also shot in Cleveland, Ohio. Also, the scenes which you think took place in Germany, which includes the epic fight sequence between Loki, Captain America, and Iron Man, was filmed in Cleveland's Public Square.
If you ever visit this place, you will at once realise the set-up. If you happen to be a crazy Avenger's fan and wish to see the locations in real life, hop on to the nearest transport and get here as fast as you can. Many Avengers fans travel to these locales only to get their expected pictures clicked. If we do not consider its cinematic significance, the place stands out for its architectural beauty and is a common tourist destination amongst both local and international tourists.
Scene from Clueless - Beverly Gardens Park, Los Angeles
Beverly Gardens Park, Los Angeles
Los Angeles is quite literally the epicentre of most of the famous Hollywood movies. It is the hub where film directors run to for shooting at least one significant scene in their films, no matter what genre it serves. But keeping aside those million films which Los Angeles has continued to harbour for years, let's talk about the rom-com film Clueless which helps a teenager understand and process adolescence while understanding her feelings for other people.
The film hit the screens in the year 1995 and gained fame rapidly. You would be surprised to learn that Clueless was taken from Jane Austen's novel Emma. This Victorian-era novel was almost entirely shot in the heart of Los Angeles, the shopping malls, the mansion and most iconic of it all was the famous Electric Fountain scene where Emma comes to the realisation that she feels for Josh and embraces her love for him. This specific scene was subtly and unsubtly re-enacted in several other films which followed, solely because of the butterfly feels it added to the picture. The fountain does light up at night, adding more charm to its beauty!
Other than all the locations mentioned above, there are more filming spots that are a favourite of the directors in Hollywood. These are:
The Union Station - it is by far the largest railroad terminal in the United States and has been featured in more than 27 films respectively, films which include The Blade Runner, Seabiscuit and Catch Me If You Can. We are sure you must have (and watched) these three as they ace the list of best-known films.
Bushwick, New York - If you have ever watched Once Upon a Time in Queens or the film Run All Night, you will at once identify with the location. The space has also been shown in about 29 other films.
Griffith Observatory, California - We are already assuming the fact that you must have watched the very famous rom-com called Yes Man and if we are right in the assumption, you will at once recognize the scene from the film which was shot in this location. Other than Yes Man, 43 other films have been shot here including Rebel Without a Cause and Transformers.
Venice Beach, California - Let's just admit the fact that our teenage years are incomplete without watching the series of films American Pie. If you have watched the series, you will realise that they have shown Venice Beach quite several times in the series. The beach was also featured in the very celebrated film I love you, Man. It was also seen in the film The Big Lebowski. All in all, the beach has served as the background in about 161 movies till today.
Williamsburg, New York - The thing about this place is that it still gives out a very precolonial look with all the railed buildings, serving quite the purpose of the famous Sherlock Holmes series featuring the gorgeous Benedict Cumberbatch and his very handsome arch-rival Andrew Scott as Professor Moriarty. Other notable films that were shot in this location are John Wick, American Gangsters, Taxi, Vinyl, Descent, School of Rock, Sleepers, Serpico and more.
Yuma desert, Arizona - This desert has served as the perfect spot for the background of films like the original series of Star Wars trilogy and The Six Million Dollar Man. But nothing beats the scenes which were featured in the film '3:10 to Yuma' which was first directed in the year 1957 and was again reincarnated in the year 2007 teaching actors Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Although the fans still prefer the old classic version, the new revived adaptation has a modern tinge to die for.
East Village, New York - We are pretty sure you must have watched Donnie Brasco and The Day the Earth Stood Still, if you have, you will be able to recognise the East Village at once. This location is a go-to place for college kids, they usually traverse to this location for lazy walks and quick catchups. This site has been featured in about 40 odd films, including the film Enchanted.
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