The 2019 Jordan Peele film “Us” was shot around Santa Cruz in Northern California, as well as several spots around Southern California. The film’s opening, set in 1986, was shot at the famous Santa Cruz Boardwalk. “Sudden Impact” and “The Lost Boys” also famously shot on the boardwalk, with characters in this film even referencing the latter. As the parents of Adelaide Thomas walk past this area, they mention a movie is being filmed nearby.

LOCATION: 400 Beach St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Young Adelaide roams away from her parents and heads out onto the beach. She sees the Vision Quest building right in this spot. There is no actual Vision Quest building, it was a set built by the production.

The same location is seen again in present day later in the film, when an adult Adelaide, played by Lupita Nyong’o, returns with her family. She sees the building again, which is now called Merlin’s Forest.

Adelaide’s son Jason sees a strange man standing with his arms outstretched, facing away from him near the end of the boardwalk on the beach.

The Wilson family stays in this vacation home, located in Pasadena. Identifying the home was no easy task. The house is part of North Kinneloa Ranch, a private, gated community in Kinneloa Mesa in Pasadena. There is no house number visible in the film. There is no street view of this neighborhood or real estate photos of the house available online. Even satellite views offered very little to go on, due to heavy tree coverage. Eventually, in spite of the many obstacles, we managed to identify the correct location. The home is actually a composite of a couple locations. The back portion facing the lake was filmed at Lake Gregory in Crestline.

LOCATION: 2256 Villa Heights Rd, Pasadena, CA 91107

Back in Northern California, when Adelaide’s family first heads to the boardwalk, they see a man being loaded into an ambulance. He’s holding the same sign as a man she saw on the boardwalk in her childhood. The location really is near the boardwalk, which is straight ahead at the end of the road.

LOCATION: 207 Riverside Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

The house where Josh and Kitty Tyler, played by Tim Heidecker and Elisabeth Moss, live can be found in Calabasas. While it is located on a public road, the home is not really visible from the street. It can be found at 854 Malibu Meadows Dr, Calabasas, CA 91302.

Later in the film, Adelaide is driving with her family and brakes suddenly when she sees a car on fire in the middle of the street. A masked boy stands in front of their vehicle.

LOCATION: Near 1163 E Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Here is the reverse view, where Jason is taken.

The Wilson Family’s “Craw Daddy” boat can be seen on display the Universal Studios Hollywood Tour.

LOCATION: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608

Red’s jumpsuit from the film can be found on display at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.

LOCATION: 6067 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

To see our “Us” location page, click here.

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