Fargo (1996)

The 1996 Coen Brothers film “Fargo” is set in North Dakota and Minnesota and while some filming did occur in both states, none took place in the titular city of Fargo, North Dakota. The majority of the film was shot around the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, but due to some unusually low snowfall in the winter of 1995 when filming took place, some shots were done in Northern Minnesota and North Dakota.

Jerry Lundegaard, played by William H. Macy, meets with Carl Showalter and Gaear Grimsrud, played by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare, at The King of Clubs, supposedly located in Fargo. The real building was located near 929 NE Central Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55413, but was demolished in 2003.

The home of Jerry Lundegaard is supposedly located in Minneapolis. The real home is located nearby in Eden Prairie.

LOCATION: 6358 Ginger Dr, Eden Prairie, MN 55346

The Blue Ox Motel, where Carl Showalter and Gaear Grimsrud have sex with two prostitutes, was actually a truck stop in South St Paul, which was dressed to look like a motel for the film

LOCATION: 501 Farwell Ave, South St Paul, MN 55075

Police chief Marge Gunderson, played by Frances McDormand, interviews the two prostitutes at the Lakeside Club in Mahtomedi. The building looked nearly identical to how it appeared in the film, but was demolished in 2022. However, we were able to visit while it still stood.

LOCATION: 10 Old Wildwood Rd, Mahtomedi, MN 55115 (now demolished)

According to several sources online, the interior kitchen of the Gunderson house was located at 2215 Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404. There are real estate listings online and while the garage seen through the kitchen window appears to match up to the current property.

Related articles: The Big Lebowski (1998), No Country For Old Men (2007), Hail, Caesar! (2016)

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