The sitcom “Modern Family” is set in suburban Los Angeles and the exterior shots of the houses in the show are all real locations. First up is the home of Jay and Gloria Pritchett.
LOCATION: 121 S Cliffwood Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90049
Here is the Dunphy house.
LOCATION: 10336 Dunleer Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90064
This is the home of Mitch and Cam.
LOCATION: 2211 Fox Hills Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90064
At Wendover Airfield, located near the border of Nevada and Utah you’ll find one of the planes used in the Nicolas Cage action film “Con Air.” The plane isn’t the only attraction to be seen, however, as the area was also used as one of the major locations of the film.
First, we’ll cover the plane. There were actually several planes used during filming. The plane used during flight scenes has a rather tragic history. After being sold to a variety of owners, both military and private, in 2010 the plane crashed into Mt Healy, Alaska, killing three flight crew on board. However, the Jailbird plane used for filming taxi scenes fared much better and now sits on display at Wendover Airfield and it’s completely free to see. It can be found near the parking lot and while it is surrounded by fencing, during daytime business hours at the nearby museums, the plane is accessible for free to the public. Here are several different views of the plane.
LOCATION: 345 Airport Way, Wendover, UT 84083
Here is a view inside the plane. The interiors seen in the film were actually a set built at Sunset Las Palmas Studios (1040 N Las Palmas Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038). Nevertheless, we’ve included a few shots inside the plane at Wendover.
Here is a view of the cockpit, facing out towards the airfield.
Wendover Airfield is still an operational airport, which has a long history dating back to World War II. Bomber groups trained here during the war, which included three Medal of Honor recipients. There’s a museum documenting the history of the airfield, which attracts a lot of tourism. However, our focus is of course on the filming history.
Wendover Airfield has often been used in films, dating back to 1982’s “The Philadelphia Experiment.” “Independence Day,” “Mullholland Falls,” The Core” and Ang Lee’s 2003 version of “The Hulk” all filmed at the airfield as well. The scenic vistas have also been filmed as plates and stock footage in untold numbers of productions. However, arguably the film most widely associated with the airfield is “Con Air.”
The bad news is that all of the filming locations are located away from the main roads, out on the airfield. The good news is, for a fee, you can arrange a personal escort out to the filming locations. Simply look up the Historic Wendover Airfield and reach out to management to arrange a tour. Do not book one of the regular museum tours, as that is a separate attraction and they typically do not venture out to the filming locations. Instead, contact management and tell them exactly what you’re wanting to see and when. They are very friendly and accommodating.
Now we’ll take a look at which scenes filmed at the airfield. Midway through the film, the plane makes a stop at the fictional “Lerner Airfield” for a rendezvous, where the criminals are supposed to change planes and escape the country. When they arrive however, the other plane does not appear to be there, leaving them waiting at the airfield for an extended portion of the film.
The filming area is surrounded by this barbed-wire fencing. In the movie, Steve Buscemi plays a Hannibal Lector like killer named Garland Greene. Garland roams off from the others out past the fencing. Due to the fact the fence runs the entire perimeter, it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact spot of the shot, but here is a general view of the fencing.
Garland spots a little girl at a nearby trailer park having tea time in this empty pool. He comes over and joins her.
This is the airstrip where the plane takes off again, dragging a car in tow.
This tower was featured prominently in the film, including when Johnny-23, played by Danny Trejo, warns the others they’ve got company. It’s also where the car crashes into the tower and detaches from the plane. There is a similar looking tower visible from the road near the entrance of Wendover Airfield. That is not the one seen in the film. The filmmakers saw the real tower and had a replica built specifically for the film, which is seen below. It is not visible from the main road.
Vince Larkin, played by John Cusack, stands beside the inept Duncan Malloy near these buildings, as they watch Malloy’s car crash back down to the ground.
Near the end of the film, an action sequence takes place at in a tunnel supposedly located in Las Vegas, as Poe pursues Cyrus The Virus, played by John Malkovich, on a fire truck. This was actually filmed in the Second Street Tunnel in Downtown Los Angeles. The tunnel is a popular filming location, appearing in such films as “Kill Bill,” “Blade Runner,” “The Terminator.” “Independence Day,” “Double Dragon” and many more.
LOCATION: 620 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
If you’re a filming location fan, we highly encourage a visit to Wendover Airfield. Just be sure to plan a bit in advance with management to confirm you can get an escort out to the locations. It’s well worth the time and expense if you can make the trip.
The exterior of the family house from the TV series “The Goldbergs,” set in the town of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, can actually be found in the Cheviot Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.
LOCATION: 3071 Earlmar Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 western “Django Unchained” is set in various locations across the USA. The filming locations also span across several states, including California, Wyoming and Louisiana. In the opening of the film, Django, played by Jamie Foxx, is shown as a slave. The was filmed at Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, California. Alabama Hills is a staple of old westerns, having been used in dozens of films, such as “How the West Was Won” and “The Gunfighter.” It appears in more modern films as well, such as “Iron Man,” “Tremors,” “Gladiator” and more.
LOCATION: Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, CA 93545
Dr. King Schultz, played by Christoph Waltz, arrives with Django in the town of Daughtrey, Texas. This was actually filmed at Melody Ranch in Newhall, California. The sets are sometimes moved around at Melody, depending on the needs of the latest production. So it can be tricky matching up every shot, but there remains a lot of areas that do match up almost exactly. The same ranch is also briefly seen in the early scenes of Tarantino’s “Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood,” on the set of the fictional “Bounty Law.”
The two are first seen arriving into the town between these two buildings.
LOCATION: 24715 Oakcreek Ave, Newhall, CA 91321
They are seen passing this building.
They proceed down this main street, as the locals stare them down. This section has changed a bit from how it appeared in the film.
Schultz parks his wagon in front of the building on the left. Most of this area still looks the same as it did in the film.
The enter this saloon, where the bartender quickly runs out to fetch the sheriff. The doors were switched to swinging doors in the film. This same set was featured prominently in the TV show “Westworld,’ as the brothel where Thandie Newton’s character works.
After the bartender runs out, Schultz prepares some beer for himself and Django.
Here are some views from upstairs.
Dr. Schultz has a confrontation with the sheriff between these two buildings. The boardwalk on the left is where Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt sit for their “Bounty Law” interview at the beginning of “Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood.”
The marshall, played by Tom Wopat, has a short standoff with Dr. Schultz and Django in front of these buildings, before Schultz reveals he is a bounty hunter with a valid warrant. Schultz and Django are also seen walking past these buildings earlier when they first entered the town.
Later in the film, Dr. Schultz and Django make their way to Tennessee. Django picks out a new set of clothes for himself at the Chattanooga Haberdashery. This was also filmed at Melody Ranch.
Unlike most movie ranches in Southern California, Melody Ranch does in fact offer tours to the public. However, the challenge is simply finding availability. The ranch is sometimes booked for months or years at a time, hosting such shows as “Deadwood,” “Westworld” and “Peaky Blinders,” as well as numerous films and commercials. With such high demand as a filming location, the opportunities for tours are quite limited and require much diligence or good timing.
In search of the Brittle Brothers, Schultz and Django make their way to a plantation owned by Big Daddy, played by Don Johnson, supposedly located in Tennessee. This was filmed at the Evergreen Plantation in Edgard, Louisiana. The Evergreen Plantations was formerly available for tours to the public, but has since stopped offering them. This main house can actually be seen from the road, but it is a busy road, so it’s not the safest area to try to grab photos. The same plantation was featured in the films “The Beguiled,” “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” “Antebellum” and “Free State of Jones,” as well the TV shows “Preacher,” “Into the Badlands” and the 2016 version of “Roots.”
LOCATION: 4677 LA-18, Edgard, LA 70049
The pair are seen entering through this front gate. The dirt trail leading to the house has since grown back over with grass.
There is a flashback scene of the Brittle Brothers beating Django’s wife Broomhilda, played by Kerry Washington. This was filmed at the back of the Evergreen Plantation, where real housing communities were set up for slaves.
Django confronts the Brittle Brothers in this area, also located behind the main house at the Evergreen Plantation. John Brittle is about the beat a woman who is tied to the base of the tree located next to the white barn. After Django exacts his revenge, Dr. Schultz soon joins him at the scene.
As Django and Schultz gear up and mount their horses to go in search of Broomhilda, we are back at Melody Ranch. They first ride out of this building.
Candyland, the estate of Calvin Candie, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, was a set constructed for the film. The exterior was built on the grounds of the Evergreen Plantation, which has since been removed. The interiors were filmed at Second Line Stages in New Orleans (800 Richard St, New Orleans, LA 70130).
Back in Lone Pine, where the opening of the film takes place, you’ll find the excellent Lone Pine Film History Museum. During the production, Tarantino would hold screenings for crew members at the museum’s screening room. At the completion of the film, Tarantino donated the dentist wagon of Dr. Schultz, where it is currently on display. If you have the opportunity, we highly recommend visiting the museum, which dives deep into the history of the many films shot in the Lone Pine area.
LOCATION: 701 S Main St, Lone Pine, CA 93545
Also on display at the museum is a photo of Tarantino and the cast, as well as a signed copy of the script.
Here is a director’s chair from the film.
Over at Melody Ranch, they also have their own museum, known as the Melody Ranch Motion Pictures Studio Museum. The collection contains a mixture of memorabilia acquired by the owners over the years, as well as items donated by productions shot at the ranch. There is a small area focused on “Django Unchained.”
Related articles: Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill (2003), Death Proof (2007), Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood (2019)
The 1999 horror comedy “Idle Hands” was filmed in Pasadena, California. The houses from the film are all located next to one another. Anton, played by Devon Sawa, lives at this house at the corner of Madison Ave and Jackson St.
LOCATION: 1034 N Madison Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104
Directly across the street is the house of Molly, played by Jessica Alba.
LOCATION: 589 E Jackson St, Pasadena, CA 91104
Directly next door to Molly’s house is Randy’s house.
LOCATION: 577 E Jackson St, Pasadena, CA 91104
The 1997 Curtis Hanson film “L.A. Confidential” is one of the most iconic Los Angeles movies of all time, shown through the lens of a 1950s noir film. Aside from two scenes being built as sets; Bud holding the D.A. from the window and the motel shootout at the climax of the film, all other scenes shot at real locations. A vast undertaking, the locations span all over the city.
The Hush Hush office of Sid Hudgens, played by Danny DeVito, can be found at the Crossroads of the World plaza on Sunset Blvd, a former shopping mall featuring a building in the shape of a sea vessel. The location has also been seen in such films as “Indecent Proposal” and “Cafe Society.” Sid’s office is located near the back of the property.
LOCATION: 6671 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
The house where Bud White, played by Russell Crowe, reports to a scene of domestic abuse can be found in Long Beach. It has since been remodeled.
LOCATION: 4216 Rose Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807
This location, a cane and basket supply, serves as the liquor store where Bud first meets Lynn Bracken, played by Kim Basinger.
LOCATION: 1279 S Cochran Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Jack Vincennes, played by Kevin Spacey, makes a drug bust at this house, using it as an opportunity to get some press for himself.
LOCATION: 1714 N Gramercy Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90028
He stands on the street in front of the house speaking to Sid Hudgens, with the camera facing toward Hollywood Blvd. The building in the distance is a former bank, designed by the same architects of the L.A. City Hall. It was dressed to look like a movie theater in the film.
The interior lobby of the police station can be found in Venice. The same building has appeared in numerous films, such as “Assault On Precinct 13,” “The Net,” “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension” and many more.
LOCATION: 685 Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
Two of Mickey Cohen’s men are gunned down in front of this home.
LOCATION: 4439 Victoria Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90019
The exterior of the police station is the Los Angeles City Hall. It’s been featured in endless movies, such as “Liar Liar,” “Ray,” “The Nice Guys,” “Fracture,” “Chinatown” and “Gangster Squad,” just to name a few. The interiors were a combination of the old Pacific Electric Building (610 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90014), now converted into lofts, and the Old Venice Police Station (685 Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291).
LOCATION: 200 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Nite Owl Coffee Shop location can be found in Downtown Los Angeles. It’s next to Wild Bill’s Leather from “Seven” and across the street from where Forrest and Lieutenant Dan celebrate New Year’s in “Forrest Gump.”
LOCATION: 119 E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Bud follows a lead to the house of Pierce Patchett, played by David Strathairn. Known as the Lovell Health House, the property is located in the hills of Los Feliz, up some very narrow roads at the hilltop, not far from the Griffith Observatory.
LOCATION: 4616 Dundee Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Here is the home of Lynn Bracken, the Veronica Lake lookalike, which sits next to a golf course.
LOCATION: 501 Wilcox Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
Jack Vincennes and Ed Exley, played by Guy Pearce, follow a lead on the Night Owl Massacre to this home, which is located just across the street from Bob’s Market from “The Fast And The Furious,” which can be seen briefly in the background.
LOCATION: 1255 Bellevue Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026
The investigation leads to this house on N Bronson Ave, which has since been destroyed by fires. What’s left of the house is still standing, but will almost certainly be razed altogether soon.
LOCATION: 1241 N Bronson Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
A woman is held captive at this home in Lincoln Heights.
LOCATION: 496 E Ave 28, Los Angeles, CA 90031
The property is also seen from this hilltop view in the film.
The suspects escape, but are tracked down at the home of Roland Navarette, where a shootout ensues.
LOCATION: 2618 San Marino St, Los Angeles, CA 90006
Pierce Patchett throws a party at the John Snowden House in Los Feliz. A famous architectural design by Lloyd Wright, the house gained infamy when a book alleged that one of the former owners tortured Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia victim, inside the home, although this has never been proven. The house is only seen from interior views in the film. It pops up again in another scene, when Vincennes and Dudley Smith, played by James Cromwell, discuss their investigation in the kitchen. The house has been featured in the films “The Aviator” and “Wrong,” as well as the TV series “I Am the Night.”
LOCATION: 5121 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Jack Vincennes and Sid Hudgens meet up at the Frolic Room on Hollywood Blvd. The famous bar was also seen in such films as “Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood” and “The Little Things.”
LOCATION: 6245 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
A dead body is found at this motel on Sunset Blvd.
LOCATION: 6720 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Bud visits the house of Meeks.
LOCATION: 1704 Morton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Exley meets with Vincennes at the famous Formosa Cafe, an iconic spot in West Hollywood. The restaurant has also been seen in such films as “Swingers,” “The Big Empty” and “The Majestic.”
LOCATION: 7156 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046
Jack visits the house of Captain Dudley Smith.
LOCATION: 5668 Berkshire Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90032
While the climactic motel shootout was built as a set, it was not constructed on any studio lot. Instead is was built on the grounds of the Inglewood Oil Field in Culver City, giving it the strong illusion of being a real location.
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In the 2002 comedy-horror film “Bubba Ho-Tep,” Bruce Campbell plays an elderly man claiming to be Elvis Presley, who faces off against an ancient, evil mummy. Along with a black man claiming to be John F. Kennedy, the two stay at the Shady Rest Retirement Home, supposedly located in East Texas. The real location was an abandoned building on the grounds of the former Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California.
Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center was founded back in the late 1800s. The hospital upgraded to a newer facility located nearby and abandoned a lot of their older buildings, with ownership transferred to the county. The buildings sat vacant for years. The site of the Shady Rest Retirement Home was located near the intersection of Consuelo St and Esperanza St.
The area was formerly patrolled by security, but some of the roads were still open to the public. In 2017, two buildings were burnt by fires, including the retirement home seen in the film, with the suspected cause being arson. Since then, fencing now blocks off all streets leading to the building, with a second fence surrounding the building itself. Here is an aerial view of what remained of the building after the fire. While it was not destroyed entirely, the damages were significant. The building and most of the surrounding buildings have since been demolished altogether.
This was the closest public location seen from the street, near the intersection of Consuelo St and Dahlia Ave.
LOCATION: Approximately 7608 Consuelo St, Downey, CA 90242 (GPS coordinates: 33°55’20.4″N, 118°09’43.5″W – now demolished)
The Tate house from the 1970s sitcom “Soap” was supposedly located in the fictional town of Dunn’s River, Connecticut. The real house can be found in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.
LOCATION: 511 S Muirfield Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90020
The 1997 Harrison Ford action movie “Air Force One” was filmed in several different locations, including Ohio, California, Washington D.C. and Russia.
When Vice President Kathryn Bennett, played by Glenn Close calls Russian President Petrov, he speaks to her from his bedroom. This was filmed at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. The same room was used in “The Big Lebowski,” “There Will Be Blood” and “Flowers In The Attic.”
LOCATION: Greystone Mansion, 905 Loma Vista Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
The scenes of General Alexander Radek being released from prison were filmed at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. The former prison is of course most well known for being featured in “The Shawshank Redemption,” but it was also featured in the 1980s action film “Tango & Cash.” This gate is seen in the establishing shot of the prison. It’s not a real gate and was built by the production specifically for the film. There was also a longer wall built on each side of the gate. After filming completed, the property had the wall taken back down but left the gate. Seeing it in person, it looks a bit strange, as it’s a gate to nothing on the side of the building.
LOCATION: 100 Reformatory Rd, Mansfield, OH 44905
The camera then moves above the gate and we see these stairs leading into the prison.
The Ohio State Reformatory does offer tours and inside they have a couple photos from the production. On the right, you can see the full wall.
Here is an autographed poster from the film.
If you find yourself in Ohio, it’s well worth it to make a stop at the Ohio State Reformatory. It’s one of the most memorable filming locations we’ve visited.
The neighborhood in Tim Burton’s 1990 film “Edward Scissorhands” was originally considered to film in Burbank, California, where Burton grew up. However, the director felt the neighborhoods had changed too much from his childhood and began scouting other locations, ultimately settling on the Tampa Bay area of Florida.
Early in the film, the neighborhood is introduced as Peg, played by Dianne Wiest, goes door to door selling make-up products. The neighborhood in question known as Carpenter’s Run in Lutz, Florida. The production took the unusual step of painting all of the houses in faded pastel colors. The homes were newly built at the time and the production painted them back to their original colors at the completion of filming.
One house Peg skips while making her house calls is that of Esmerelda, an eccentric religious woman.
LOCATION: 1816 Tinsmith Cir, Lutz, FL 33559
After an unsuccessful loop through the neighborhood, Pam decides out of desperation to visit the castle of Edward, played by Johnny Depp. This was a composite of two locations. The castle is seen in a matte painting at the top of a rocky peak at the end of this cul-de-sac on Tinsmith Circle. The castle exterior itself was a real set, however, built by the production over in an empty plot of land only accessible via a dirt road just outside of Dade City, Florida. It was then composited into the shot on Tinsmith Circle, with castle set torn down at the completion of filming.
LOCATION: End of Tinsmith Cir, Lutz, FL 33559 (nearest address is 1800 Tinsmith Cir, Lutz, FL 33559)
Here’s a reverse view from the cul-de-sac, also seen in the film.
The Boggs family house where Kim, played by Winona Ryder, lives is in the same neighborhood, just across the street from Esmerelda’s house. As of 2021, the interior of the house as opened up to visitors as a free museum and the exterior has been painted to appear similar to how it did in the film. We encourage you to give it a visit if you’re in the area and take advantage of the homeowners’ hospitality.
LOCATION: 1774 Tinsmith Cir, Lutz, FL 33559
The back yard of the house is seen in many scenes in the film, such as when the family throws a party and when Edward sculpts ice, making the shavings appear as snow.
Edward is brought to a hair salon at the Southgate Shopping Center in Lakeland.
LOCATION: 2515 Florida Ave S, Lakeland, FL 33803
He sees Kim and her boyfriend embracing here.
Behind the main sign is where the hair salon could be found.
The salon location itself remained vacant for many years until 2019. Unfortunately, it has since been remodeled and incorporated into a larger shopping space, with a wall replacing the outside windows. We managed to visit and photograph it before that happened, however. This is what it looked like inside prior to the remodel, with the doorway matching up to the film.
Kim’s boyfriend Jim, played by Anthony Michael Hall, lives in this house, also located in Tinsmith Circle, near the other houses from the film.
LOCATION: 1844 Tinsmith Cir, Lutz, FL 33559
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