While set in the state of Alabama, the 1991 film “Fried Green Tomatoes,” starring Kathy Bates and Jessica Tandy, was filmed almost entirely in Georgia.
Early in the film, the Threadgoode house, where a young Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson) and her brother Buddy (Chris O’Donnell) live, can be found in the town of Senoia. This house is known as the Travis-McDaniel house. Decades after “Fried Green Tomatoes” completed filming, the same house was featured in a much different kind of film; “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.” Senoia filming locations would also become synonymous with the TV series “The Walking Dead.” The home sits at the corner of Travis St and Bride St.
LOCATION: 204 Bridge St, Senoia, GA 30276
The bridge and train tracks where Buddy gets into an accident is literally right across the street from the Travis-McDaniel house, at the same corner of Travis St and Bridge St. There is even an early shot in the film showing Buddy cross the street from the bridge to the house. For those looking to get to these tracks beneath the bridge, there’s no need to attempt to climb down the steep embankment. It levels off with the tracks for easy access about one block down, at the corner of Travis St and Clark St, where you can walk your way back up the tracks. The train tracks more or less reach a dead end there as well, running off into a reclaimed horizon of trees and woods.
LOCATION: Intersection of Travis St and Bridge St, Senoia, GA 30276 (across from 204 Bridge St, Senoia, GA 30276)
The most famous location from the film is of course the Whistle Stop Cafe, found in the town of Juliette, Georgia. It is a real, operational cafe and they do indeed serve fried green tomatoes. Visitors should note, however, the cafe is open daily during only lunch hours. The entire town embraces it’s connection to the film and really, the businesses there survive because of it, attracting tourists from around the country seeking out the locations. Mostly, you’ll find food and antiques there, but there are a few other novelties, which we’ll try to cover. First, we’ll look at the cafe itself.
LOCATION: 443 McCrackin St, Juliette, GA 31046
The window advertises fried green tomatoes, just like in the film.
A view of the porch of the Whistle Stop Cafe.
And a look inside.
A poster for the film can be found on the wall, with a chair in front for photos.
A look at the train tracks next to the cafe. As you can see, the train depot building is no longer there.
This building across the street refers to itself as “Ruth and Idgie’s Place.”
A few other surrounding buildings, briefly seen in the film.
If you’re a film location fan like us, it’s definitely worth it to take the detour from Atlanta over to the smaller towns of Senoia and Juliette. While you’re in Juliette, be sure to also check out the bridge from the end of the film “Baby Driver.”
The 2007 film “Disturbia” was loosely inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window.” In the film, several homes next to each other were all featured in the film. Kale, played by Shia LaBeouf, lives at this house in Whittier, California, where he comes to believe his neighbor is a killer.
LOCATION: 6222 Painter Ave, Whittier, CA 90601
Ashley’s house can be found directly next door.
LOCATION: 6232 Painter Ave, Whittier, CA 90601
The Pilchs house can be found across the street.
LOCATION: 6221 Painter Ave, Whittier, CA 90601
The house next door is also seen, when Kale watches a father and son throw a football.
LOCATION: 6227 Painter Ave, Whittier, CA 90601
Mr. Turner’s house can be found in Pasadena. The same location appears in the film “Catch Me If You Can.”
LOCATION: 3077 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107
In Tim Burton’s 2003 film, “Big Fish,” an older Ed Bloom, played by Albert Finney, recounts tales of his life to his estranged son, Will, as he is sick and dying. The Bloom house, from which most of the tales are told, can be found in the town of Wetumpka, Alabama. The house sits perched in close proximity to a street full of local businesses and it’s almost easy to confuse it as another business space, but it is a private residence.
LOCATION: 401 E Bridge St, Wetumpka, AL 36092
One of the most underappreciated film locations we’ve ever visited is the fictional town of “Spectre,” which is actually Jackson Lake Island in Millbrook, Alabama. We can only conclude the location isn’t more widely appreciated due to it’s lack of proximity to any destination cities. It’s a real gem if you can make it there, however.
The island is privately owned, but the owners are quite accommodating to visitors, charging a very modest fee and offering anything from short term visits to overnight camping. The island is fully accessible by car. Upon arrival, you’ll reach a gate where you must pay the small entrance fee. There are signs posted for a number to call after paying the fee. After calling the number, you are given an access code to open the gate. The island in general is beautiful and quiet. It’s a great place to camp, even if you’re not a film lover. More often than not, when locations such as these are used for a film, they usually get destroyed at the completion of production and the owners do their best to discourage visitation. Jackson Lake Island is a refreshingly opposite case. The property owners fully embrace the island’s connection to the film and preserved much of the look of Spectre. It really does feel like you walked straight into the film when you arrive.
Here are the trees where a young Ed Bloom, played by Ewan McGregor, first arrives at Spectre. As you can see, the trees were artificial props, but still remain standing.
LOCATION: Jackson Lake Island, Millbrook, AL 36054
A sign stating “Welcome to Spectre,” just like the one seen in the film.
One of our favorite touches is the fact that there is still a line strung, with shoes hanging from it, just like the little girl does to all visitors of Spectre, so that they might never leave. Clearly the number of shoes has multiplied since filming ended. If you’ve got an old pair you’re willing to part with, you too can add your shoes.
Not all of the buildings seen in the film are still standing. The town is shown a few different times in the film, first as a vibrant community, then in a nearly abandoned state of disrepair and finally as a restored town, thanks to Ed Bloom. The buildings left now do not exactly look vibrant, but it’s still a great experience walking through the fictional town. Here we’ll run through the remaining buildings, one by one.
Last, but not least, is of course the town church. Yes, those are goats standing in front of (and underneath) the church. They are quite friendly.
As far as filming locations go, we’d rank Jackson Lake Island among the best we’ve ever visited. From the friendly owners, to the modest prices, to the beautiful scenery and of course the extraordinary preservation to how the town appeared in the film, there really isn’t much more you could ask from a filming location. It may be out of the way from your usual tourist destinations, but it’s well worth making a detour.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s underappreciated 1996 debut film, “Hard Eight” (a.k.a. “Sydney”) filmed primarily in Reno, Nevada.
The restaurant seen at the beginning and end of the film, where Sydney, played by Philip Baker Hall, meets John, played John C. Reilly, who is sitting outside the doorway, was filmed at Jack’s Cafe in Sparks, Nevada, located just outside of Reno.
LOCATION: 2200 Victorian Ave, Sparks, NV 89431
The entrance where John C. Reilly is sitting is not the main entrance to the restaurant. In fact, it’s a side door with an emergency exit sign. There were several homeless people around this area.
Things take a turn for the worse when John and Clementine, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, find themselves involved in a hostage situation at a motel. The motel is the Ace Motor Lodge in Reno. The motel has changed quite a bit from how it appeared in the film and is now more dilapidated.
LOCATION: 222 N Sierra St, Reno, NV 89501
John can be seen exiting through the front entrance. The surrounding area has also changed quite a bit from what was seen in the film, as the casinos are no longer beside the motel.
Near the end of the film, Sydney awaits Jimmy, played by Samuel L. Jackson, at his house.
For those seeking out the filming locations of the 1991 film “My Girl,” prepare yourself for a lengthy journey. While the film was set in Madison, Pennsylvania, it was shot mostly around Central Florida, with many of the locations scattered far apart from one another, tucked away in small towns. To see the “My Girl” locations for yourself requires a lot of time and travel.
The Saltenfuss house, where Vada, played by Anna Chlumsky, lives with her father Harry, played by Dan Aykroyd, can be found in the town of Bartow, Florida. For quite some time after the film, the property operated as a bed and breakfast. Due to the property’s distance from major tourist destinations, however, it was unfortunately forced to shut down due to a lack of guest bookings. It has since returned to being a private residence. The house is very impressive and recognizable to how it appeared on screen, so if you have the time to venture to Bartow and are a fan of the film, it’s worth the journey.
LOCATION: 555 E Stanford St, Bartow, FL 33830
Shelly, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, pulls her RV up from around this corner in front of the house.
The main street where Veda and Thomas J., played by Macaulay Culkin, ride their bikes can be found in Sanford, Florida. They can be seen crossing this road with the clock tower to the right, then riding down the sidewalk.
LOCATION: Intersection of E 1st St and Magnolia Ave, Sanford, FL 32771
They then ride their bikes up a ramp that specifically says “no bicycles,” taking a short cut through a mechanic’s garage. That building and ramp have since been demolished. The alley they exit onto can still be found, however, where the garage owner yells at them as they ride away.
As they approach Dr. Welty’s office, they continue riding their bikes down another alley, which features a “Nixon / Agnew ’72” poster on the brick wall. This alley really is just around the corner from the Dr. Welty’s office filming location.
LOCATION: Alley between 107 and 111 Magnolia Ave, Sanford, FL 32771
Vada visits Dr, Welty’s office, where, in spite of her claims that she’s sick, the doctor insists she’s in perfect health.
LOCATION: 113 Magnolia Ave, Sanford, FL 32771
The kids then come across their school teacher, Mr. Bixler, played by Griffin Dunne, who is painting his house.
LOCATION: 605 Magnolia Ave, Sanford, FL 32771
The tree where Vada and Thomas J. become “blood brothers” and later kiss in the film was a bit of movie magic. It was, in fact, an artificial tree, built in part using pieces of a real tree. After extensive location hunting for a willow tree beside a lake, the filmmakers failed to find what they were looking for and instead opted to make their own tree. A team was hired to cut down a large oak tree, tagging each branch for reassembly, then uprooting it and moving it to the lake location. The lake in question is Mirror Lake in Clermont, Florida, which is located somewhat far away from the other filming locations. The base of the tree was held in place by five tons of cement, with metal coupling sleeves to reinforce the branches. They then covered the entire thing with $15,000 worth of silk willow leaves to give you the tree you saw in the film, which appeared quite authentic. Today all that remains is the metallic base of the tree. Some say the dock has since been removed due to deterioration, while others say it is still there, submerged underwater.
This portion of the lake is not open to the public and is not visible from the road. However, the much of the surrounding land is currently up for sale, in an effort to develop more housing around the area. So while an eventual sale of the property could open it up for easier visibility, there is always the possibility that developing the land could in turn lead to the removal of the tree base. The reason it hasn’t already been removed is most likely due to the five tons of concrete beneath.
LOCATION: Mirror Lake, Old Hwy 50 W, Clermont, FL 34711 (closest known address is 15647 Old Hwy 50 W, Clermont, FL 34711, the GPS coordinates of the tree base itself are 28.565015, -81.700218)
A bit closer look at the tree base.
Vada sneaks over to Thomas J.’s house and asks him to go to the church with her to spy on her father’s date with Shelly.
LOCATION: 603 Myrtle Ave, Sanford, FL 32771
They church they head to is Ocoee Christian Church in Ocoee, Florida. The kids can be seen walking down the sidewalk on the left and passing the front steps as they make their way over to the bingo tent. Once again, Ocoee is not a short drive to get to and it’s somewhat puzzling why the filmmakers chose such a far-removed location, as surely there must have been other churches available that were closer to the other filming locations.
LOCATION: 15 S Bluford Ave, Ocoee, FL 34761
Here is the yard to the church, where the bingo tent was set up.
The school where Mr. Bixler teaches his creative writing class can be found at the 1914 Plant City High School Community Building, not to be confused with the present day Plant City High School. The 1914 building is an old landmark and serves as a community center.
LOCATION: 605 N Collins St, Plant City, FL 33563
Back in Sanford, near the end of the film, Thomas J.’s mother runs into Harry at The Breezeway Restaurant & Bar, which is located right by the clock tower on the main street, where the kids are seen riding their bikes early in the film. Harry is eating inside, when he comes out and speaks to her on this sidewalk at the corner.
LOCATION: 112 E 1st St, Sanford, FL 32771
If you’re a fan of the film, the good news is most of the filming locations are still well preserved. The biggest challenge, aside from the handful of locations found in the town of Sanford, is simply traveling to all of the towns distant from one another, which composite the small Pennsylvania town depicted in the film.
Perched across the corner from Alamo Square Park is the infamous Kenneth Anger house, also known as the Westerfeld House. First built in 1889, the house managed to survive a 1905 earthquake. In 1928, a group of Czarist Russians purchased the home and turned part of it into a brothel. The house became nicknamed by locals as the “Russian Embassy,” or simply, “The Embassy.” In the 1950s, with the rise of the beatniks, the house became occupied by many jazz musicians. It is said that everyone from Allen Ginsberg to the Grateful Dead visited the house.
By the mid-1960s, the area had fallen into decline and in 1966, the house was rented to filmmaker Kenneth Anger. Although his stay was brief, lasting only until 1967, the house took on a new level of infamy during this period. Anger filmed portions of his short film, “Invocation of My Demon Brother” at the house, which featured Anton LaVey and Bobby Beausoleil, with music by Mick Jagger. Anger also claims to have sighted UFOs from the tower of the house.
A documentary about the history of the home is even in the works, known as “Westerfeld House of Legends.”
LOCATION: 1198 Fulton St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Beausoleil, who not long after would become involved in one of the Manson Family murders, posed for a famous photo on the front stairs of the building. On decidedly less of a counter-culture note, the house sits adjacent to San Francisco’s famous “Painted Ladies,” which readers might recognize from the TV series “Full House.” The creator of “Full House,” Jeff Franklin, later moved onto the property where the Manson Family murders took place.
In 2014, Kenneth Anger himself made a rare public appearance at the Ace Theater in downtown Los Angeles, which was hosting a collection of his films. It was scheduled to feature the first ever public screening of Jimmy Page’s unused film score to Anger’s “Lucifier Rising” (Page’s score was rejected in favor of one by Bobby Beausoleil, who composed the music from prison while serving out his murder sentence). The screening featuring Page’s score was cancelled, however, reportedly due to legal threats. Here is a photo of Anger, who briefly spoke at the event.
Lastly, we leave you with Kenneth Anger’s signature and hand prints, which can be found in front of the Vista Theater, one of L.A.’s best vintage theaters.
LOCATION: Vista Theater, 4473 Sunset Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027
The Peyton house from the 2005 remake “Herbie: Fully Loaded,” starring Lindsday Lohan, can be found in South Pasadena, California.
LOCATION: 1120 Buena Vista St, South Pasadena, CA 91030
The iconic Herbie, the Love Bug was also revived for the film. One of several 1963 Volkswagen Beetles built for the production, this particular model was seen being driven by Lindsay Lohan during the racing sequences. The car can be found at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.
LOCATION: Peterson Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
The 1996 Farrelly Brothers comedy “Kingpin” was shot mostly around Pennsylvania, but like many Farrelly Bothers films, it becomes something of a road trip movie, reaching Reno, Nevada by the film’s climax. In the opening scene of the film, a young Roy Munson practices bowling with his father at the Munson Service Center. The scene is supposedly set in Ocelot, Iowa. It was actually filmed in Mars, Pennsylvania.
LOCATION: 255 Mars Valencia Rd, Mars, PA 16046
Roy bowls with his father at the side of the building, using a homemade lane and bowling pins.
Roy’s father sees him off at P.J.’s Soft Serve. The building was in poor condition when the filmmakers first found it. It is shown in this state when Roy, played by Woody Harrelson, returns to his home town later in the film. The production then fixed it up for the early scenes. The building has since been completely demolished, with a different one now standing in its place, but the surrounding areas still match up. This is located one mile from the Munson Service Center, on the same road.
LOCATION: 441 Mars Valencia Rd, Valencia, PA 16059 (now demolished)
After winning a bowling tournament, Roy takes his car to a mechanic, who tells him someone put sugar in his gas tank. This scene was filmed just a few buildings down from the Munson Service Center and is easily within walking distance.
LOCATION: 229 Mars Valencia Rd, Mars, PA 16046
Only a small part of the building is seen in the film. However, this house across the street is also seen in the background of the scene, confirming the location.
“Big Ern” McCracken, played by Bill Murray, hustles some local bowlers and Roy finds himself in over his head. As they exit the bowling alley, they are confronted by the guys they’ve hustled. Big Ern lets Roy take the fall, as he speeds off and abandons him at the Beaver Valley Bowl in Rochester, with Roy losing his hand in the process. This same location was used in the Michael Douglas film “Wonder Boys” and the TV series “I Am Not Okay With This.”
LOCATION: 25 New York Ave, Rochester, PA 15074
The home of Roy Munson is supposedly located in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The real building is actually located in the town of Trafford. Roy’s neighbors sit outside and complain about life, while his landlady lives next door as well. The building has been slightly updated, but is still very recognizable from how it appeared in the film.
LOCATION: 533 5th Street Ext, Trafford, PA 15085
Later in the film, Roy stages a purse snatching on his landlady, in which he rescues her in hopes she’ll cut him a break on his late rent.
Right around the corner from Roy’s apartment was another scene from the film. Roy helps a mother get her stroller up on the sidewalk and then steals the baby’s milk for his coffee.
LOCATION: 5th St / 5th Street Ext, Trafford, PA 15085
Roy first meets Amish bowler Ishmael, played by Randy Quaid, at the Lancaster Bowl. This scene was actually filmed at Mars Lanes, located right across the street from the Munson Service Center.
LOCATION: 262 Mars Valencia Rd, Mars, PA 16046
Ishmael lives at this farm, where Roy tries to persuade him to become business partners. Ishmael’s farm can be found in Fombell. The long path leading down to the farm is located at the intersection of Harvest Ln / PA-288.
When Roy first approaches Ishmael, who is riding his bicycle on the left side of the road, the barn on the right can be seen in the background. This is the same location as above, facing toward PA-288 (also known as Zelienople Rd).
After Ishmael loses a bowling match to a club player, Roy nearly decides to abandon their partnership. They stop on PA-528 (also known as Prospect Rd), where Roy quickly changes his mind and tells Ishmael he was just testing him.
LOCATION: PA-528, Slippery Rock, PA 16057 (near the 528 Boat Ramp, GPS coordinates: 40°57’03.3″N 80°02’34.9″W)
Depending on the map you use, this area may be listed as Slippery Rock, Prospect or Lake Arthur. It is located near the Frank W. Preston Conservation Area.
Roy and Ishmael unsuccessfully attempt to run the same hustle that cost Roy his hand at the former McKnight Lanes in Pittsburgh. The bowling alley has long since closed.
LOCATION: 7507 McKnight Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 (since remodeled)
Roy and Claudia, played by Vanessa Angel, get into an argument the Jolly Jumper Motel, prompting Ishmael to run away. These scenes were filmed at 100 Blue Spruce Way, Murrysville, PA 15668, but the building has since been demolished.
Roy and Claudia go in search of him at Uncle Willees Reptile Farm, where a rattlesnake bites the owner in the face. The real building is a restaurant known as Willees Tavern and has operated for more than 80 years. The filmmakers clearly gave a nod to the real establishent when naming their fictional reptile farm. It is not far from the early locations seen in the film, such as the Munson Service Center and P.J.’s Soft Serve.
LOCATION: 11150 Babcock Blvd, Valencia, PA 16059
For the film’s climax, Roy and Big Ern square off at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada. The lanes are not open to public use, but there is a bowling museum inside that is open to the public, for those interested.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2012 film “The Master” was shot primarily around Northern California, with a couple scenes also being filmed in Hawaii and Nevada. Early in the film, Freddie Quell, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is seen serving in the military, stationed somewhere in Hawaii. These scenes were filmed at Papa‘Iloa Beach on the North Shore of Oahu, as identified by Reel News Hawaii.
LOCATION: Papa‘Iloa Beach, Haleiwa, HI 96712
Here is another photo of the same location, kindly provided to us by Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights.
Freddie is seen working aboard a Navy vessel. These interior scenes were filmed aboard the USS Hornet in Alameda. Public tours are available for those interested. There is actually an exterior shot of the aircraft carrier, but only in the “Back Beyond” deleted scenes and outtakes feature. These photos of the USS Hornet were also provided to us by Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights.
LOCATION: USS Hornet – Sea, Air and Space Museum, 707 W Hornet Ave, Alameda, CA 94501
Freddie meets Lancaster Dodd, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, as he sneaks aboard Dodd’s boat as a stowaway. That boat is the USS Potomac, which is docked in Oakland, California. You can actually take tours aboard the boat.
LOCATION: 540 Water St, Oakland, CA 94607
A view of the back of the boat. The production added a canopy to the upper deck, where guests were seen dancing when Freddie first approaches.
Another, wider view of the USS Potomac, where it regularly docks.
Freddie is seen visiting his sweetheart, Doris, at this house in Crockett, California. The house has since received a paint job.
LOCATION: 619 Winslow St, Crockett, CA 94525
A full view of the home, though it is never seen from this angle in the film. It sits perched on a steep hilltop of a very narrow, one way road overlooking a lake.
Freddie and Doris sit on this park bench. These park shots are provided courtesy of Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights, who also identified the location. It can be found almost directly across the street from the Lancaster Dodd house, past the concrete structures and to the left. We’ve provided GPS coordinates below.
LOCATION: Alden Park, 8th St, Vallejo, CA 94592 (GPS coordinates: 38°05’51.6″N, 122°16’15.4″W)
Lancaster Dodd’s house can be a bit tricky to find, which we’ll attempt to better pinpoint. The house is known as the Captain’s Mansion, a former event space on Mare Island in Vallejo, California. The first challenge is that many houses spanning several blocks on this street look almost identical and are used for similar purposes. There are subtle differences from house to house, however, be it minor architectural variations, trees and shrubs, views in the background, etc., which do allow for identifying the exact home from the film, To get exactly to “The Master” house, make sure you arrive at the intersection of Walnut Ave and 8th St on Mare Island and you’ll successfully find house, which has the number “822” on the front steps.
LOCATION: 1075 Walnut Ave, Vallejo, CA 94592 (near Walnut Ave and 8th St, GPS coordinates: 38°05’49.9″N, 122°16’18.2″W)
The famous cottage featured in the intro to the 1970s television series “Fantasy Island,” while set on a fictional island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, can actually be found in Arcadia, California. Ricardo Montalban walks down the front steps, while Hervé Villechaize famously rings from the bell tower. The house is known as the Queen Anne Cottage and can be found inside the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. While the house is perched beside a lake, it’s nowhere near any island. The same property was featured in the film “Meet the Fockers.”
LOCATION: 301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007
A closer look at the bell tower, where Tatoo famously shouted, “The plane! The plane!”
Film Oblivion 