Pieces from the oval office set of the television series “The West Wing” can be found on the Warner Bros. lot as part of their studio tour.
LOCATION: 4000 Warner Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505
Some props from the show are also on display on the Warner Brothers Studio Tour. Here is C.J Cregg’s fishbowl and President Jed Bartlet’s campaign napkin.
In the early 1990s, in an effort to capitalize on the popularity of “Beverly Hills, 90210,” Aaron Spelling’s production company introduced a second series into the 90210 universe, known as “Melrose Place.” The show inhabited the same universe, with characters overlapping for special guest appearances. The original series ran from 1992 to 1999.
The famous apartment building from the show was supposedly located at 4616 Melrose Place in Los Angeles. It turned out the producers made just a minor change to the real apartment’s address, which is located at 4616 Greenwood Place, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. The building is known as the El Pueblo Apartments. There is also a real Melrose Place in West Hollywood, but you won’t find much there besides some commercial businesses on a short street.
As for the courtyard and interiors seen in the show, those were filmed on a sound stage. There is no pool at the actual El Pueblo location and if you head past the front gates, you’ll quickly realize the rest of the building bears little resemblance to the show.
LOCATION: 4616 Greenwood Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90027
While Anaheim is primarily known as the home of Disneyland, another big piece of the city’s pop culture legacy is the rock band No Doubt. The former Stefani house on Beacon Avenue in Anaheim plays a major role in the band’s history. After their formation, No Doubt regularly practiced in the garage of this house. When they finally found their breakthrough hit, “Just A Girl,” the house was seen in the music video (the neighbor’s house to the left could be seen as well), as Gwen Stefani sings in the driveway. The band even named their record label Beacon Street Records, as well as naming one of their albums “The Beacon Street Collection,” all in reference to their beginnings at this home. A shot of the band in the driveway can be seen on the back cover of the album.
Despite being famously set in Boston, Massachusetts, much of the 1997 film “Good Will Hunting” actually filmed in Toronto, Canada. The film brought home Oscar gold for screenwriters Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, as well as Robin Williams. Despite heavily filming in Toronto, some scenes were indeed filmed in Boston, including several of the film’s most well-known locations.
Will, played by Matt Damon, and Chuckie, played by Ben Affleck, hang out at the L Street Tavern in South Boston.
LOCATION: 658 E 8th St, Boston, MA 02127
They even keep a sign on the side of the building, calling it the “Home of Good Will Hunting.”
Over at Harvard Square in Cambridge, north of Boston, you’ll find where a couple memorable locations from the film formerly stood, right across the street from Harvard University. However, it gets confusing due to some remodeling that took place after filming. The Bow and Arrow Pub is where, after obtaining Skyler’s phone number and spotting a rival grad student, Will walks up to the window and delivers his famous “How do you like them apples?” line.
In the film, the scene was at the storefront of a Dunkin Donuts. After the remodel, the Dunkin Donuts relocated over to the left side, down Bow St, before eventually closing it’s doors for good. However, the location on the left, which is currently a ramen restaurant, was not the original filming location. You can see the actors standing next to Massachusetts Ave in the scene, confirming the geography of the original site. Thanks to reader “Little P” for helping clarify this.
LOCATION: 1230 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138
In the same general area is where the former Bow and Arrow Pub stood, which is where Will first meets Skylar. It’s also where he has the confrontation with an arrogant, pony-tailed grad student later seen at the Dunkin Donuts. It was formerly located a bit further down Bow St, prior to the property being remodeled. It was likewise taken over as the back portion of the Grafton Pub, while the front portion changed into a separate storefront.
LOCATION: 1 Bow St, Cambridge, MA 02138
The famous bench where Will sits with Sean, played by Robin Williams, can be found at the Boston Public Garden. Surprisingly, the bench is not marked in any way as being the spot from the film. If you’re unfamiliar with the garden park, it may take you a bit to find it, but it’s a popular spot and sometimes you can spot it simply by watching for others taking photos there. To get to the bench, follow the lakeside path north from the west end of the bridge. If you’re at the bridge, you would go down the small set of stairs to reach it. Behind the bench, you’ll see an intersection of paths and a tree with a branch forming a “v” shape. In front of the bench, you’ll see the below view, with the curving edge along the water and the tree in the distance.
One of the more well-known filming locations in Los Angeles is the house from Wes Craven’s 1984 horror classic, “A Nightmare On Elm Street.” The house can be found, not on Elm Street, but a road just off of Hollywood Blvd, called Genesee Ave.
The house of Nancy Thompson, played by Heather Langenkamp, it a fairly popular spot and receives a regular stream of visitors and fans of the films.
LOCATION: 1428 N Genesee Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Just across the street, you’ll find the house of Glen Lantz, played by a young Johnny Depp.
LOCATION: 1419 N Genesee Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
The high school seen in the film is John Marshall High School. A regular location in film and television, it has also appeared in such movies as “Rebel Without A Cause,” “Pretty In Pink,” “Can’t Hardly Wait,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Bachelor Party,” “Grosse Pointe Blank,” “Grease” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” as well as such TV shows as “Boy Meets World,” “Boston Public” and many more. It was even used in the Van Halen music video for “Hot For Teacher.”
LOCATION: 3939 Tracy St, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Tina Gray’s house can be found in Venice.
LOCATION: 620 Milwood Ave, Venice, CA 90291
In the alley behind Tina’s house, you’d find the location where Freddy chases her.
LOCATION: Milwood Ct / Electric Ct, Venice, CA 90291
The cemetery seen in the film is Evergreen Cemetery, in particular the Ivy Chapel, which is located near the back of the grounds. The cemetery closes early, so if you’d like to see it, don’t plan for an evening visit.
LOCATION: 204 N Evergreen Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90033
The bridge where Nancy and Glen discuss dreams can be found at the Venice Canals near Venice Beach. The bridge they stand on connects Linnie Canal to Court C. The same bridge is seen in the Oliver Stone film “The Doors,” as well as “The Little Rascals.”
LOCATION: The bridge between Linnie Canal / Court C, Venice, CA 90291 (GPS coordinates: 33.985319, -118.464566)
Perhaps no movie has inspired more interest in it’s filming locations over the past several years than the love letter to the City of Los Angeles, “La La Land.” The 2016 musical, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, filmed at a wide variety of locations all over the greater Los Angeles and Orange County areas. There are so many locations, in fact, one would be challenged to see them all in a single day.
The opening dance scene in traffic was filmed on the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange, which connects the 110 and 105 freeways in Los Angeles. The scenes were shot on the express ramp, which requires a non-cash toll. The bus jump from “Speed” was also filmed on the same interchange when it was still under construction.
LOCATION: I-110 / I-105, Los Angeles, CA 90061
Mia, played by Emma Stone, works in a coffee shop on the Warner Bros. Studio lot. The real building is indeed located on the Warner lot, however, it is not actually a coffee shop. Rather it is just a building facade, used for any number of settings for productions, such as the toy store in “Small Soldiers.” After the success of the film, however, Warner Bros. did decorate the building again to make it appear as it did in the film, for a few select weeks. The building can be seen as part of their studio tour.
LOCATION: 4000 Warner Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505
Mia lives at this pink apartment building in Long Beach, known as El Cordova.
LOCATION: 1728 E 3rd St, Long Beach, CA 90802
The production filmed inside of unit 16.
Mia exits through the courtyard to join her roommates for a dance number.
She and her roommates then dance on E 3rd Street in front of her apartment.
Later in the film, Sebastian, played by Ryan Gosling, visits the apartment and picks up Mia at this back entrance to the building.
They then drive down this back alley.
Mia attends a party at this house, which is mostly seen from the pool area at the back.
LOCATION: 4533 Estrondo Dr, Encino, CA 91436
After leaving the party, Mia discovers her car has been towed. The buildings to the right have since been remodeled from how they appeared in the film.
Mia is walking alone past this famous mural in Hollywood, known as the “You Are A Star” mural, when she hears music inside. She enters to find Sebastian playing piano. The mural can be found at the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Wilcox Ave. It can also be seen in such films as “8MM” and “Nowhere.”
LOCATION: 1648 Wilcox Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
The interior scene where Mia watches Sebastian play piano was filmed at the Smoke House Restaurant in Burbank, located just across the street from Warner Bros. Studios. The same restaurant appeared in the film “Argo,” as well as such TV shows as “Entourage,” “Six Feet Under” and “Desperate Housewives.” This shot is provided courtesy of Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights.
LOCATION: 4420 Lakeside Dr, Burbank, CA 91505
After reconnecting at a party, Sebastian walks with Mia along Mt Hollywood Drive towards the viewpoint where the film’s most famous scene takes place; the dance sequence over the night skyline.
A lot of creative license was used by the filmmakers here, as to get to the dance spot, the characters would’ve had to hike nearly an hour. The spot is known as “Cathy’s Corner” in Griffith Park and it requires a bit of commitment if you wish to see it in person.
LOCATION: Cathy’s Corner, Mt Hollywood Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027
There’s surprisingly little information online about how to accurately reach Cathy’s Corner. Here we’ll attempt to detail that. First and foremost, the spot is completely inaccessible by vehicle. It is found along a fully paved road, but the road is gated off in all directions from motor vehicles. Aside from park rangers, the road is primarily used by hikers and bicyclists. Many GPS systems will offer different routes to drive to Cathy’s Corner, but rest assured, you’ll only get so far before you’ll encounter signs or gates preventing you from proceeding any further by car.
The viewpoint is accessible a couple different ways on foot, but the best way to do it is by parking at the Griffith Observatory. The lot at the Observatory itself is almost always full. You’re unlikely to find a spot in the actual lot. However, you can park along East or West Observatory Road. Unfortunately, these are now paid parking spaces. There are a few free auxiliary lots, but those fill up quickly as well, plus they get you pretty far away from where you need to be to get to Cathy’s Corner. You shouldn’t have a difficult time finding a paid parking space on Observatory Road, unless you’re arriving at peak evening hours. Your best bet is to arrive early.
The easiest way to spot the trail head to reach Cathy’s Corner is to look for the tunnel when approaching Griffith Observatory. Most traffic to reach the Observatory passes through it. The tunnel was famously seen in Back To The Future Part 2, when Biff and Marty McFly (riding a hoverboard) fight over a sports almanac. The very first road on your right, once you pass through the tunnel, is where you will need to hike. It will either be gated off, or if the gates are open, a guard will be parked there, making sure no motorists attempt to drive up it. The road is freely accessible to pedestrians on foot or bike, however, and you’ll likely see a lot of both. You simply take that road for 2.2 miles to reach Cathy’s Corner.
It is a moderate hike. Much of it is uphill, but considering you can walk a paved road the entire way, as well as the fact that there are resting spots and a water fountain along the way, it’s certainly manageable for most. A couple bottles of water should suffice, unless it’s an extremely hot day.
If you use GPS for walking, it should be accurate from Griffith Observatory to Cathy’s Corner. The hike takes anywhere from 90 minutes to a couple hours round trip, depending on your foot speed. Cathy’s Corner can be found along a winding corner of Mt Hollywood Drive and should be distinct from all other corners for it’s skyline view. Contrary to some information online, you do not likely need to worry about traffic, snakes or mountain lions. It’s a heavily used trail on a paved road. Your biggest challenge will be to simply bring adequate hydration and know where you are headed. You can visit there at sunset or night, but you’ll likely have a difficult time finding a parking space.
Taking a closer look at the viewpoint, Sebastian hangs from a lamppost here, which was added by the production.
Sebastian and Mia then sit at a bench, which was located here. The bench was likewise added by the production.
After their famous dance routine, Sebastian walks Mia to her car, which is also located at Cathy’s Corner, simply looking the opposite direction as the scenic view. The production added cars and lampposts all along the road.
As a final tip to film location enthusiasts, a location from the David Lynch film “Lost Highway” can be found along the same trail, much closer to the Griffith Observatory.
Excited about their budding romance, Sebastian sneaks onto the Warner Bros lot to visit Mai at her workplace and the two take a stroll together down the studio backlot. This area was famously also seen on Pink Floyd’s album cover for “Wish You Were Here.”
LOCATION: 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505
The pair then go see a jazz show at the Lighthouse Cafe, near the Hermosa Pier in Hermosa Beach. The Lighthouse Cafe really is a jazz bar.
LOCATION: 30 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
Right next to The Lighthouse Cafe is the Hermosa Beach Pier, where Sebastian does a dance at sunset. Lampposts were added along the pier by the production. After the success of the film, the City of Hermosa Beach began hosting occasional special events at the pier celebrating the film, where they add temporary lampposts.
LOCATION: 1 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
The two watch “Rebel Without A Cause” at the Rialto Theater in South Pasadena. The theater has appeared in numerous other films, including “Scream 2” and “The Player.”
LOCATION: 1023 Fair Oaks Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
After watching the movie, the couple makes an impromptu trip to the Griffith Observatory to check out the filming locations.
LOCATION: 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Sebastian drives his convertible, with Mia in tow, down the sidewalk on the right.
They then dance around this pendulum inside the Observatory.
The two gaze up at this mural inside.
They also pause to take a look at this Tesla Coil.
During a romantic “summer” montage, the two can be seen walking along the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena.
LOCATION: 504 W Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105
The pair can also be seen visiting the Watts Towers. The Watts Towers have appeared in many films, including “Colors,” “Menace II Society,” “Ricochet,” “CB4,” “Good Times,” “Melinda” and more, as well as the TV shows “Six Feet Under,” “Dragnet,” “Southland,” “Dark Skies” and more.
LOCATION: 1727 E 107th St, Los Angeles, CA 90002
Sebastian and Mia can also be seen riding up Angels Flight in downtown Los Angeles. They dance together briefly at the top.
LOCATION: 50 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Directly across the street from Angels Flight is the Grand Central Market, where another scene in the montage takes place. A popular eating spot, Grand Central Market has appeared in many films, including “Color Of Night,” “Busting,” “City Of Angels,” “I Am Sam” and many more.
LOCATION: 317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Mia walks past this motel as she tries to call Sebastion.
LOCATION: 995 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Mia goes to stay at her parents’ house, supposedly located in Nevada. The home can actually be found in Santa Clarita.
LOCATION: 25851 Mendoza Dr, Santa Clarita, CA 91355
Later in the film, Mia, now a successful actress, can be seen staying at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood.
LOCATION: 8221 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046
Near the end of the film, Mia accidentally stumbles upon Sebastian, who has opened his own jazz bar, called Seb’s. In reality, Seb’s was a combination of two film locations. The exterior is a Los Angeles bar known simply as Black.
LOCATION: 6202 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Here is the angle from the sidewalk seen in the film.
The interior is a bar far from Los Angeles, located in Long Beach, known as The Blind Donkey. After the success of the film, The Blind Donkey hosted an evening based around the film, where they once again dressed the space to appear as it did in the film.
Here is the stairway Mia walks down to enter the bar.
Here is the stage where Sebastian played his piano. In the actual bar, it’s just an enclosed seating area.
LOCATION: 149 Linden Ave Ste. B100, Long Beach, CA 90802
As many locations as we’ve covered here, there are still countless more seen in the film. We hope we have covered most of the highlights.
John Travolta plays FBI Agent Sean Archer in John Woo’s 1997 action film “Face/Off.” Archer lives with his family at this Pacific Palisades home, right near the ocean. Later in the film, Nicolas Cage’s villainous character, Castor Troy, bearing the face of Sean Archer, comes to his home and begins role-playing as husband and father. The home was destroyed by wildfires in 2025.
LOCATION: 326 N Swarthmore Ave, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
The hospital where Eve Archer, played by Joan Allen, works can be found in Baldwin Park. This entrance sits closest to Dalewood Street. A different area of the same facility was seen in the movie “Starship Troopers.”
LOCATION: 1011 Baldwin Park Blvd, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (near Dalewood St)
Caster Troy and his brother plant an explosive at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This particular section is near the intersection of S Figueroa St and W Pico Blvd. The same building was seen in the film “Demolition Man.”
LOCATION: 1201 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90015 (near the intersection of S Figueroa St / W Pico Blvd)
Near the climax of the film, Victor Lazarro’s funeral takes place at the Cabrillo Beach Bath House in San Pedro. The Adam Sandler comedy “50 First Dates” also notably shot at the same location.
LOCATION: 3800 Stephen M White Dr, San Pedro, CA 90731
Archer’s daughter is dropped off outside at the entrance to the building.
Inside, an epic John Woo gunfight takes place, featuring his signature use of doves and slow motion. Thankfully, the staff is quite friendly and welcoming and allows visitors inside. Here are some areas where the shootout takes place.
The gunfight spills out to this area, with Archer’s daughter trapped in the crossfire.
Archer’s daughter runs down these stairs to the lower level.
As the fight spills outside, Archer’s daughter is taken hostage in this area.
In 2002, MTV found themselves a hit television show when they decided to start following the personal lives of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne and his family. The show ran four seasons until 2005, filming inside the family’s Beverly Hills home. Fans of the show are likely to be disappointed if they attempt to visit the actual house, however. It is obscured by walls, gates and trees, making very little of the house visible to the public. Here we offer what little can be seen. The Osbournes have long since moved out. The house later belonged to singer Christina Aguilera as well, who likewise has long since moved.
LOCATION: 513 Doheny Rd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
The front entrance. Visitors should avoid walking up the front steps, as it is a private, residence.
David O. Russell’s gritty boxing drama “The Fighter” shot mostly in the town of Lowell, Massachusetts, where the real life characters the film is based upon actually lived. The film opens with Micky Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg, working on the streets, accompanied by this brother, Dicky Eklund, played by Christian Bale.
LOCATION: In front of 318 Westford St, Lowell, MA 01851
The two are being filmed by an HBO film crew, which Dicky erroneously believes are documenting his boxing comeback. Micky and Dicky do a playful spar in front of the cameras at this intersection.
LOCATION: Intersection of Westford St / Hastings St, Lowell, MA 01851
The camera then speeds away down Hastings Street.
LOCATION: Hastings St, Lowell, MA 01851 (looking towards Westford St)
Dicky is seen many times throughout the film staying at this drug house, where he smokes crack. He repeatedly tries to escape when his family comes looking for him, jumping into a pile of trash in the back.
LOCATION: 38 Smith St, Lowell, MA 01851
Later in the film, Dicky realizes he’s late for a training session and steps outside of the front door. He then begins running down the street to the gym.
Micky meets Charlene, played by Amy Adams, at this bar. The bar is only shown from interior views in the film.
LOCATION: Buck’s Bar & Grill, 165 Chelmsford St, Lowell, MA 01851
Micky lives at this home, where Charlene confronts him for standing her up on a date.
LOCATION: 11 Marshall St, Lowell, MA 01851
Charlene lives at this house, where later in the film, Dicky comes to the porch. Charlene looks out the window on the right of the second floor and argues with Dicky from the porch, before eventually coming out to the front porch herself.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1999 film, “Magnolia,” named after a street that spans the San Fernando Valley, was shot mostly, as you might expect, around the Valley. However, some additional scenes were also filmed in Los Angeles, Big Bear Lake and Reno, Nevada.
In the opening “coincidences” sequence, a man is scuba diving and gets accidentally picked up out of the water by an aeriel firefighting plane. These scenes were filmed at Big Bear Lake in California. This photo of the general area was kindly provided to us courtesy of Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights.
LOCATION: Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
There is another coincidence scene in which an attempted suicide becomes an accidental homicide. That scene was actually a composite of a couple different locations. The rooftop shot was done in Hollywood, with both the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood sign visible in the distance. Also visible is the top of the North Kingsley Apartments, which puts the roof at Hollywood Blvd, facing north up N Kingley Dr. It still looks pretty much the same as it did in the film.
LOCATION: 5217 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
The view of the man falling was shot at the Bryson Apartments in Los Angeles. The same apartments were seen in such films as “The Grifters,” “Calendar Girl” and “Stewardess School.”
LOCATION: 2701 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Early in the film, Quiz Kid Donnie Smith, played by William H. Macy, crashes his car into this liquor store in Winnetka. The same liquor store also appeared in Kevin Smith’s “Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back” and The Smashing Pumpkins’ music video for “1979.”
LOCATION: 20001 Roscoe Blvd, Winnetka, CA 91306
Officer Jim Kurring, played by John C. Reilly, investigates a crime scene at this apartment complex in North Hills. As he walks back to his police car, he is approached by a young boy.
LOCATION: 15150 Parthenia St, North Hills, CA 91343
As the two stand on Burnet Ave, the boy performs a rap for him.
Frank T.J. Mackey, played by Tom Cruise, gives his memorable seminar inside this hotel in Valencia. The hotel is only featured from interior views in the film. The same hotel appears in the films “Twilight” and “Little Miss Sunshine,” as well as numerous TV shows, including “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “CSI: New York,” “NCIS,” “Big Love,” “Las Vegas,” The Unit,” “Make It or Break It” and more.
LOCATION: 24500 Town Center Dr, Valencia, CA 91355
Linda, played by Julianne Moore, gets upset with a pharmacist after he insinuates she may be abusing the medications. These scenes were filed at the A to Z Pharmacy in North Hollywood, although it is only seen from interior views in the film.
LOCATION: 12626 Riverside Dr # 100, North Hollywood, CA 91607
Donnie visits the Foxfire Room, located on the titular Magnolia Blvd in Valley Village. In a slight bit of movie trickery, Donnie parks in the lot at the rear of the building, but is seen entering through the door facing the street on opposite side.
LOCATION: 12516 W Magnolia Blvd, Valley Village, CA 91607
The Firefox Room is a staple of the San Fernando Valley and in the two decades since filming took place, it still looks nearly identical. The bar opens at 7AM daily and it’s dark and inconspicuous. Yet the staff is friendly and the vibe is welcoming. Donnie enters through the door on the right.
Donnie sits at this corner booth. The lighting in the bar is so dark, any brightness quickly overexposes a shot, so photography can be a challenge inside.
He sits and admires Brad the bartender.
Donnie then sits at the corner of the bar and talks to a mysterious older man, credited as Thurston Howell.
The home of Jimmy Gator, played by Philip Baker Hall, can be found in Toluca Lake.
LOCATION: 10240 Moorpark St, Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Officer Jim approaches the corner of this building, when shots are fired.
LOCATION: 4055 Tujunga Ave, Studio City, CA 91604
He then slides down this embankment on the side of the building.
As Jim is disoriented in the rain, a kid approaches and steals his gun, running up the stairs to escape undetected. While there are still stairs up to the street at the location, they have been remodeled since filming.
The police arrive to assist in the search for the gun, with the L.A. river and overpass visible next to the building.
Late in the film, as a biblical storm hits, Officer Jim finds himself at the intersection of Reseda Blvd and Sherman Way in Reseda. This is located right beside the “Hot Traxx” night club from “Boogie Nights.”
LOCATION: Sherman Way / Reseda Blvd, Reseda, CA 91335
He makes an emergency stop at a gas station, only see Donnie climbing on a pole, where he has just attempted to rob his workplace. Donnie then falls to the ground. The pole and payphone are both still standing at the location.