Cleveland

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

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The third and final installment in Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy, “Spider-Man 3,” was filmed in New York City, Cleveland, Ohio and Los Angeles, California. The Daily Bugle is once again featured, which is the iconic Flatiron Building in Manhattan. The building has appeared in countless films, such as “The Usual Suspects,” “As Good As It Gets” and of course “Spider-Man.”

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LOCATION: 175 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

As with previous installments, the interior of Harry Osborn’s (James Franco) Manhattan home is once again filmed at the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, California.

LOCATION: Greystone Mansion, 905 Loma Vista Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210

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In one scene, Many Jane is seen making dinner in the kitchen with Harry.

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After a battle with The Sandman, played by Thomas Haden Church, Spider-Man climbs out of a crashed armored truck, in front of this building in Cleveland, Ohio. Several scenes were filmed in Cleveland, standing in for New York City. The same building was seen in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

LOCATION: 900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) invites Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) to dinner, where things do not go as planned. These scenes were filmed at the famous “Pompeian Room” of the Doheny Mansion, located on the campus of Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles.  While the mansion does offer occasional tours to the public, some of the guides can be strict about allowing photos inside.  Many films have shot at the mansion, including “The Princess Diaries,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Drag Me To Hell,” “Flowers In The Attic,” “The Three Amigos” and more.

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LOCATION: 10 Chester Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90007

Spider-Man arrives at a bank the Sandman has jobs robbed, only to find Sandman has just left the scene. The same building was also seen in the films “(500) Days Of Summer,” “Killing Zoe” and “Night Hunter.”

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LOCATION: 401 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Eddie Brock, played by Topher Grace, prays inside of this church for the death of Peter Parker. The interior scenes were filmed at St. Brendan Catholic Church, which has appeared in numerous productions, including “The Curse Of La Llorona,” “Fight Club,” “Armageddon” and the Guns N’ Roses music video for “November Rain.”

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LOCATION: 310 S Van Ness Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020

Related articles: Spider-Man (2002)

Double Dragon (1994)

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The 1994 film “Double Dragon,” based on the popular 1987 video game, was filmed in Cleveland, Ohio and Los Angeles, California. Billy and Jimmy Lee, played by Scott Wolf and Mark Decascos, get chased around the streets of “New Angeles” by Bo Abobo. Part of the chase was filmed at Grand Lower in Downtown L.A.  This is a popular area for both filming and photography.  It has been featured in countless films, including “The Terminator,” “Demolition Man,” “Cobra,” “Batman Forever,” “Repo Man” and many more.  It was also featured in the TV series “Westworld.”

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LOCATION: Grand Lower, Los Angeles, CA 90071

The chase continues into the Second Street Tunnel in Downtown L.A.  This is another popular filming location, appearing in such films as “Kill Bill,” “The Terminator,” “Blade Runner,” “Con Air,” “Independence Day,” “Demolition Man” and many more.

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LOCATION: 620 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

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The chase continues down the ramp on the left, past the “Uptown Rocker” public art piece in Downtown Los Angeles.

LOCATION: W 4th St, Los Angeles, CA 90071 (GPS coordinates: 34°03’06.3″N 118°15’10.2″W)

Billy and Jimmy walk beneath the Detroit-Superior Bridge in Cleveland (Detroit-Superior Bridge, Cleveland, OH 44113), where they talk about needing help to get the other half of a medallion.

Marian Delario, played by Alyssa Milano, sends a group of skaters into the Shuko Center shopping plaza to create a diversion with security as they enter the building. These scenes were filmed inside the Tower City Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The same shopping mall was seen in the film “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

LOCATION: 230 W Huron Rd, Cleveland, OH 44113

The closing scenes were filmed at the Sixth Street Viaduct in Downtown Los Angeles. The original bridge was demolished in 2016, due to a flaw in the original concrete used to build the bridge, which gave it a high likelihood of eventual collapse. A new bridge was built in it’s place and opened in 2022. The original bridge appeared in countless films, including “Terminator 2: Judgement Day,” “Drive,” “Repo Man,” “Grease,” “Blade,” “Swordfish,” and dozens more.

LOCATION: Sixth Street Viaduct, E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Stranger Than Paradise (1984)

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The 1984 Jim Jarmusch film “Stranger Than Paradise” was shot in New Jersey, Ohio and Florida. Willie, played by John Lurie, is visited by Eva, played by Eszter Balint, his cousin from Hungary. Willie’s apartment can be found in Hoboken, New Jersey, but it has since been extensively remodeled.

LOCATION: 464 Newark St, Hoboken, NJ 07030

The story jumps ahead one year, after Eva has gone to Cleveland to be with her mother. Willie and Eddie, played by Richard Edson, decide to take a road trip and head to Cleveland, passing this bus station.

LOCATION: 1465 Chester Ave, Cleveland, OH 44114

Related articles: Down By Law (1986)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

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The 2014 Marvel sequel “Captain America: The Winter Solder” was largely filmed in Cleveland, Ohio, with some additional footage shot in Washington D.C. and California. The lobby of the Triskelion S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, where Captain America (Chris Evans) meets with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), is actually the interior of the Cleveland Museum of Art (11150 East Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44106).

Captain America goes on the run with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), posing as an engaged couple as they examine the contents of a drive at a computer store inside the Tower City Center. The same shopping mall was seen in the 1994 film “Double Dragon.”

LOCATION: 230 W Huron Rd, Cleveland, OH 44113

The Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan, attacks Captain America, Black Widow and The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) as they drive along the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway (State Route 2). The vehicles stop near the overpass near W 3rd St / Summit, where most of the action takes place. Black Widow escapes from gunfire, leaping from this overpass down to the street below.

LOCATION: W 3rd St / Summit, Cleveland, OH 44114

The Winter Soldier jumps down onto the roof of a car in pursuit.

Captain America shields himself from gunfire in this area near Summit.

The Winter Soldier walks one block up W 3rd St to W Lakeside Ave, where he and Black Window battle in front of the Justice Center Complex.

LOCATION: 1200 Ontario St, Cleveland, OH 44113 (facing W Lakeside Ave)

The S.T.R.I.K.E. team arrives in front of the same building, as The Winter Soldier escapes the scene.

This is located across the street from the Probate Court of Cuyahoga County, seen on the left below, which was featured in “The Avengers.” Only the interiors of the building appear in “The Avengers,” but the exterior is seen several times in the background of this film, as Captain America and The Winter Soldier fight.

LOCATION: 1 W Lakeside Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113

Maria Hill manages to extract Captain America, Black Widow and The Falcon to a safe house, which was filmed at the Lake View Dam, located inside Lake View Cemetery. There are roads running by both this area and further down at the base of the dam, making it easy to get a view from the right spots. We’ve provided GPS coordinates below. This area is not far from the John Rockefeller grave.

LOCATION: Lake View Dam, 12316 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106 (GPS coordinates: 41.512387, -81.588209)

Here is where they enter.

Later, Captain America stands at the top of the dam thinking.

The Falcon joins him and the two discuss how to handle The Winter Soldier. The same cemetery appears again later in the film during a scene at a grave site.

The Winter Soldier is examined inside of this building, where Alexander Pierce, played by Robert Reford, comes to visit him. The same building was seen in “Spider-Man 3.”

LOCATION: 900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115

Related articles: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Judas And The Black Messiah (2021)

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The 2021 Shaka King film “Judas and the Black Messiah” is set in the Chicago area, but was actually shot in Cleveland, Ohio. In an early scene, Bill O’Neal, played by LaKeith Stanfield, impersonates an FBI agent and steals a car at Leon’s Bar. The real building is the Croatian Tavern.

LOCATION: 3244 St Clair Ave NE, Cleveland, OH 44114

Here is a full view of the building.

Daniel Kaluuya plays Fred Hampton, the leader of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. Fred and the Panthers meet The Crowns at this church.

LOCATION: 4015 Superior Ave, Cleveland, OH 44103

Here is a full view of the church building.

Jimmy, played by Ashton Sanders, gets into a shootout with the police at this market.

LOCATION: 6501 St Clair Ave, Cleveland, OH 44103

This building served as the headquarters of the Black Panther Party, where a major shootout scene takes place.

LOCATION: 5450 Broadway Ave, Cleveland, OH 44127

The back of the building is also seen as Bill escapes. There is an alley that runs behind the building, offering a clear view of this area.

The Menard prison where Fred gets released is none other than the Ohio State Reformatory, which is of course most famous for being the prison from “The Shawshank Redemption.” It has been featured in other films as well, however, such as “Air Force One” and “Tango & Cash.” No longer an operating prison, the facility is now run by The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society, which offers seasonal tours in and around the property. We highly recommend it if you’re in the area.

LOCATION: 100 Reformatory Rd, Mansfield, OH 44905

Fred gives his “I am a revolutionary” speech inside this church, which is only seen from interior views in the film.

LOCATION: 2131 E 46th St, Cleveland, OH 44103

Late in the film, Fred’s apartment is featured in a climactic scene.

LOCATION: 1953 W 65th St, Cleveland, OH 44102

American Splendor (2003)

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The 2003 film “American Splendor” tells the story of local Cleveland, Ohio legend Harvey Pekar and his autobiographical comic book series of the same name. The film was likewise shot primarily around the Cleveland area, with a few additional scenes filmed in New York City and Los Angeles. Harvey, played by Paul Giamatti, lives at this home, located in Lakewood.

LOCATION: 12962 Clifton Blvd, Lakewood, OH 44107

Harvey has lunch with famed cartoonist Robert Crumb at Shay’s Restaurant, a local favorite which is still going strong.

LOCATION: 4007 St Clair Ave, Cleveland, OH 44103

Just before Harvey enters a bakery, the Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral is seen in one of the establishing shots. The church was also famously featured in the film “The Deer Hunter.”

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LOCATION: 733 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113

The bakery where Harvey runs into an old college classmate is the Elmwood Home Bakery, exactly as depicted in the film. It too is still going strong at the same location nearly twenty years after the film.

LOCATION: 15204 Madison Ave, Lakewood, OH 44107

Harvey takes Joyce, played by Hope Davis, to dinner at Gene’s Place. The restaurant is only seen from interior views in the film.

LOCATION: 3730 Rocky River Dr, Cleveland, OH 44111

A Christmas Story (1983)

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For years, the house from “A Christmas Story,” located in Cleveland, Ohio, remained a private residence and had undergone many updates, until 2004, when a private developer purchased the home and restored it back to how it appeared in the film.  The buyer purchased with the intent of converting it into a tourist attraction.  Today, the home is available for tours and you can even book the house to stay in overnight.  The owner also purchased two properties across the street, converting one into a museum of memorabilia from the film, while the other was turned into a gift shop.

Located in the Tremont section of Cleveland’s West Side, the house has become a beacon for film lovers since it first opened to the public in 2006.

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LOCATION: 3159 W 11th St, Cleveland, OH 44109

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The interiors were actually shot on a sound stage in Toronto, Canada, but the owner remodeled the inside as well, to make it appear exactly as it did in the film.

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A replica of Ralphie’s father’s “major award.”  The owner of the house and museum actually runs a business selling these replica lamps, which is how he came up with the capital to invest in purchasing the properties when they went on the market.

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The back yard.  The shed is the one structure on the property than has not been restored in any way.  It is original to how it appeared in the film.

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A few behind the scenes photos.

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Some props and wardrobe from the film.

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A miniature model of the house.

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A French poster for the film.

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The Avengers (2012)

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The 2012 Marvel film “The Avengers” shot in a wide variety of locations, including Cleveland, Ohio, New York City, New York, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Los Angeles, California and more. In an early scene in the film, Cleveland stood in for Russia. Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, is bound to a chair being interrogated at this warehouse when she gets a call from Agent Coulson.

LOCATION: 2175 Ashland Rd, Cleveland, OH 44103

Having visited a lot of filming locations throughout many cities, this stood as one of the more precarious spots we’ve been. As such, we caution visiting yourself. While there were no signs posted prohibiting entrance and the building appears to be abandoned, it is in a derelict area and the building itself is in very poor condition. Entire portions of walls were missing and only an old, narrow staircase leads you to this top level where the scenes were shot.

While we encountered no issues during our visit, the building and surrounding area houses many potential hazards. Standing there in person, it is hard to believe a major motion picture shot here, but there’s no denying it offers a unique and interesting appearance.

While it is never seen from this exterior angle in the film, we have included an image of what the building looks like from the outside.

Cleveland also stands in for Stuttgart, Germany, where Loki descends down these stairs as he grabs the attention of the party guests. They all flee when Loki attacks a man. These scenes were filmed inside the Probate Court of Cuyahoga County. The building is open to the public, albeit with a security screening required upon entry. Photos are permitted inside.

LOCATION: 1 W Lakeside Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113

As Loki makes his way outside what is supposed to be the same building, he orders the frightened crowd kneel before him. This is followed by a brief battle against Iron Man, Captain America and Black Widow. These exterior scenes were filmed at a completely different location in front of Tower City Center, part of Cleveland Public Square.

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LOCATION: 230 W Huron Rd, Cleveland, OH 44113

Most of the climactic battle was filmed in New York City. Thor can be seen from the top of the Chrysler Building wielding his hammer to battle enemies in the sky. The same building can be seen in the background of Stark Tower, a CGI created building which does not actually exist.

LOCATION: 405 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10174

Related articles: Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)

The Deer Hunter (1978)

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Michael Cimino’s classic film “The Deer Hunter” is primarily remembered for it’s harrowing scenes set in the Vietnam War (which were actually shot in Thailand).  However, the first half of the film is set in a blue-collar town in Pennsylvania.  The town was comprised of quite a few different locations.  For example, the deer hunting scenes were shot at Mount Baker, Washington.

The wedding of Steven and Angela was shot at the Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral, which is actually located in Cleveland, Ohio.  The building considered to be one of the finest examples of Russian architecture in the United States. The same location briefly appears in the film “American Splendor.”

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LOCATION: 733 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113