The television series “Mindhunter,” executive produced by David Fincher, who also directed seven episodes, tells the story of two FBI agents and a psychologist who develop the Behavioral Science Unit to understand the psychology of serial killers. Agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench, played by Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany, travel the country interviewing convicted serial killers. The series was primarily filmed in the Pittsburgh area, with the city often standing in for other cities, most notably as Atlanta in Season Two.
In the opening scene of the series, Holden Ford contends with a hostage situation, said to be in Braddock, Pennsylvania. Braddock is indeed where the scene was shot.
LOCATION: 218 7th St, Braddock, PA 15104
Here is a closer look at the area where the man holds a woman hostage.
Here is the area where Holden stands and attempts to negotiate.
Bill Tench’s house is seen frequently throughout the series. The home can be found in Pittsburgh.
The 2020 David Fincher film “Mank,” about screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and his story of writing the screenplay for “Citizen Kane,” is set in the 1930s and 1940s, against the Hollywood studio backdrop of that era. The film likewise shot around Southern California. The movie employs heavy use of CGI to maintain the period look, often taking portions of real locations and adding computer generated elements and different backgrounds altogether. Fincher himself described the process as being as labor-intensive as a Marvel movie. It makes it challenging at times to nail down specific locations, as the real life places in present day don’t always align with what is seen in the film.
One location that matches up very well is the ranch where Mank, played by Gary Oldman, spends much of the film writing “Citizen Kane.” The Kemper Campbell Ranch in Victorville, known at the time the film takes place as the Verde Ranch, is where these scenes were shot. The ranch is, in fact, also the actual location where the real Herman J. Mankiewicz wrote much of “Citizen Kane.” Today, the property is a private estate and cattle ranch. Due to the fact that there are full-time residents living at the ranch, they do not offer tours to the public. However, they do offer guest rentals at the property. The guest rentals are currently only available at group rates, with a two night minimum, so it can be quite a costly stay, unless you have a larger party to help split the costs. Here is the area of the ranch featured most heavily in the film, where Mank stays.
LOCATION: 10 Kemper Campbell Ranch Rd, Victorville, CA 92395
Here is a closer look at the building. The door, stairs and courtyard are all featured throughout the course of the film, as it cuts between Mank writing in 1940 and various flashback scenes throughout the 1930s.
Here is a look at one of the roads leading to the ranch, which is also seen several times in the film.
Here are some additional views of the ranch and surrounding mountains.
In a flashback scene, Charlie invites Mank on a weekend trip to what turns out to be the Hearst Castle. They depart from the Glendale Station, just as the characters state in the film. Mank arrives at the station drunk. While the real building was featured in the scene, visual effects were used to add additional buildings and palm trees into the background.
LOCATION: 400 W Cerritos Ave, Glendale, CA 91204
Mank awakens at the Hearst Castle to screams coming from outside. It is made to appear the scenes shot at the real Hearst Castle, located in San Simeon (750 Hearst Castle Rd, San Simeon, CA 93452). However, the scenes were actually shot at The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino. The southwest corner of the Huntington Art Gallery building served as the grounds of the Hearst Castle, with quite a bit of visual effects added to the shot, such as the Hearst towers and palm trees. The Huntington grounds are quite large, so we’ve provided GPS coordinates below of the exact spot.
LOCATION: 1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, CA 91108 (GPS coordinates: 34.126274, -118.113582)
Mank follows the sound of the screams and discovers a film set, where Marion Davies, played by Amanda Seyfried, is performing a scene in which she is burned at the stake. This scene was also filmed at The Huntington Library, near the Australian Garden and Desert Garden, according to comments online. The film employs so many visual effects, adding mountains and open land, to the point that we were unable to match with certainty the exact spot the set was built.
In yet another scene at the Huntington Library, Marion walks with Mank to a fountain, where she asks him about which roles he feels she could play. The fountain can be found on the North Vista, with the GPS coordinates 34.128229, -118.113415. More visual effects were used in the scene, showing the Hearst Castle in the distance.
While at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, Mank sees Upton Sinclair giving a political speech. The hotel is one of the most frequently used locations in all of Los Angeles, having appeared in “Ghostbusters,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Independence Day,” “Fight Club” and countless more productions. The interior of the hotel also appears at the end of the film, when the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay is awarded.
LOCATION: 506 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Mank runs into his friend C.C. in front of Bullocks Wilshire, a famous art deco building on Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles. Mank learns that MGM is hiring actors to play outspoken citizens against Upton Sinclair. Once a luxury department store, Bullocks Wilshire now operates as a law school. The building has also been featured in the films “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “The Aviator,” “The Public Enemy” and “Dunston Checks In,” the TV series “Moonlighting” and Areosmith’s music video for “Love in an Elevator,” in addition to many other productions.
LOCATION: 3050 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010
The Trocadero Nightclub was not a real club. The exterior location used was Cicada Restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles, with a few visual effects composited into the shot, such as the Trocadero sign. The location has been featured in countless films, such as “Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood,” “Pretty Woman,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” “Indecent Proposal,” “Suicide Squad” and “Bruce Almighty,” as well as such TV shows as “Mad Men, “The Morning Show” and “American Horror Story.”
LOCATION: 617 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Mank tries to intervene in a potential suicide of his friend Shelly Metcalf, pulling up in front of the brick sidewalk on the right.
LOCATION: 1944 N Kenmore Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Mank then knocks at the front door of Shelly’s home, which is located in Hollywood.
As Mank is leaving, he drives over La Loma Bridge in Pasadena, with the Griffith Observatory visible in the distance. This is another visual effect. In reality, the Observatory is not visible from the bridge, although it is visible from Shelly’s home. The same bridge was featured in the film “The Little Things.”
LOCATION: La Loma Bridge, 799 La Loma Rd, Pasadena, CA 91105
The 2007 David Fincher film “Zodiac” is primarily set in the San Francisco Bay area. However, production was split between Northern and Southern California, with quite a few scenes shot in the Greater Los Angeles area. The opening scenes show a young Mike Mageau, played by Lee Norris, being picked up for a date by Darlene Ferrine, played by Ciara Moriarty on July 4, 1969. While set in Vallejo, California, the scene was actually filmed in Long Beach. The camera rolls past a series of houses on Gundry Ave, beginning around 3938 Gundry Ave and stopping five houses down at Mike’s place.
LOCATION: 3964 Gundry Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807
The couple drives to this diner, also located in Long Beach, where Darlene says it’s too crowded and decides to go some place quiet. The same diner has also appeared in the films “Corrina, Corrina,” “The Real McCoy” and “A Cinderella Story.”
LOCATION: 4390 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807
Robert Graysmith, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, lives in a house that is only seen from interior views in the film. However, a couple shots help pinpoint the neighborhood to Angelino Heights in Los Angeles. For example, the street outside of his home can be seen here when he takes his son to school early in the film.
LOCATION: Near the intersection of Douglas St / Kellam Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (approximately in front of 1406 Kellam Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026)
Robert drops his son off at for school at Roosevelt Middle School in San Francisco (460 Arguello Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118).
Robert works as a cartoonist at the San Francisco Chronicle. For exterior shots, the real newspaper building was used.
LOCATION: 901 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Interiors for the San Francisco Chronicle were filmed at the old United States Post Office – Los Angeles Terminal Annex in Downtown Los Angeles. The building has also been used in such films as “City of Angels” and “Dear God,” as well as such TV shows as “Southland,” “EZ Streets” and “No Ordinary Family.”
LOCATION: 900 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Zodiac kills a taxi driver at the corner of Washington and Cherry in San Francisco. This film shot at the real location where the murder took place, however their access was limited, as the neighborhood did not want the production there or the attention it would draw. The location is revisited several times in the film, as the characters hope the killer might return to the site on the anniversary of his crimes. For the night scenes, the Presidio Heights neighborhood was actually recreated on a studio lot at the former Downey Studios (12214 Lakewood Blvd, Downey, CA 90242), with blue screens used to add further backgrounds to the practical sets. Downey Studios has since been demolished.
LOCATION: 3893 Washington St, San Francisco, CA 94118
Robert stops his son from getting on the school bus at this location. This is again in the Angelino Heights neighborhood, just around the corner from the spot where he drives his son to school early in the film.
LOCATION: Near the intersection of Douglas St / Kellam Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (approximately in front of 908 Douglas St, Los Angeles, CA 90026)
Detectives visit the house of Melvin Belli, played by Brian Cox, after the Zodiac writes him a letter. Later in the film, Robert also visits the home. Belli’s house is located in Hancock Park at Fremont Place, which is one of the few gated communities in Los Angeles and therefore inaccessible to the public. A popular filming location, many productions have shot inside Fremont Place, such as “Taken,” “The War Of The Roses” and “Rocky III.” Fincher himself returned to the same neighborhood for “Gone Girl,” where the house of Desi Collings can also be found.
LOCATION: 72 Fremont Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90005
Paul Avery, played by Robert Downey Jr., has an argument with Inspector David Toschi, played by Mark Ruffalo, outside of the Riverside Police Department. The building used in the scene is actually located in Culver City. The same location was also featured in the film “The Lincoln Lawyer.”
LOCATION: 4130 Overland Ave, Culver City, CA 90230
Toschi shares a sandwhich with his partner William Armstrong, played by Anthony Edwards, at the former Callahan’s Diner in Santa Monica. The location actually appears in three separate scenes in the film, with the latter two featuring Toschi meeting with Robert. According to information online, some shots were done on a set. Callahan’s Diner, formerly located at 1213 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403, has long since closed and a different restaurant now operates there.
A time lapse is shown of the construction of the Transamerica Pyramid building. This was of course a CGI creation.
LOCATION: 600 Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Toschi catches a screening of “Dirty Harry,” where he is unimpressed with the depiction of the Zodiac inspired villain “Scorpio.” The exterior of the building still exists (295 Bay St, San Francisco, CA 94133). However, the interior scenes were filmed at the former National Westwood Theatre in Los Angeles, which was demolished in 2008. Here is the area where it formerly stood.
LOCATION: 10925 Lindbrook Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90024
The Golden Gate Bridge is briefly seen in a transition shot when Robert makes his way to the Vallejo Police Department. The bridge is one of the most often seen locations in film, having appeared in “Vertigo,” “The Rock,” “Pacific Rim,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “Terminator: Genisys,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “Superman: The Movie,” “San Andreas,” “A View To A Kill,” “Dirty Harry,” “Hulk,” “Lords Of Dogtown,” “The Bridge” and many more.
LOCATION: Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA
The Vallejo Police Department, where Robert obtains more information on the case, could be found in Hawthorne. It was a real police building, also featured in the TV series “True Blood” and the second season of “True Detective.” The building has since been demolished. Here is the area where it formerly stood.
LOCATION: 4440 W 126th St, Hawthorne, CA 90250 (now demolished)
Robert meets up with Toschi at the Wilshire Collonade to tell him about the progress of his own personal investigation. Toschi encourages Robert to keep investigating and directs him to seek out Melvin Belli. The same location was featured in numerous films, such as “Wrath Of Man,” “Stealing Harvard” and “Earthquake,” as well as such TV series as “Californication,” “American Crime Story: Impeachment” and more.
LOCATION: 3701 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Robert calls Toschi from a payphone in front of San Francisco City Hall, following a lead on Zodiac’s birthday.
LOCATION: 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl., San Francisco, CA 94102
Robert approaches Inspector Toschi again at the Earl Warren Building in San Francisco, seeking more information on the case. Toschi lets Robert know the case is unlikely to ever be solved at that point and tells him to not disturb him anymore.
LOCATION: 350 McAllister St, San Francisco, CA 94102
The building is located next to City Hall, which can once again be seen in the background of some shots.
Robert is picked up by Bob Vaughn in front of the Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro. The same theater also appeared in many other films, including “Pearl Harbor,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Seabiscut,” “Remote Control,” “Win A Date With Tad Hamilton,” “Ghosts Of Mississippi,” “Boys And Girls,” “Live By Night,” “Worth Winning,” “Mark Of Love,” “Invasion Earth: The Aliens Are Here” and “From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks.” It has also appeared in such television series as “The O.C.,” “Party Of Five,” “Melrose Place,” “T.J.Hooker,” “7th Heaven” and “Cousin Skeeter.”
LOCATION: 478 W 6th St, San Pedro, CA 90731
Near the end of the film, Robert tracks down a suspect he believes may be the Zodiac working inside this hardware store in South Gate. The building is only seen from interior views in the film.
LOCATION: 3948 Tweedy Blvd, South Gate, CA 90280
In the closing scenes of the film, an older Mike Mageau is brought in at the Ontario Airport to look at photos of potential suspects. The airport has appeared in many other films, including “Catch Me If You Can,” “Saving Mr. Banks,” “Blow,” “Argo” and more.
David Fincher’s 1999 film “Fight Club” was shot primarily around Los Angeles, California. Early in the film, the unnamed narrator, played by Edward Norton, attends support groups for diseases he does not have. He visits the St. Brendan Catholic Church, which has appeared in numerous productions, including “The Curse Of La Llorona,” “Spider-Man 3,” “Armageddon” and the Guns N’ Roses music video for “November Rain.”
LOCATION: 310 S Van Ness Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020
After meeting Marla Singer, played by Helena Bonham Carter, he follows her to this laundromat, where she takes clothes that don’t belong to her. The laundromat is still in business.
LOCATION: 4371 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029
The vintage clothing store where she sells the clothes was located just across the street.
LOCATION: 4314 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
The narrator’s apartment can be found near downtown Los Angeles. It’s located just across from the 2nd Street Tunnel, a popular filming location seen in such films as “Blade Runner,” “Kill Bill,” “The Terminator” and many more. Known as the Promenade Towers, the property consists of two main towers. The one seen in the film is closest to the W 1st St overpass. He calls Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt, from a phone booth at the front entrance between the two towers.
LOCATION: 123 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fight Club begins at Lou’s Tavern. The building was a real bar, located near Wilmington. It had closed by the time the production came along, which added the neon signs. Not long after filming completed, the building was demolished altogether. It’s now just some empty land at the corner of S Figueroa St and W Harry Bridges Blvd. Prior to being demolished, the same building appeared in the films “To Live And Die In L.A.” and “Blood In, Blood Out.”
LOCATION: S Figueroa St / W Harry Bridges Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90731 (now demolished – original address was 1331 W B Street, Wilmington, CA 90731, but that address no longer exists)
The building where Tyler holds a man at gunpoint and urges him to go back to school was also filmed at a nearby liquor store at 1109 W Harry Bridges Blvd, Wilmington, CA 90744, but was also demolished.
Tyler’s house, supposedly located on Paper Street, was a set built by the production on Neptune Ave in Wilmington. It was removed at the completion of filming and is likewise now just empty land.
LOCATION: 240 N Neptune Ave, Wilmington, CA 90744 (now demolished)
As Fight Club begins to expand, the club begins taking on homework assignments by trying to start fights with the public. A man sprays a preacher with a hose as he walks by this tire shop.
LOCATION: 505 N Avalon Blvd, Wilmington, CA 90744
Another public fight takes place in front of these geometric art pieces, found in the Citigroup Center in Downtown Los Angeles. The same area was used as the exterior of the bank in “Heat.”
LOCATION: 444 S Flower St, Los Angeles, CA 90071
The car dealership fight was filmed at 5151 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036, but the building has since been demolished, with a new building standing in its place.
As the assignments escalate, things go wrong when the space monkeys try to destroy a piece of corporate art. This was filmed at Two California Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles. There is no actual ball or fountain there. To get to this area, look for signs for the Water Court from S Grand Ave.
LOCATION: 350 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Three scenes were filmed at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. The first is where Tyler appears in a corporate video, welcoming the narrator to his hotel room. The second is when Tyler works in a hotel restaurant where he defiles the food. This was filmed in the hotel’s Emerald Room. In a third scene, Tyler threatens to cut off the police commissioner’s balls in the men’s restroom of the Regency Room.
LOCATION: 506 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Marla lives in the Hotel Bristol, also in Downtown L.A.
LOCATION: 423 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
A computer store gets blown up in Downtown L.A., near the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.
LOCATION: 501 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Video tapes are erased with magnets at a former video store on Wilshire Blvd.
LOCATION: 6340 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
Marla is put on a bus at the corner of S Broadway and W 8th St in Los Angeles. The narrator is then seen walking towards the former Olympic Theater.
LOCATION: 313 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
The final scenes with the buildings collapsing were a CGI composite. Many of the most iconic locations from the film were either sets, CGI or since demolished. However, if you’re a fan of the film, there’s still a lot of locations to be seen.
David Fincher’s 1995 thriller “Seven” filmed primarily in downtown Los Angeles, against muted color tones and an onslaught of rain towers. Detective Mills, played by Brad Pitt, first meets Detective Somerset, played by Morgan Freeman, at a murder scene in the Flower District of downtown. As they exit the building, Somerset invites Mills for a drink, but is promptly declined. The two walk along the building as they continue talking.
LOCATION: 746 1/2 San Pedro St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
The pair are introduced to the seven deadly sin killings with the “Gluttony” murder scene, filmed in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles.
LOCATION: 720 Beacon Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017
They make their way across a then-vacant lot, along the side of the property to a rear entrance.
Somerset researches the seven deadly sins at the city library. This was filmed at the A.G. Bartlett Building in downtown Los Angeles. The building is currently used for a variety of businesses and lofts. The property has been seen in countless other films, including “They Live” “The Mask,” “The Wedding Singer,” “L.A. Story,” “The Prestige,” “Ghost,” “Bridesmaids,” “13 Going On 30” and many more. This area cannot normally be accessed by pedestrians. However, portions are visible from the street in a couple areas through the windows.
LOCATION: 650 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Mills runs across the street in the rain to his car, parked across from this ramp to the Millennium Biltmore Hotel on S Grand Ave. Lady Gaga walks up the same ramp in the opening of “A Star Is Born” and it can also be seen from the opposite view on S Olive St in the film “Chinatown.”
LOCATION: 530 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071
After the “greed” crime, Mills and Somerset speak with Mrs. Gould at the at the former Ambassador Hotel, where she notices a painting is upside down in one of the crime scene photos. The hotel was a staple of film and television, appearing in such films as “The Graduate,” “Forrest Gump,” “True Romance,” “Bobby,” “True Lies,” “L.A. Story,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “The Mask” and dozens more. The hotel has since been demolished, with only this post and statue from the original building remaining.
LOCATION: 3400 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (now demolished)
Thinking they’ve located the killer, the police raid leads instead to the discovery of the “Sloth” victim at the former Pan American Building, now known as the Pan American Lofts. The building had a distinctive “Giant Penny Store” sign along the bottom, which is now gone. However, much of the architecture otherwise remains the same. The shots seen in the film are actually from the side of the building on W 3rd St.
LOCATION: 253 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Tracy asks Somerset to meet her at a diner, which was the former Quality Cafe in downtown. The diner was a one-time staple of films, appearing in “Training Day,” “Ghost World,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Another Day In Paradise,” “(500) Days Of Summer” “Million Dollar Baby,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “The Heartbreak Kid” and many more. However, it was not an actual restaurant open to the public. Instead it was used solely for filming (much like Johnie’s Coffee Shop in mid-town L.A.). Unless the building was being set up for a production, most of the time it was closed up and locked by a large metal door covering the front windows. So catching a glimpse of it was rare. Sadly, it ceased to function as a filming location and was completely renovated in 2014. The interior of the property no longer bears any resemblance inside to how it appeared in so many films.
LOCATION: 1238 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90017 (since closed and remodeled)
Later in the film, Somerset emerges from this doorway of the Chester Williams Building.
LOCATION: 215 W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
The fictitious Wild Bill’s Leather could be found on E 6th St in downtown Los Angeles, next to the Nite Owl from “L.A. Confidential” and across the street from where Forrest and Lieutenant Dan celebrate New Year’s in “Forrest Gump.”
LOCATION: 123 E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
The police station was a composite of a few different buildings, but the exterior can be found on Mateo St.
LOCATION: 673 Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
The film’s infamous ending was shot in Lancaster. While there are quite a few electrical towers out there, it’s not as dense as what’s seen in the film, indicating some use of visual effects.
The 2008 David Fincher film “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” shot mostly in the New Orleans area, with some additional sequences filmed in Quebec, Canada and the Los Angeles County area.
Benjamin Button, played by Brad Pitt, is born at this house, known as the Lanaux Mansion Bed and Breakfast in New Orleans. In the film, the house belongs to Benjamin’s father, played by Jason Flemyng, who, upon seeing Benjamin at birth, grabs him and takes him away from the home. Later in the film, an adult Benjamin returns to the home to visit his ailing father.
LOCATION: 547 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116
The house where Benjamin lives for much of the film and where he meets Daisy, played by Cate Blanchett, is known as the Nolan House. The shrubs lining the property have grown much higher since filming completed, making portions of the house and yard unfortunately more difficult to see.
LOCATION: 2707 Coliseum St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Mr. Oti, played by Rampai Mogadishu, takes Benjamin to this peristyle, where they sit and talk as they look out onto the water. The peristyle can be found at the New Orleans City Park.
LOCATION: 42 Dreyfous Dr, New Orleans, LA 70119
Another view of the peristyle.
Daisy dances for Benjamin at the Newman Bandstand in Audubon Park. Some extra decor was added to the bandstand for the film.
LOCATION: Newman Bandstand, Golf Club Dr, New Orleans, LA 70118
We leave you with some props from the film. One of the aged, prosthetic masks worn by Brad Pitt can be seen on the Paramount Studio Tour.
LOCATION: 5555 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Also located in the Paramount prop room is the clock that runs backwards in the film.
The apartment from David Fincher’s 2002 home invasion thriller “Panic Room” is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, near Central Park. The apartment was only used for exterior shots in the film.
LOCATION: 38 W 94th St, New York, NY 10025
Here is a view of the entire building, although it’s never seen from this angle in the film.
The apartment interiors were filmed entirely on a custom built set in Manhattan Beach, California at Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios (1600 Rosecrans Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266). That set has of course long since been removed.
The ending scene of the film shows Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart sitting on a park bench. They are seated in an area known as The Mall in Central Park, a tree-covered pedestrian walkway that leads to Bethesda Terrace. The two are seated near the Robert Burns statue. The benches have slightly changed from how they appeared in the film.
LOCATION: The Mall, Central Park, New York, NY 10022
The opening of David Fincher’s 2010 Facebook drama, “The Social Network,” takes place at the Thirsty Scholar Pub in Somerville, Massachusetts, just north of Cambridge, where Harvard University is located.
LOCATION: Thirsty Scholar Pub, 70 Beacon St, Somerville, MA 02143
In the opening scene, Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg, is dumped by Erica Albright, played by Rooney Mara, helping set forth the events of the film. The layout inside of the pub looks slightly different than how it appeared in the film, but the back windows remain the same.
A poster for the film, signed by some of the cast and crew, can be seen above one of the restroom doors inside the pub.
After the 1970 film “Love Story,” Harvard University banned nearly all commercial production on the grounds, due to disruption to students and damage to property. Their anti-filming policy still remains today, thus the majority of the Harvard scenes for “The Social Network” were instead filmed at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. However, a few shots of the real Harvard and surrounding Harvard Square can be seen in the opening credits of the film. The producers sidestepped Harvard’s policy by filming on top of the Cambridge Savings Bank at Harvard Square (the bank was also used for a robbery scene in the 2010 Ben Affleck film “The Town”). Portions of the Dudley House at Harvard Square can be seen in these opening credit shots.
LOCATION: 1351-1443 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138
Mark walks past the Out Of Town News, located at the real Harvard Square, before the scene seamlessly shifts to him walking through John Hopkins University in Baltimore for the remainder of the opening credits.
LOCATION: 18 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Later in the film, Eduardo, played by Andrew Garfield, is seen being initiated into the prestigious Phoenix Society, citing the three lies about the John Harvard statue. Once again, the real Harvard University was not cooperative in allowing any filming at the real statue. This scene was instead filmed at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA (180 Main St, Andover, MA 01810), about 25 miles north of Boston. Below is the real John Harvard statue at Harvard University, which was recreated for the film.
LOCATION: 1 Harvard Yard, Cambridge, MA 02138
Several scenes in the film were actually shot around the Los Angeles area, far away from the grounds of Harvard. Once such sequence involved the Winkelvoss twins discovering Facebook has begun allowing registration in the UK, which finally prompts the twins, played by Armie Hammer, to sue Mark Zuckerberg. While this scene is supposedly set in England, it was actually shot at the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. The scenes were shot inside the Breakfast Room, which was also seen from the opposite side in “The Big Lebowski,” when The Dude looks at photos of the Little Lebowski Urban Achievers.
LOCATION: Greystone Mansion, 905 Loma Vista Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Mark shows up to a business meeting with prospective advertisers wearing a robe (seen below) on the steps of the Aon Center in Downtown Los Angeles. The same steps show up in “Inception,” where Leonardo DiCaprio picks up a man in a taxi and kidnaps him.
LOCATION: 707 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90017
We leave you with one of the robes worn by Jesse Eisenberg, which can be found on display as part of the Sony Pictures Studio Tour.
LOCATION: 10202 W Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
Some props from the film could also be found on display at Sony Pictures Studio.
David Fincher’s 1997 thriller “The Game” mostly shot around the San Francisco area. However, the home of Nicholas van Orton, played by Michael Douglas, is tucked away in Woodside, California. The house is known as the “Filoli Mansion.” The house has also been seen in the films “Heaven Can Wait,” “George of the Jungle,” “The Joy Luck Club” and the 1980s TV drama “Dynasty.”
It is not a private residence and tours of the property are open to the public. There are a couple things to keep in mind, however, if you do plan a visit. First of all, the house can be tricky to locate if you’re using GPS. The property is not visible at all from Cañada Road. All you’ll see is land and trees. Also, most GPS systems do not show the driveway to the property, which is off to the side a short drive, so it’ll appear on most maps as having no access. This is not the case of course. Simply head past the house until you see an opening to the north. This driveway will lead you up to the guard house. The second thing to keep in mind is the property is intermittently closed. Anything from special events to seasonal closings may prevent you from visiting, so be sure to schedule in advance and verify the place is open when you plan on stopping.
LOCATION: 86 Cañada Rd, Woodside, CA 94062
The office of Nicholas van Orton is seen through the alleyway of Leidesdorff Street in San Francisco.
LOCATION: 465 California St, San Francisco, CA 94104 (view seen in the film is from Leidesdorff St)
Nick’s brother Conrad, played by Sean Penn, becomes paranoid and accuses Nick of conspiring with the creators of the game. He runs from Nicholas down these stairs.
LOCATION: Joice St Steps, Joice St, San Francisco, CA 94108 (located between 740 and 750 Joice St, San Francisco, CA 94108)
Later in the film, Nicholas visits the home of Christine, played by Deborah Kara Unger, where they soon finds themselves under attack. This location can actually be found in Los Angeles, not far from Dodger Stadium.
LOCATION: 439 Savoy St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
After escaping from Mexico, Nicholas visits the former Johnie’s Broiler in Downey, where he attempts to get a ride back to San Francisco. The restaurant has a unique history, having appeared in many other films, such as “Heat,” “Short Cuts,” “License To Drive,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “One Hour Photo,” “My Stepmother Is An Alien” and many more. In 2007, the building was unfortunately demolished. However, Bob’s Big Boy purchased the property years later and rebuilt it based on the original blueprints and even some of the same materials. So what stands now closely resembles what was seen in the film.
Film Oblivion 