Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2012 film “The Master” was shot primarily around Northern California, with a few scenes also being filmed in Southern California, 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)
Supposedly located in Philadelphia, the home of Helen Sullivan, played by Luara Dern, can found on Mare Island in Vallejo, California. The property, known as the Captain’s Mansion, is a former event space and can be a bit tricky to find. 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. To located this house, make sure you arrive at the intersection of Walnut Ave and 8th St on Mare Island and you’ll see the 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 theater where Freddy and Clark, played by Rami Malek, hand out flyers in front of the ticket booth is the Los Angeles Theatre (615 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014) in Downtown L.A.
The Causes’s first congress, celebrating the release of Lancaster Dodd’s second book, was supposedly located in Phoenix, Arizona. The building is actually located in Norwalk, California. The same street has appeared in many films, such as “Another Day In Paradise” and “Frailty.” In some of the teaser trailers, alternate shots can be seen of some of the buildings across the street.
The house from the 1997 Jim Carrey film “Liar Liar” can be found in South Pasadena, California. It’s actually located right next door to the house from “Space Jam.” It’s also on the same street as a scene in the original “Halloween” film, where Laurie and Lynda are walking home from school and being followed by a strange figure in a car.
LOCATION: 1004 Highland St, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Fletcher Reede, played by Jim Carrey, has a court case as the Los Angeles City Hall. The iconic building has been featured in endless films, such as “L.A. Confidential,” “Ray,” “The Nice Guys,” “Fracture,” “Gangster Squad,” “Impulse,” “Blind Rage,” “Big Man on Campus” and “L.A. Bounty,” as well as such TV series as “American Crime Story.”
For the 1992 sequel “Home Alone 2: Lost In New York,” the entire, original cast and crew returned, as well as a location from the first film. In the early scenes, the McCalister house is once again on display. The famous home can be found in Winnetka, Illinois. A fence has since been built around the property.
LOCATION: 671 Lincoln Ave, Winnetka, IL 60093
The bulk of the film, however, takes place in New York City this time around. Upon arrival, Kevin is seen riding in a taxi across the Queensboro Bridge. The bridge has been featured in countless films, such as “Manhattan,” “Death Wish” and many more.
LOCATION: 61 Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Path, New York, NY 10044
Kevin takes in many of the city’s landmarks, including Radio City Music Hall. The landmark concert hall has appeared in countless productions, such as “The Godfather,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Annie,” “Rocky III,” “Radio Days” and many more.
LOCATION: 1260 6th Ave, New York, NY 10020
Later Kevin makes his way over to Central Park, where he first encounters the Pigeon Lady, a scary and mysterious woman covered in birds, who essentially serves the same role as Old Many Marley in the original film. Kevin is initially frightened when he sees her feeding birds in front of Gapstow Bridge in Central Park, though the two eventually strike up a friendship.
LOCATION: Gapstow Bridge, Central Park, New York, NY 10019
Very close to Gapstow Bridge is another major location in the film, the Plaza Hotel. “Guests of the new ‘Celebrity Ding, Dang, Dong’ stay at the world-renowned Plaza Hotel, New York’s most exciting hotel experience.” It is a real, well-known hotel in Manhattan, perched right above Central Park. Here is a view of the hotel from the park. The Plaza Hotel has appeared in countless films, such as “The Fisher King,” “They All Laughed,” “Annie Hall,” “King of New York,” “Megalopolis” and many more.
LOCATION: 768 5th Ave, New York, NY 10019
Later in the film, Kevin returns to Central Park at Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, where he flees from the Sticky Bandits. The terrace is another famous New York landmark seen in countless films.
LOCATION: 72 Terrace Dr, New York, NY 10021 (inside Central Park)
A reverse view of the fountain. Here Kevin hides in the back of a carriage, narrowly escaping the bandits.
A couple other, notable locations from the film were actually sets. Uncle Rob’s house, where Kevin once again wreaks havoc on the Sticky Bandits with homemade traps, was a set located on Brownstone Street on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood. The street suffered a fire in 2008 and portions had to be rebuilt.
While made to resemble Central Park, the scene where the Pigeon Lady throws bird seeds all over the bandits, saving Kevin from harm’s way in the process, was also a set.
Near the end of the film, Kevin is finally reunited with his mother in front of Rockefeller Center.
LOCATION:45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111
Some props from this film, as well as the first part, can be found on display at Planet Hollywood in Florida.
LOCATION: 1506 E Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Marc Webb’s 2009 romantic comedy “(500) Days of Summer” was filmed all around Southern California. Summer, played by Zooey Deschanel, lives at this apartment, known as The Barclay. The same building was featured in another Zooey Deschanel film, “Yes Man,” co-starring Jim Carrey, who is seen talking a suicidal jumper off a ledge around the corner from this entrance.
LOCATION: 706 Normandie Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90005
Tom, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is seen walking along Normandie Ave in front of Summer’s apartment. The filmmakers actually composited a skyline view of downtown L.A. into the horizon, which is not actually visible from the street.
Tom and Summer break up at the former Quality Cafe in Downtown Los Angeles. The diner was a one-time staple of films, appearing in “Seven,” “Training Day,” “Ghost World,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Another Day In Paradise,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “The Rules Of Attraction,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “The Heartbreak Kid” and dozens more. However, it was not an actual restaurant open to the public. Instead it was used solely for filming. 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 (now closed and remodeled)
Tom and Summer rent an adult movie from this building in Downtown Los Angeles. The same building was used as the bank in “Spider-Man 3” and “Killing Zoe.”
LOCATION: 401 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
The fountain where Tom begins to dance is the Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain in Grand Park in Downtown L.A. The same fountain was seen in “Pretty Woman.”
LOCATION: Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The bench where the couple sits and looks over the city is another sad story of a film location soon to be lost. The bench was located in a small park area once known as Angels Knoll in Los Angeles, California, now called Angels Landing. Located directly beside Angels Flight from “La La Land,” the bench attracted many visitors after the release of the film, who enjoyed recreating the famous shot.
Sadly in 2013, the City of Los Angeles permanently closed the park, blocking it off with fencing and no trespassing signs. Many years passed while the area sat unused and inaccessible to the public. During this time, the Angels Flight was thankfully restored at put back into operation, so film lovers can at least rejoice that fact. The fate of the “500 Days” bench and the Angels Knoll park in general was less optimistic, however. While the area can still be seen, either through the fencing, or from the restaurant area overlooking the park, it is no longer possible to get an up close shot like seen in the film.
Plans have since been announced for a high rise to be built in place of the park, but for now, the area still remains vacant and fenced off. There was even a plaque on the bench commemorating the film, which read “Tom’s favorite place becomes one of Summer’s too.” While the bench is still there (for now), the plaque has been removed.
LOCATION: 356 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90013 (since closed)
Tom points out the architecture that can be found around the city, such as the Eastern Columbia Building. The same building has appeared in the films “Predator 2,” “Ghost Dad,” “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” “The Last Hour” and more.
LOCATION: 849 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Tom’s apartment can be found in Downtown Los Angeles.
LOCATION: 432 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Rachel, played by Chloë Grace Moretz, lives at this house in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, seen briefly in the film. It sits directly next door to the house of Dave Chappelle’s character in “A Star Is Born.”
LOCATION: 5231 Shearin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90041
Tom attends Millie’s wedding at the Point Fermin Lighthouse in San Pedro. The same lighthouse can be seen in the film “Freeway,” as well as the TV shows “MacGyver” and “Amazing Stories.” It is also located near the Korean Bell of Friendship from “The Usual Suspects.”
LOCATION: 807 W Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro, CA 90731
Near the end of the film, Tom has an interview at the Bradbury Building in Downtown L.A., famous of course for it’s use in “Blade Runner.”
In the 1986 Nick Nolte film “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” the life of a wealthy Beverly Hills family is turned upside down by the arrival of a homeless man. In the film, the house is clearly visible from the road. That is not the case today, as it is now surrounded by plants and trees, making it difficult to get a clear view. Other than that, however, the house still closely resembles how it appeared in the film. The home really is located in Beverly Hills, which is somewhat rare, due to the high cost of filming in the exclusive neighborhood, which causes most productions to find more affordable areas to stand in instead.
LOCATION: 802 N Bedford Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
In Sam Raimi’s original 2002 “Spider-Man” film, Peter Parker, played by Tobey Maguire, works at the Daily Bugle as a freelance photographer who has an uncanny ability to capture photos of Spider-Man. Famous for it’s triangular shape, the Flatiron Building in Manhattan is one of the more iconic skyscrapers in New York City. The building has appeared in countless films, such as “The Usual Suspects,” “As Good As It Gets,” “I Am Legend” and many more.
LOCATION: 175 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010
Norman Osborn’s Manhattan rooftop home isn’t in Manhattan, or New York at all. It’s the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, California.
LOCATION: Greystone Mansion, 905 Loma Vista Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
The scene where Mary Jane Watson, played by Kirsten Dunst, kisses an upside down Spider-Man in the rain wasn’t filmed in New York City either. It was filmed on the Warner Bros. Lot in Burbank, California. Designed to look like New York alley, this facade can be seen as part of their studio tour.
LOCATION: 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505
The bike Peter rides in the film can be found on display at Sony Pictures Studio.
LOCATION: 10202 W Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
The 1989 romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally…” was filmed in New York City, Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California. After driving across the country together, Sally, played by Meg Ryan, drops off Harry, played by Billy Crystal in front of Washington Square Park in New York City. The park has been seen in countless films, including “Kids,” “Chasing Amy,” “I Am Legend,” “Ghostbusters II,” “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “Serpico” and many more.
LOCATION: Washington Square, New York, NY 10012
The most famous scene in in the film is of course when Sally fakes an orgasm for Harry while sitting in the middle of a deli. The deli in question would be Katz’s Delicatessen, located in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Opened in 1888, the deli is wildly popular for it’s sandwiches, consistently ranking among the highest rated in New York City. The restaurant has been seen in many films, including “Enchanted,” “Across The Universe,” “Donnie Brasco,” “We Own the Night” and many more, but it remains most synonymous with “When Harry Met Sally…”
LOCATION: 205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
This plaque can be found on the sidewalk in front of the building.
The inside still heavily resembles how it appeared in the film. The walls are completely covered with photos of endless celebrities who have visited over the years. Here is a shot of the backdrop behind Harry and Sally’s table.
Here is the exact spot where Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal filmed their famous scene.
The deli makes the table quite easy to identify by hanging this sign above it, which references the scene’s famous punchline, stating, “Where Harry met Sally… Hope you have what she had! Enjoy!”
If you find yourself in Manhattan and you’re looking for a good sandwich, you can’t go wrong with Katz’s. The prices aren’t cheap, but the portions are large and the deli itself is just as much of an attraction as the food itself.
The 1992 Quentin Tarantino film “Reservoir Dogs,” like much of his work, was filmed around Los Angeles, California, with many of the locations found in close proximity to one another around the Eagle Rock neighborhood of East L.A. The opening restaurant scene, which establishes all of the characters, was filmed at Pat And Lorraine’s in Eagle Rock. The restaurant is still alive and well and more or less looks the same as when it appeared in the film.
LOCATION: 4720 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041
Here is the general area where the guys sat. The circular table was added by the production.
The restaurant is very welcoming to fans of the film and has a still photo from the movie on their wall.
They also have a poster for the film on another wall.
The parking lot where the cast walks in the opening credits does still exist. However, the brick wall is no more. It is part of a bowling alley and has been remodeled a bit. This is what the wall looks like now, in the approximate area where the cast walked.
What can be matched up better is the ending shot of the opening credits sequence. The buildings across the street still appear identical. However, a fence and gate have since been added along the street.
LOCATION: 4459 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041
The most famous location from the film was the warehouse where the men rendezvous after the heist. The majority of the film takes place there, but sadly, it no longer exists. The property was formerly a mortuary, which was incorporated into the production design, with upright caskets visible and a hearse under a tarp. The area where Mr. White, played by Harvey Keitel, talks to Mr. Pink, played by Steve Buscemi, was intended to look like an embalming room.
Once located at 59th Ave and Figueroa St in Highland Park, the building sustained damage from an earthquake and was later demolished. The apartment of Mr. Orange, played by Tim Roth, was also located above the warehouse in the same building, so that too is gone. Here is what the area looks like today, with a different building and parking lot now occupying the space.
LOCATION: 5860 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042 (now demolished)
One element from the original film can still be matched up at the location. This building across from the parking lot can be seen as Mr. White first brings Mr. Orange into the warehouse. It can be seen again as Mr. Blonde walks to his car outside.
The film cuts in non-linear form to a jewelry store robbery gone wrong. Mr. Pink is seen running along the north side of York Blvd, with police chasing close behind him.
LOCATION: 5025 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042
He drops his briefcase right in this area, then picks it up and continues running.
In a bit of movie magic, Mr. Pink suddenly switches sides of the street, running on the south side of York Blvd to the intersection of N Avenue 50, where a car hits him. In reality, he would’ve been running back the direction he began. In the film, a gas station is seen at the intersection, but it is now a small park.
LOCATION: Intersection of N Avenue 50 and York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042 (nearest address is 5000 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042)
The police catch up and Mr. Pink opens fire on them at this same corner. Mr. Pink is standing on N Avenue 50, firing towards York Blvd.
Mr. Pink escapes by vehicle up N Avenue 50, with a cop shooting at him from behind in the intersection. Overall, while this area has changed some since filming, a lot of it is still recognizable from how it appeared in the film
The office of Joe, played by Lawrence Tierney, could be found in an upstairs office space at Chapman Market, located in Koreatown. There’s a few different second floor sections of the plaza, but here’s a look at the general area. The office is of course only seen from interior views in the film.
LOCATION: 3465 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020
The restaurant where Mr. Orange tells another officer all of the intel he’s collected is Johnie’s Coffee Shop Restaurant in midtown Los Angeles. The restaurant closed many years ago, but still operates as a filming location. It has appeared in “The Big Lebowski,” “American History X,” “Miracle Mile,” “Gone in Sixty Seconds,” the 1983 film “Suburbia” and many more.
LOCATION:6099 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
Mr. Orange rehearses “the commode story,” about being stuck in side a bathroom with a group of police officers and an aggressive dog, while in possession of drugs. Several locations appear as he rehearses and then tells the story. He is first seen rehearsing on the rooftop of this building in Hollywood, with the top of the Hollywood First National Bank Building visible behind him (which itself also appears in the films “The Nice Guys” and “Twins“). The roof area has changed a bit since filming took place.
LOCATION: 6751 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
He continues telling the story in front of a graffiti covered wall. This was a platform that was part of the city’s original metro train line. The area has since been cleaned up and the structure seen in the film still stands. However, it is now located in the rear courtyard of an apartment complex named Belmont Station Apartments and can be seen from the street facing S Toluca St. The same location appears in such films “The Running Man,” “Colors,” “Predator 2,” “Point of No Return,” “The Replacement Killers” “The One” and more. It also appeared in the television series “V.”
LOCATION: 1304 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (facing S Toluca St)
The scene then jumps to Mr. Orange actually telling Joe, Nice Guy Eddie and Mr. White the story inside a club. These scenes were filmed inside a former club located in North Hollywood. While the building is still there, the interior is now completely changed from how it appeared in the film. The same building appeared in the TV show “Pam & Tommy.”
LOCATION: 4923 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601
Finally, the scene ends up with the rehearsed scenario actually playing out inside a bathroom. This was filmed in the men’s bathroom on the ground floor of the MacArthur, formerly known as the Park Plaza Hotel. No longer a functioning hotel, the MacArthur today serves primarily as a property for hosting filming and special events. David Lynch’s “Wild At Heart” and the Coen Brothers’ “Barton Fink” also filmed in this exact restroom, which as since been remodeled a bit, but remains largely recognizable.
LOCATION: 607 S Park View St, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Mr. Orange leaves his apartment and gets in a car with Nice Guy Eddie, Mr. White and Mr. Pink at the intersection of S Ave 59 and Figueroa St. This is accurate to where his apartment was formerly located, just out of frame to the left.
LOCATION: S Ave 59 / Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
The jewelry store exterior can be found in Burbank. Mr. White and Mr. Orange go over the robbery plans as they are parked outside.
LOCATION: 2612 W Burbank Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505
Mr. Brown, played by Quentin Tarantino, crashes his car in this alley. It is located near Marmion Way, but it’s actually at the intersection of two unnamed alleys. We’ve provides the exact GPS coordinates below.
LOCATION: GPS coordinates: 34.109187, -118.195118, near 5522 1/2 Marmion Way, Los Angeles, CA 90042
This house can be seen in the background behind the crashed car.
As the police arrive, Mr. White opens fire on them from here, with this building visible behind him.
Mr. White and Mr. Orange walk up the alley toward Marmion Way.
They hijack a car right where the alley meets Marmion Way. While not obvious in the film, in person it is very noticeable that the lanes of the road are split down the center by a railway track, so the car in the scene would’ve been driving along the wrong side of the street. We’ve again provided exact GPS coordinates, as it can be slightly confusing if you don’t know the area.
LOCATION: GPS coordinates: 34.109680, -118.195474, near 5522 Marmion Way, Los Angeles, CA 90042
To see our “Reservoir Dogs” location page, click here.
One of the most famous movie locations in the world, the fire station that served as the headquarters for the Ghostbusters in the original 1984 film can be found in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City. The building was chosen because the screenwriters imagined the Ghostbusters as a public service, much like firemen. Cast member Dan Aykroyd knew the neighborhood well and suggested the building. Still an active firehouse, the location draws countless visitors each year.
LOCATION: 14 N Moore St, New York, NY 10013
Not quite as well known is the Los Angeles fire station location used in the film. While the Hook & Ladder Company 8 building in Tribeca was used for exterior shots, interiors were filmed at Fire Station No. 23 in downtown L.A. The fire station was closed in 1960 and has currently fallen into quite a state of disrepair. Currently the building is boarded up, covered in graffiti and prohibited from entry. Perhaps someday the interior will be restored to resemble the film, but it sits in a pretty bad area not far from skid row, so a restoration seems unlikely at this time. The same building also appeared in such films as “The Mask,” “Lost Highway,” “Flatliners,” “Set It Off,” “Big Trouble In Little China” and more.
LOCATION: 225 E 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
The Ghostbusters capture their first ghost at the fictional Sedgewick Hotel. These scenes were filmed inside the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. The hotel is a staple of film, having appeared in such movies as “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Independence Day,” “Fight Club,” “Blonde,” “Enough,” “Cheaper By The Dozen,” “Oppenheimer” and dozens more. Here is the lobby where they first enter.
LOCATION: 506 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071
They try to capture Slimer in the hotel’s lobby.
Over at the Sony lot in Culver City, California, there was even at attempt to build a replica of the Hook & Ladder 8 building.
LOCATION: 10202 W Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
Also on the lot is the Ecto 1 car, which can be seen on the Sony Pictures Studio Tour.
The 1991 film “Eye of the Storm,” starring Dennis Hopper, was filmed almost entirely at the Club Ed movie set in Lancaster, California. The building is not an actual running business and was built specifically for this film. After the production, it remained standing and continues to be used for filming purposes today. It is private property and closed to the public. However, it can be seen quite easily from the road.
LOCATION: 42848 150th St, Lancaster, CA 93535
Club Ed has since been in many films, including “The Devil’s Rejects,” “Nothing To Lose” “Woman of the Hour” and “Rubber.”
To see our “Eye of the Storm” location page, click here.
Film Oblivion 