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.
Several houses were used for the filming of the 1980s sitcom “Mama’s Family,” starring Vicki Lawrence. In the first two seasons, the house seen in the establishing shots was actually located in Kansas City, Missouri (18 W 59th St, Kansas City, MO 64113). However, for exterior shots where the cast was required to be on location, a second home was utilized in Pasadena, California, much closer to where the show taped.
LOCATION: 675 S Oakland Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106
However, the home most commonly associated with the series, used in seasons 3 through 6, as well as syndicated episodes, is this third house, located not far from the second, in South Pasadena, California. The home is actually located just two doors down from the shrubs Michael Meyers famously stood at in the original “Halloween.” The “Mama’s Family” house can even be seen in a couple shots in the film, if you look closely at the background.
LOCATION: 1027 Montrose Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
The 1989 Joe Dante film “The ‘Burbs” is set in the fictional town of Hinkley Hills, which, judging by the opening zoom, would place it somewhere in Iowa. The story unfolds on Mayfield Place, a cul-de-sac road in Hinkley Hills. In reality, the entire neighborhood was a facade, filmed on a studio backlot.
Known as Colonial Street at Universal Studios, the houses and streets have changed significantly over the years. Once used for television classics such as “The Munsters” and “Leave It To Beaver,” the neighborhood was significantly remodeled in 1988 for the production of “The ‘Burbs.”
In the years that followed, as new productions came along, the neighborhood and the homes began to resemble the film less and less. Some houses were relocated, others heavily redesigned, while others still were demolished altogether. Eventually the neighborhood became known as Wisteria Lane on the TV drama “Desperate Housewives.”
To complicate matters further, several of the houses in “The ‘Burbs” were deliberately shot in close-ups, rarely seen in wide shots. Combined with all of the changes over the years, it makes piecing the neighborhood back together a difficult endeavor.
The centerpiece of the film is of course the Klopek house, which is owned by a creepy family that rarely shows themselves, much to the intrigue of all of the surrounding neighbors. Sadly, the home no longer exists. Portions, however, were said to have been reused and incorporated in the design of this house, which later became Bree Van de Kamp’s house on “Desperate Housewives.”
LOCATION: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
The Peterson house, where Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher live, was also unfortunately demolished and replaced with a different facade.
The house that most closely resembles how it appeared in the film is that of Walter, the old man with the small, white dog. Aside from a paint job and some stairs being added, the house looks pretty much the same.
Ricky Butler, played by Corey Feldman, lives at this house, which was once the home used for “The Munsters,” though it has since been heavily remodeled from how it appeared on the TV series. Likely looking to avoid comparisons to the show, this house was only ever seen in close-up shots of the porch in “The ‘Burbs.”
Colonial Street can be seen as part of the Universal Studios Hollywood Tour and even though the neighborhood has significantly changed and continues to change, movie and television lovers are still sure to appreciate a look around the historic, fictional neighborhood.
Dominic Toretto’s house in the action franchise “The Fast and the Furious” can be found perched on a hillside in Echo Park, Los Angeles. Almost directly across the street is Lady Gaga’s character’s house from the 2018 remake of “A Star Is Born.”
LOCATION: 722 E Kensington Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Not far from the house is “Toretto’s Market and Diner,” which is actually “Bob’s Market,” a long-standing local business. It can also be seen in the films “L.A. Confidential,” “The Salton Sea” and “Nightcrawler.”
LOCATION: 1234 Bellevue Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Brian and Torretto stop off at Neptune’s Net in Malibu, a staple for bikers and surfers on the Pacific Coast Highway. The restaurant was also notably featured in the original version of “Point Break.”
LOCATION: 42505 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
The house from the TV sitcom “The Golden Girls” is unique for a couple reasons. First, despite being off the air for over 25 years, the house still looks almost virtually identical to how it appeared on the show. Secondly, a full scale replica was actually built in Florida on the backlot of the now-defunct Disney/MGM Studios. While the replica has long since vanished, the original is still standing strong in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood, California.
LOCATION: 245 N Saltair Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90049
The 1985 Robert Zemeckis classic “Back To The Future” is among the most famous of all Los Angeles area films. Countless fans continue to flock to these locations.
Doc Brown’s house can be found in Pasadena. It’s the Gamble House, a National Historic Landmark and museum, which is open to public tours. However, only the exterior was used for Doc’s house in the film. The interior was shot at 1777 Hillcrest Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106, which is a private residence.
LOCATION: 4 Westmoreland Pl, Pasadena, CA 91103
Doc’s garage, located on the same property, is now a bookstore.
The street leading up to Marty’s house in 1984 is at the intersection of Sandusky Ave and Kagel Canyon St, not on Roslyndale Ave, where the McFly house is located.
LOCATION: Sandusky Ave / Kagel Canyon St, Los Angeles, CA 91331
Marty McFly’s house can be found in the San Fernando Valley, north of Los Angeles, in the town of Pacoima, California.
LOCATION: 9303 Roslyndale Ave, Pacoima, CA 91331
The Burger King where Mary hitches a ride on his skateboard, grabbing onto the back of a truck, is still operational and going strong. You can find it in Burbank, California.
LOCATION: 535 N Victory Blvd, Burbank, CA 91502
Hill Valley High School is actually Whittier High School.
LOCATION: 12417 Philadelphia St, Whittier, CA 90601
The Twin Pines Mall is actually the Puente Hills Mall in City of Industry. The mall occasionally hosts events in celebration of the film.
LOCATION: Puente Hills Mall, 1600 S Azusa Ave, City of Industry, CA 91748
Inside the mall, you can even find this replica sign for the Twin Pines Mall. Sometimes when there are special events surrounding the film, they will place this sign outside, as it appeared in the film.
When Marty travels back in time to 1955, he discovers his neighborhood, the Lyon Estates, has yet to be built. This spot can be found near Chino. To reach it, you take Chino Corona Rd, which passes a women’s prison. The road becomes Cucamonga Ave and there are signs posted that the road is not maintained. Just ahead you’ll find the spot, which actually has an address. We’ve also included GPS coordinates. The area hasn’t changed much since filming and it’s easily the most remote location featured in the film.
George McFly’s house can be found in South Pasadena.
LOCATION: 1711 Bushnell Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Marty’s mother Lorainne lives at this house, located on the same street, just a few doors down from George’s house. It was used only for exterior shots. This house was also used in another Michael J. Fox film, “Teen Wolf.”
LOCATION: 1727 Bushnell Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
The interiors of Lorainne’s house were filmed at another property on the same road.
LOCATION: 1705 Bushnell Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
The courthouse square and clock tower can be found on the Universal Studios Lot in Hollywood (100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608). The building has been used in countless other films, including “To Kill A Mockingbird,” “Gremlins” and “Bruce Almighty.” In 2008, a fire destroyed much of the building, but Universal restored and reopened it in 2009. Today, it can be seen once again as part of the Universal Studios Tour, but be warned, this area frequently hosts productions and the site is routinely closed off from the tours. If you’re adamant about seeing the tower, it’s perhaps best to call ahead and find out if it’s showing on a given day.
Few movie cars are as famous than the Delorean, with many fans building their own replicas. There were in fact seven vehicles built for use in the original trilogy, with only three still known to exist. Below is the first of those three, which appeared throughout the original film and in both sequels. After spending 25 years as part of Universal Studio’s Hollywood Tour, the car had begun showing signs of wearing and many key pieces had been removed, including the famed flux capacitor. A team was hired to meticulously restore the car back to it’s original form and the vehicle is now on permanent display at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California. The second Delorean is on display at Universal Studios Florida, while the third is privately owned.
LOCATION: Peterson Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
A look inside the restored vehicle.
Here is the restored flux capacitor.
One vehicle from the original film which can still be seen on the Universal Studios Hollywood Tour is Biff Tannen’s 1946 Ford Convertible. Some vehicles from the sequels can also be seen there, but here we’ll strictly focus on the first film.
LOCATION: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
Tim Burton’s 1985 film “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” introduced the world to Paul Rubens’ classic character, Pee-Wee Herman. In the film, Pee-Wee lives at this South Pasadena home.
LOCATION: 1848 Oxley St, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Later in the film, Pee Wee is chased around the Cabazon Dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are a roadside attraction in Cabazon, California and can be seen from the 10 freeway. Originally built by a sculptor and theme park artist as a way to attract customers to his nearby restaurant, the dinosaurs now operate as a small museum and gift shop. The dinosaurs were also seen in the 1984 film “Paris, Texas” and the 1989 film “The Wizard.”
LOCATION: 50700 Seminole Dr., Cabazon, CA 92230
Pee-Wee gets chased by some kids on bikes at this park in North Hollywood. The same park was famously featured in the film “Say Anything…“
LOCATION: North Hollywood Park, 11430 Chandler Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601
Francis lives at this house. The homeowners have since added a lot of shrubs along the front of the property, obscuring the view a bit.
LOCATION: 401 S Hudson Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020
The bike from the film can be seen at the Hollywood Museum in Hollywood, California.
LOCATION: Hollywood Museum, 1660 Highland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028
They also have one of Pee Wee’s costumes, though it is said to be from the TV show, not the film.
The short-lived, but well remembered 90s TV drama “My So-Called Life,” where Claire Danes and Jared Leto got their starts, was set in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. However, as is the case with so many films and TV series, the house seen in the show was actually based in Southern California. It can be found in South Pasadena. The house was also used in Rob Zombie’s 2007 remake of “Halloween.”
LOCATION: 1110 Glendon Way, South Pasadena, CA 91030
“The Big Lebowski,” one of the great comedies of the Coen Brothers, shot all around the greater Los Angeles area. Several of the movie locations are surprisingly difficult to gain access to however, so if you’re a fan of the film and want to check out the places where it was shot, just be aware it may be a more difficult process than you’d expect.
The famous bowling alley in the film was the Hollywood Star Lanes. The building was torn down in 2002 to make way for a children’s elementary school. This is what the area looks like now.
LOCATION: 5227 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029 (demolished)
The apartment of The Dude, played famously by Jeff Bridges. The exterior apartment complex can be found in Venice, while the interiors were shot on a sound stage. The complex has since been renovated, but still bears some resemblance to how it appeared in the film. The entrance is gated with a tall hedges along the street, making views difficult.
LOCATION: 606 Venezia Ave, Venice, CA 90291
Here is a wider view of the apartment from the street.
The apartment complex across the street can also be seen in the film. This complex is frequently mistaken as being The Dude’s.
LOCATION: 609 Venezia Ave, Venice, CA 90291
Just outside of the apartments on Venezia Ave, looking down toward Zeno Pl, you’ll see where The Dude confronts Da Fino, the brother shamus.
LOCATION: Venezia Ave, Venice, CA 90291 (in front of The Dude’s apartment)
The Big Lebowski’s mansion consisted of two locations. The exterior was shot at 10231 Charing Cross Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90024. It is a private, gated property, not visible from the street and has since been completely remodeled. The interior of the mansion is the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. The City of Beverly Hills actually owns the property, which is routinely used for filming. The outside grounds are open to the public, but getting inside is more difficult. Due to hosting productions and private events on a regular basis, only a few times a year does the city open the inside up for public viewing. It can be done if you are patient and keep an eye out for these select dates, however.
Inside the Greystone Mansion, this wall is where The Dude talks with Brandt, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, and looks at all of The Big Lebowski’s awards and achievements, including his “Little Lebowski Urban Achievers.” It’s known as the “Breakfast Room” inside the mansion.
LOCATION: Greystone Mansion, 905 Loma Vista Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Brandt is seen walking these hallways of Greystone Mansion several times in the film, as are The Dude and Walter, played by John Goodman.
Another famous location inside of Greystone Mansion; The Dude talks to the distraught Big Lebowski in front of this fireplace, where The Dude is hired to find the kidnapped Bunny Lebowski.
The very same room was used in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood,” as Daniel Plainview’s office, where his son visits him late in the film. It was also seen in “Air Force One” and “Flowers In The Attic.” A little tip for Lebowski fans, this room can usually be seen without access inside the Greystone Mansion. If you go to the front of the building and look through the windows, usually there are no curtains and this room, which is on the ground level, left of the main windows, can be seen. The hallway Brandt walks down can also be seen through a doorway window, just around the corner to the left of this room, near the fish pond. Only the Urban Achievers room truly requires access inside the mansion to be seen.
The Dude picks up Walter in front of his “Sobchak Security” store.
LOCATION: 6757 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Walter accompanies The Dude on a money drop at this bridge, but things don’t go as planned. It is portrayed as a wooden bridge in the film, but this was set decoration added by the production.
LOCATION: Torrey Rd, Fillmore, CA 93015 (GPS coordinates: 34°23’40.9″N, 118°47’55.3″W
The coffee shop where Walter tells dude he can “get you a toe by 3 o’clock… with nail polish” is Johnie’s Coffee Shop Restaurant in midtown Los Angeles. The restaurant actually closed many years ago, but still operates as a filming location. It has appeared in “Reservoir Dogs,” “American History X,” “Miracle Mile,” “Gone in Sixty Seconds,” the 1983 film “Suburbia” and many more.
LOCATION:6099 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
The Dude, Walter and Donny pay a visit to Larry Sellers’ house, “near the In-N-Out Burger.” It’s in front of this home that Walter destroys the red corvette. Today, the home is partially obscured by trees.
LOCATION: 1824 Stearns Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90035
Late in the film, The Dude pays a visit to Jackie Treehorn’s house. In the film, the property is shown as being right on the beach. Those beach scenes were filmed at Point Dume in Malibu. In reality, however, the house is located in the hills of Benedict Canyon, nowhere near the beach. It’s the Sheats-Goldstein House, one of the most unique and famous houses in Los Angeles. It’s actually located just above Cielo Dr, where the Manson Family’s infamous murder of Sharon Tate and four others took place. The house regularly hosts photo shoots for models and at one time even allowed porn shoots. In 2016, the property was donated to LACMA, which hosts occasional events there. The house is tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac, down a long, private drive and is not visible from the street. Unless you are a professional photographer or model, the only way to get onto the property is most likely, similar to Greystone Mansion, to keep your eyes peeled for a rare, public invitation.
LOCATION: 10104 Angelo View Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
The German nihilists order pancakes at Dinah’s Cafe in Culver City, where it is revealed the woman, played by Aimee Mann, has severed her toe. The same restaurant has also appeared in such films as “Nightcrawler” and “The Limey.”
LOCATION: 6521 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045
The 80s comedy “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” like so many other films of that era, shot in the San Fernando Valley, north of Los Angeles, California.
The mall scenes in the film were shot at the Sherman Oaks Galleria, which has since been completely remodeled and looks nothing like it did in the film, so we’ve opted to omit it here. However, it can be found at 15301 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.
The titular Ridgemont High was primarily filmed at Van Nuys High School in Van Nuys, California, with a few additional scenes shot at Canoga Park High School and James Monroe High School. The same high school was used in the films “Christine,” “Sleepwalkers,” “Rock ‘N’ Roll High School” and many more.
LOCATION: Van Nuys High School, 6535 Cedros Ave, Van Nuys, CA 91411
Brad, played by Judge Reinhold, and Stacy Hamilton, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh, live at this house in West Hills. Many scenes were filmed inside the house, including the infamous scene of Brad masturbating in the bathroom.
LOCATION: 24124 Welby Way, West Hills, CA 91307
The house is of course mostly remembered for the topless pool scene with Phoebe Cates. That scene really was filmed at the pool in the back yard, which remains more or less the same as it appeared in the film, aside from the diving board being removed. The changing room was also not authentic to the home. It was a exterior facade built by the production, while the interiors shot on a studio set.
Here is an alternate view of the pool. There are also public real estate listings available online, offering many ground level views of the pool and back yard.
The apartment of Mike Damone, played by Robert Romanus, can be found in North Hollywood.
LOCATION: 5944 Riverton Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91601
“The Point,” where Stacy loses her virginity later in the film, was shot at the Mid Valley Youth Baseball fields in Encino. There are quite a number of fields here, which can be confusing, but each of them is numbered. The field from the film is field 4 and the dugout from the film is the third base dugout.
