The 1979 Woody Allen film “Manhattan” was of course filmed in New York City. The iconic shot of Isaac and Mary, played by Allen and Diane Keaton, sitting on a bench overlooking the Queensboro Bridge was filmed at Sutton Square and Riverview Terrace. The image was also immortalized on the film’s poster. The bridge has appeared in countless films, such as “Death Wish,” “Home Alone 2: Lost In New York,” “Ms. 45” and many more.
LOCATION: Sutton Square / Riverview Terrace, New York, NY 10022
The 1995 film “The Bridges of Madison County” takes place in Iowa, where the film was likewise shot. The farmhouse where Francesca Johnson, played by Meryl Streep, lives can be found in Cumming, Iowa. Here Fransesca meets Robert Kincaid, a photojournalist from National Geographic visiting the area of photograph the covered bridges of Madison County.
The house was built in 1870 by an Argentinian sea captain named Nicholas Thompson, who later sold the house and surrounding land to Joseph Mead. The home has remained with his family since that time. After searching over 150 properties for the perfect farmhouse, on the final day of scouting, the filmmakers discovered the home by helicopter. By the time Eastwood and his crew found the home, it had sat vacant for over thirty years in disrepair. The production completely restored the property and made use of both the interiors and exteriors for the film.
After the success of the film, the owners opened up the home to tours. Much like another famous filming location in Iowa, the house and baseball field from “Field Of Dreams,” the home attracted many tourists, who could visit inside and outside the grounds. This ended on October 6, 2003, when arsonists destroyed part of the home. The northwest corner was largely destroyed, which contained memorabilia for the film, including photos and scripts, many of which were lost forever.
After the fire, the tours ceased and the home was never restored. The area in back damaged most heavily by the fire remains completely open and exposed to the elements. The area is now fenced off from visitors and the home is in poor condition. You can in fact clearly see the home from the gravel road out front, which is public. However, it sits a short distance back from the road. The long driveway up to the home is private and closed to the public. With the home empty, fire damaged and completely exposed for decades, we’re not sure how long it will remain standing. For now, however, it remains somewhat in tact for anyone willing to make their way out to see it.
LOCATION: 3255 130th St, Cumming, IA 50061 (GPS coordinates: 41°28’03.1″N 93°49’43.9″W)
Several covered bridges are featured in the film. The Roseman Covered Bridge plays a key role in the film, when Fransesca first navigates Robert to it in the early part of the story. Roseman Covered Bridge was built in 1883. One of the final two covered bridges ever built in Madison County, it carried motorists for nearly one hundred years before being decommissioned. While most other covered bridges in the area have since been demolished, Roseman Covered Bridge remains standing and is open to the public.
LOCATION: 2451 Elderberry Ave, Winterset, IA 50273
When Robert first arrives with Fransesca, he heads down to this area to set up his camera.
Here is the view Robert was scouting to photograph. This view is also seen on the theatrical poster.
Fransesca walks around this area of the bridge while Robert works.
After getting a drink from the truck, Fransesca comes to the opposite side of the bridge to find Robert picking flowers for her in this area. Fransesca teases Robert that the flowers are poisonous.
The bridge is featured again in the closing scenes of the film.
The locations for “The Bridges of Madison County” are unique in that many of them are old and historic, yet remain standing today. Tucked away from the destination locations of America, they remain a hidden treasure for film lovers, as well as anyone who can appreciate nature or history.
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The 2019 Steven Soderbergh film “The Laundromat,” which tells the story about the Panama Papers scandal, was filmed in numerous locations, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles and the Florida Keys. After a boat capsizes, Ellen Martin, played by Meryl Streep, finds she is unable to get compensation from the accident, as the insurance company has been bought out by a mysterious company in Nevis, a small island in the Caribbean Sea.
When Ellen’s attempts to contact the Nevis-based company are unsuccessful, she travels there to confront manager Malchus Boncamper, played by Jeffrey Wright. These scenes were actually filmed in Key West, Florida. The area is first seen in a dream sequence as Ellen crosses this street.
LOCATION: 109 Fitzpatrick St, Key West, FL 33040
As Ellen approaches the area, named Hunkins Waterfront Plaza in the film and Kino Plaza in reality, it becomes a CGI composite of a couple different locations. We first see this strip of the actual plaza.
As the camera continues to pan over, a massive building is shown. This is actually the Sunkist Headquarters building in Sherman Oaks, California. The building has been featured in several films, such as 2004’s “Paparazzi” and 2017’s “The Hero.” It has also been seen in such TV series as “Too Old To Die Young,” “Alias,” “Knight Rider” and more.
LOCATION: 14130 Riverside Dr, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Back at Kino Plaza in Key West, the scene plays again, this time no longer a dream as Ellen approaches the plaza. However, it is again modified, this time with a facade set built over part of the plaza. Here is what the area actually looks like without the facade.
Ellen bumps into Malchus, not knowing who he is, and asks questions about his firm’s location. Malchus lies to her and walks away. This area is mostly the same, but the wall is depicted with dozens of PO boxes lining a brick facade. Here is how it actually appears.
The view of the plaza as Ellen and Malchus speak is relatively unchanged.
Jürgen Mossack, played by Gary Oldman, becomes concerned when he hears one of his clients has been arrested. The film then cuts to a scene in Mexico with Will Forte and Chris Parnell, credited as Doomed Gringo #1 and #2, drinking at a bar. These scenes were filmed at the Melody Ranch Studio Backlot in Santa Clarita, California, also commonly known as the Veluzat Movie Ranch. The ranch, which is available for tours, has been featured in countless films, such as “3 From Hell,” “Dante’s Peak,” “Friday The 13th Part III,” “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter,” “Last Man Standing,” “Chaplin,” and many more. It was also featured in the TV show “Westworld” as the Mexican town of “Las Mudas.”
LOCATION: Melody Ranch Studio Backlot (a.k.a. Veluzat Movie Ranch), Forest Rte 5N28, Santa Clarita, CA 91390 (GPS coordinates: 34°29’03.5″N 118°30’25.1″W)
The interior of the bar the men drink at is the same building seen in the above shot, on the right side.
Forte’s character makes the mistake of going to what he thinks is the bathroom, but turns out to be a private office space of some criminals in the middle of business.
Jürgen and Ramón Fonseca, played by Antonio Banderas, speak to the camera about privacy and secrecy while shopping at Fields Market in Canoga Park, California. The store is a staple of film and television, appearing in such films as “Bird Box,” “Lady Bird,” “Matchstick Men” and “Birds Of Prey: And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn,” as well as such television shows as “Desperate Housewives,” “American Horror Story” and dozens more. It has also been seen in countless commercials and music videos.
LOCATION: 23221 Saticoy St, Canoga Park, CA 91304
Gu Kailai, played by Rosalind Chao, tells a story of a Chinese police chief targeting a Falun Gong temple, where people engage in a spiritual practice deemed illegal. The temple is supposedly located in China, but was actually filmed at the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California.
LOCATION: 1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, CA 91108
The Huntington Library is a very popular filming location, with hundreds of productions shot around the vast, kaleidoscopic grounds. We can’t name them all, but “Mank,” “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “A Cinderella Story” are just a few among them.
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In Robert Zemeckis’ 1992 black comedy “Death Becomes Her,” Madeline, played by Meryl Streep and Ernest, played by Bruce Willis, live at this estate in San Marino, California. Later in the film, Helen, played by Goldie Hawn, pays the couple a visit with sinister plans. The same home can be seen in the film “The Last Boy Scout.”
LOCATION: 1125 Oak Grove Ave, San Marino, CA 91108
The funeral home seen in the film is actually the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. Ernest does reconstructive work on bodies in what is actually the kitchen. The mansion is owned by the City of Beverly Hills and frequently hosts productions. The building has been used in countless films. This room alone has also been seen in “Spider-Man 3,” “The Bodyguard,” “The Loved One” and “The Witches Of Eastwick.” While the exterior grounds of the mansion are open the the public, the interior usually is not. However, once or twice a year, the city does allow the public access inside. It is one of our most highly recommended places if you’re a movie fan and can manage to get on one of these self-guided tours. Short of a film studio, you’ll be hard pressed to find another place with so many film locations.
LOCATION: 905 Loma Vista Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
At the end of the film, the story jumps ahead several decades as Madeline and Helen attend a funeral. After they leave, the two fall down these stairs. The exterior scenes were filmed at Mary Chapel on the Chalon Campus of Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles, while the interior scenes were filmed at St James Episcopal Church (3903 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010).
LOCATION: 12001 Chalon Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90049
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Michael Cimino’s classic film “The Deer Hunter” is often 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 a composite of quite a few different locations, including Mingo Junction and Cleveland, Ohio, Weirton, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Rockport and Deming, Washington.
Among the many towns featured in the film, Mingo Junction is the one that most celebrates the film. This area is seen in one of the opening shots of the film, showing the steel factory. The factory has mostly been demolished, but some remnants are still standing.
LOCATION: 438 Commercial St, Mingo Junction, OH 43938
Just behind the above location, you’ll find this mural honoring the film’s history in Mingo Junction.
LOCATION: 448 Commercial St, Mingo Junction, OH 43938
Here is a closer look at the mural showing various scenes filmed around Mingo Junction.
Just across the street from the above mural, you’ll find another mural for the documentary “Michael Cimino, God Bless America” about this film’s director, which also shot scenes around Mingo Junction. For those interested, there is a third film mural in Mingo Junction, for the 1984 movie “Reckless,” located at 456 Commercial St, Mingo Junction, OH 43938.
This plaque is located beside the mural.
The location of Welsh’s Lounge has since been demolished. It could be found just across the street from the building on the right, in what is now empty land. The guys can be seen racing past a truck from this view.
LOCATION: Near 904 Commercial St, Mingo Junction, OH 43938 (GPS coordinates: 40°19’03.9″N, 80°36’29.2″W)
Some women are seen carrying the wedding cake in this area in Cleveland, Ohio. Most of the buildings have since been demolished and replaced with different buildings, including the grocery store.
LOCATION: 761 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113
The wedding of Steven and Angela was shot at the Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland, seen in the same image above. The building considered to be one of the finest examples of Russian architecture in the United States. The same location briefly appears in the films “American Splendor” and “Major League.” The building suffered a fire in 2024 and is being repaired.
LOCATION: 733 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113
The reception hall exterior was filmed at Lemko Hall in Cleveland.
LOCATION: Lemko Hall, 1046 Literary Rd, Cleveland, OH 44113
After Michael, played by Robert De Niro, returns from the war, he is seen walking with Linda, played by Meryl Streep down the stairs on the right. The buildings on the right side have since been demolished, but the stairs, as well as the buildings in the background, all still match up.
LOCATION: Near 601 Commercial St, Mingo Junction, OH 43938 (GPS coordinates: 40°19’17.4″N, 80°36’23.3″W)
To see our “The Deer Hunter” location page, click here.
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