While Roger Avary’s 1993 heist film “Killing Zoe” is set on the streets of Paris, the bank is actually located in Downtown Los Angeles. In fact, the film came about due to executive producer Lawrence Bender gaining access to a bank. He subsequently reached out to filmmaker Roger Avary to ask if he had any bank robbery scripts. Without actually having one, Avary promptly said yes and set about penning the film. Ironically, the bank initially scouted, setting the project into motion, was not ultimately used in the film. Instead, the Farmers & Merchants Bank was used. It has also been seen in the films “(500) Days Of Summer,” “Spider-Man 3” and “Night Hunter.”
LOCATION: 401 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
The film is bookended by driving shots around Paris, with the Arc de Triomphe seen in the final shot of the film. It briefly appears again in Roger Avary’s “The Rules Of Attraction.”
LOCATION: Arc de Triomphe, Pl. Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris, France
To see our “Killing Zoe” location page, click here.
The 1991 Jonathan Demme classic “The Silence of the Lambs” was filmed primarily in Western Pennsylvania, with some additional scenes shot in West Virginia, Virginia and The Bahamas.
The exterior of the Baltimore State Forensic Hospital where Hannibal Lector, played by Anthony Hopkins, is imprisoned was actually filmed at 333 Curry Hill Rd, Canonsburg, PA 15317, but the building was demolished in 2012.
The childhood home of Clarice Starling can be found in the town of Kittanning. The street it is located on, State Rte 2003, is also known as Margaret Road. It is located just minutes away from the funeral home location seen later in the film.
LOCATION: 1423 State Rte 2003, Kittanning, PA 16201
Clarice, played by Jodie Foster, follows a lead to the Your Self Storage, which can be found in Pittsburgh. Portions of the building have since been demolished, but the garage where Clarice enters still stands.
LOCATION: 201 N Braddock Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Catherine gets abducted by Buffalo Bill at this apartment complex in Pittsburgh. There was some construction going on during our visit, so we didn’t venture onto the property.
LOCATION: 1767 Crafton Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15205
The funeral home scenes were filmed in Rural Valley, minutes from Clarice’s childhood home location.
LOCATION: 311 W Main St, Rural Valley, PA 16249
Clarice meets some entomologists at Carnegie Museum & Library, which is only seen from interior views in the film. The same building appears in the films “Flashdance” and “Pretty Woman.”
LOCATION: 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Clarice is seen driving across the Bellaire Bridge, supposedly into Belvedere, Ohio. She is actually crossing between Benwood, West Virginia and Bellaire, Ohio from the angle seen in the film, which is almost an hour south of Belvedere. The Bellaire Bridge is no longer in use and has been slated for demolition for many years, but currently remains standing.
LOCATION: Bellaire Bridge, Benwood, WV 26031
Moxley’s Drugs can be found in the town of Homestead.
LOCATION: 200 E 8th Ave, Homestead, PA 15120
Late in the film, the FBI raids this home.
LOCATION: 1206 Lindbergh Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15223
While the climax to the film is set in Ohio, the home of Buffalo Bill can actually be found in the rural town of Perryopolis, Pennsylvania. You can follow the Youghiogheny River up to the railroad tracks (which are in active use), into a head-on view of the famous house where Clarice Starling faced off with Buffalo Bill. The home is now open to fans as a private rental and for tours. Some mapping systems have a terrible time finding this house, so we’ve included GPS coordinates as well.
LOCATION: 8 Circle St, Perryopolis, PA 15473 (GPS coordinates: 40.090366, -79.721970)
Just across the tracks, you can still see the same RV that was seen in the establishing shot of the house.
A replica of Hannibal Lector’s cell was built in the basement of the Hollywood Museum in Hollywood, California. While not an exact match to the film, it’s pretty close.
The guard desk.
The entrance to the cell block.
The hallway. “Stay to the right.”
Multiple Miggs’ cell.
Hannibal Lector’s cell.
LOCATION: Hollywood Museum, 1660 Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
To see our “The Silence of the Lambs” location page, click here.
While most of Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1980 film was shot on a studio lot in England, a couple of the film’s most iconic sites can actually be found as real locations.
Perhaps the most majestic opening credits sequence ever laid to film is also the most majestic film location we’ve ever personally visited. As Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, drives his family up the remote mountain road to the hotel, the aerial footage is breathtaking. Looking at it in person, however, is even more breathtaking.
The road in question is Going-To-The-Sun Road, located in Glacier National Park, Montana. There are a few entrances to get to the road. Those looking for the opening shot over the lake will want to head to the western banks of Saint Mary Lake entrance. You won’t have to drive far to begin to recognize the famous views.
Some advice for prospective visitors; leave early and plan to spend the day in the park. Going-To-The-Sun Road spans nearly 50 miles of winding, mountain road. It will take you hours, especially if you stop and soak in the many brilliant views to be seen, such as the glaciers, cascading waterfalls, towering mountains, beautiful wildflowers and active wildlife (you’ll likely encounter grazing, wild goats). We’d also recommend you visit during the summer months, as parts of the road may close in the winter months. There is an entrance fee into the park, but that’s nothing in comparison to what you get in return. Having traveled the United States many times over, in our opinion, we can comfortably say that we consider Going-To-The-Sun Road in Montana to be the crown jewel and the most beautiful, scenic drive the country has to offer.
This is the point of Saint Mary Lake where the opening shot takes place. It’s close to the St. Mary entrance of the road.
LOCATION: Going-To-The-Sun Rd, West Glacier, MT 59936 (inside Glacier National Park)
A view of the start of the winding road, which runs along the mountainside. The drive is fun and never felt particularly hazardous, as long as you drive safely and the weather conditions are optimal.
Another view of the lake, seen from the perspective of driving along the road.
And lastly, a view of the road from much higher up the mountain.
Moving on to the hotel itself, you’ll have to travel far away from the windy roads of Montana, out west to Oregon. The avoid confusion, there are actually three hotels widely associated with the fictional Overlook Hotel from the film. The first is the Stanley Hotel (located at 333 E Wonderview Ave., Estes Park, CO 80517). This is the hotel the novel’s author, Stephen King, stayed at, which inspired the story. King and his wife stayed in Room 217 in 1974 and were the sole, final guests of the season, before the hotel closed for the winter months. The empty corridors and lack of other guests helped inspire the author. In 2015, the Stanley Hotel added a maze outside, as an homage to the novel and film. The 1997 TV movie version of The Shining filmed at the Stanley Hotel.
The second hotel associated with the film is the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, California. The interiors for this hotel inspired the set designs of the Kubrick version of the film. Those sets were built at Elstree Studios in England, while the real Ahwahnee Hotel was never seen in the actual film. As of 2016, due to a trademark dispute, the hotel has actually been renamed the Majestic Yosemite Hotel (located at 1 Ahwahnee Dr., Yosemite National Park, CA 95389).
The third hotel, the Timberline Lodge, is the sole hotel that was seen in the actual film. The exteriors provided the outside views of the Overlook Hotel. The Timberline Lodge can be found at Mount Hood in Oregon. It should be noted that only a few shots of the actual hotel are seen in the film, which are establishing shots. For all of the acted scenes, the production actually built a massive recreation of the Timberline Lodge just outside of their studios in England.
Here is a look at the back of the hotel.
LOCATION: 27500 E Timberline Road, Government Camp, OR 97028
Here’s a view of the front of the hotel, which is bustling with visitors, unlike the desolation seen in the film.
Moving on to a prop from the film, Jack’s axe from the film can be found at Planet Hollywood in Florida.
LOCATION: 1506 E Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2002 romantic drama, like many of his films, was shot largely around the Valley, north of Los Angeles, where the filmmaker grew up. However, some key sequences also took place in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The film begins at Eckhart Auto Body in Chatsworth, CA, where Barry, played by Adam Sandler, houses his offices. The owners are very friendly to fans of the film, so don’t hesitate to approach them if you visit.
LOCATION: 10101 Canoga Ave, Chatsworth, CA 91311
The view when Lena, played by Emily Watson, approaches and introduces herself.
Standing at the driveway, looking to your left out onto Canoga Ave, you’ll see the spot where the car crashes at the beginning of the film.
At the driveway entrance is where the harpsichord is dropped off.
Barry and Lana have dinner at this table at Le Petit Chateau in North Hollywood, which has since permanently closed. However, we were able to visit while it was still open. The specific table could be found through the main entrance, on the opposite side of the wall. There was a painting and plaque on the wall above the center of the table.
LOCATION: Le Petit Chateau, 4615 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91602
Barry excuses himself to the bathroom, where he quickly proceeds to destroy it, after Lana repeats an embarrassing story about him that his sister told her. The scene really was filmed inside the actual restaurant’s bathroom, which has changed only slightly since filming.
Barry is confronted by a staff member here and subsequently gets kicked out of the restaurant for destroying their bathroom.
Barry and Lana make their way out of the restaurant through this entrance way.
The couple then walks out of the restaurant, which is seen in a night shot.
Elsewhere in the the Valley, in Sherman Oaks, you’ll find Barry’s apartment.
LOCATION: 14926 Moorpark St, Sherman Oaks 91403
The reverse view out onto Moorpark St. is where Dean Trumbell’s men crash into Barry and Lana’s car.
Dean Trumbell’s men force Barry to withdraw money from this ATM machine in Woodland Hills. These ATM shots (day and night) are provided courtesy of Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights.
LOCATION: 19858 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91364
Here is the same location at night.
Barry is seen running from Dean Trumbell’s men past this building, which was a Fosters Freeze at the time. These shots of the building and street out front (day and night) are all also provided courtesy of Christian Hernandez.
LOCATION: 19762 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91364
Here’s an image of the same building at night.
Barry continues running onto Ventura Blvd, in front of the same building.
Here is the same area at night.
Barry decides to travel to Hawaii to be with Lena. He is seen arriving at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.
LOCATION: 300 Rodgers Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96819
The payphone where Barry calls his sister was a deceptively difficult location to track down. While clearly filmed on Kalākaua Ave, the main strip of Waikiki, the area had been remodeled in the years since filming took place, thus pinpointing the exact spot proved to be a challenge. We enlisted the expertise of Reel News Hawaii who, much to our appreciation, successfully identified it. Here is what the area looks like now.
LOCATION: 2270 Kalākaua Ave Suite 104, Honolulu, HI 96815 (since remodeled)
Barry meets Lena at the Royal Hawaiin Hotel in Waikiki. Barry enters from this area.
LOCATION: Royal Hawaiian Hotel, 2259 Kalākaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
Lena enters from the opposite hall.
Barry and Lena embrace for their kiss in this spot, with the backdrop of Waikiki behind them, which was immortalized on the movie poster. The hotel has been featured in numerous films, such as “Big Eyes,” “From Here To Eternity,” “Goin’ Coconuts” and “Gidget Goes Hawaiian,” as well as such TV shows as “Mad Men,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “T.J. Hooker,” “Charlie’s Angels” and more.
The Mai Tai Bar, located on the grounds of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, is where Barry and Lena enjoy a meal together in the film, with the band singing and the Diamond Head peak in the background at sunset. The railing next to the tables is the same one seen in the film. This is very close to the above image where the pair kiss.
LOCATION: 2259 Kalākaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
Lena’s hotel scenes, where she walks the hallways with Barry, were filmed at the Kahala Hotel & Resort. These Kahala Hotel shots are provided courtesy of Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights.
LOCATION: 5000 Kahala Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816
Near the end of the film, Barry supposedly travels to Utah to confront Dean Trumbell at his mattress store. The real building can be found in Pamona.
LOCATION: 390 W Foothill Blvd, Pomona, CA 91767
Last, but not least, we leave you with a quick shot of Paul Thomas Anderson and Adam Sandler discussing the film.
Hidden away in the rural Iowa countryside, you’ll find an oasis for movie lovers; the Field of Dreams. Today, the house and field, still owned by the same family as when filming took place, is operated as a tourist attraction, with business hours and a gift shop. Visitors are even welcome to play baseball on the actual field from the film. Prospective visitors should take note, however, that the field is closed during the winter months, with visitation season limited to April through November.
LOCATION: 28995 Lansing Rd., Dyersville, IA 52040
Upon arrival, you’ll see this sign for the property.
The house from the film, along with the gift shop, which was constructed in the style of the barn in the background.
A closer look at the gift shop, which sells lots of merchandise related to the film, ranging from clothing to cups to baseballs. The shop is operated by the property owners, who are happy to chat with you about the film and the site.
A closer look at the farm house from the film, which now has the name of the film added onto the picket fence. Visitors were not permitted to enter the house at the time we visited, but the property owners have since changed that policy and opened up the house up to paid tours.
The house and the bleachers.
A closer look at the bleachers, which really are the originals from the film.
And of course, the baseball field. The field was constructed for the film, with the lights still in tact. What was not there at the time of our visit, however, was the corn field, which was actually grown by the production. However, since that time, the property owner have once again grown corn fields on the property, to more closely resemble the film. As stated before, visitors are welcome to play baseball on the field, if you want to add that item to your bucket list. Be sure to bring your own equipment, however, if you want to play and be prepared to possibly wait awhile for your turn, as the field receives a steady amount of visitors.
A sign on the site, with a history of the property, photos and trivia about the film.
The back of the sign, with more photos and trivia.
The site remains unique amongst film locations, due to the mystique and magic of the film itself. Traveling into rural Iowa to stand in person at this site, which so closely resembles the way it looked in the film, really does feel like stepping into a movie. It’s not heaven, it’s Iowa… and people will come indeed.
Mike Nichols’ classic 1967 film, The Graduate, about an aimless 21 year old named Benjamin Braddock, played by Dustin Hoffman, continues to resonate with audiences 50 years later; a true testament to the nerve the film struck with audiences. The house of Mrs. Robinson, played by Anne Bancroft, can be found in Beverly Hills.
LOCATION: 607 North Palm Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
After initially having cold feet, Benjamin pursues an affair with Mrs. Robinson at the former Ambassador Hotel, which has since been demolished. The hotel was a staple of film and television, appearing in such films as “True Romance,” “Forrest Gump,” “Seven,” “Bobby,” “True Lies,” “L.A. Story,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “The Mask,” “Calendar Girl” and dozens more. Only this post and statue from the original building remain at the location.
LOCATION: 3400 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (now demolished)
The church seen in the film remains a unique and special location to visit. You do not have to be a member of the church, or even enter it, in order to admire the location of the film’s famous climax. A simple walk around the back reveals the entirety of the interior.
LOCATION: United Methodist Church of La Verne, 3205 D Street, La Verne, CA 91750
From here, you can clearly see where Dustin Hoffman’s character famously pounded on the glass.
Here is the front of the church. Supposedly located in Santa Barbara, it can actually be found in La Verne. It’s well worth a visit if you’re a fan of the film.
Most of Alexander Payne’s 2011 film, The Descendants, was shot around the island of Oahu, Hawaii, although some filming did take place on Kauai and the Big Island.
Matt King, played by George Clooney, lives at this house, tucked away in the Nu’uanu neighborhood of Honolulu. The house is not fully visible from the street. You’ll need to walk down a little, unmarked road (connected with Gartley Place) that leads to a few houses, in order to get a clear view. The Descendants house is the first on the left and the one closest to Old Pali Road. Just across the street of Old Pali Road is the Clarence H. Cooke Residence, seen in the film “Triple Frontier.”
LOCATION: 3849 Old Pali Road, Honolulu, HI, 96817
Matt takes his daughter to the home of a classmate to apologize for insulting her.
LOCATION: 3745 Maunaloa Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816
The entrance to the fictional Hawaii Pacific Institute, supposedly located on the Big Island, can be found in Kuaui. It’s actually the entrance to Kealia Kai, a private beachfront housing development. This is the area seen in the film, but the camera is at the opposite end, past the entrance gate and facing toward Kuhio Hwy.
LOCATION: Makanani St / Kapoli St, Kealia, HI 96751 (GPS coordinates: 22°06’42.8″N, 159°18’03.2″W)
The dorm where Alexandra is staying is back on Oahu at Kawaiaha‘o Hall, located on the grounds of the Mid-Pacific Institute, a private school with a gated entrance and fencing surrounding the entire grounds. When we asked about entering, we were told advanced permission and an appointment is required for any photos. Kawaiaha‘o Hall is actually easily visible from Armstrong St, which is open to the public up to a gate. The angle seen in the film, however, is from the opposite side, down on a field.
LOCATION: Kawaiaha‘o Hall, Mid-Pacific Institute, 2445 Kaala St, Honolulu, HI 96822 (GPS coordinates: 21°18’17.7″N, 157°48’58.1″W)
Located just down the street from Matt King’s house is the corner where George Clooney frantically runs in his sandals over to his friends’ house, The Mitchells, after hearing of some distressing news.
The Mitchell’s house. The view, again, is slightly obstructed from the road, due to the many trees and plants on the property.
LOCATION: 155 Dowsett Ave., Honolulu, HI 96817
Brian Speer’s house.
LOCATION: 4328 Papu Circle, Honolulu, HI, 96816
Matt meets his cousin at Lihue Airport in Kauai.
LOCATION: Lihue Airport, 3901 Mokulele Loop, Lihue, HI 96766
Matt rides down this road as he heads to view his land.
LOCATION: Near Kealia Rd / HI-56, Kealia, HI 96751 (GPS coordinates: 22°05’55.3″N, 159°18’21.4″W)
Matt rides past the Princeville Neptune Fountain in Kauai.
LOCATION: Princeville Neptune Fountain, Ka Haku Rd, Princeville, HI 96722 (GPS coordinates: 22°12’51.7″N, 159°28’14.5″W)
Late in the film, Matt and Alex go to Brian Speer’s vacation home to confront him. It really is a vacation property in Kauai and can be seen from Waioli Beach Park, albeit by looking between the shrubs.
LOCATION: 5032 Weke Rd, Hanalei, HI 96714
Matt and his family eat at Tahiti Nui in Kauai.
LOCATION: Tahiti Nui, 5122 Kuhio Hwy, Hanalei, HI 96714
While the film is set in Maine, tucked away in the fields of Mansfield, Ohio, the Ohio State Reformatory hosted the production of the “The Shawshank Redemption” in 1993, after it had permanently closed from active prison use three years prior. Originally built between 1886 to 1910, the facility was built in three architectural styles; Victorian Gothic, Richardsonian Romanesque and Queen Anne. In the wake of a class action suit by the prisoners, which cited overcrowding and inhumane conditions, the prison was shut down in 1990, with a replacement prison built directly behind it, which is still active today.
After the enduring success of “The Shawshank Redemption,” The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society began work to restore the facility to its original state, as well as recreate many of the film’s sets. They offer daily tours from April to September and weekend-only tours during the remaining seasons. The restorations are funded through donations and tour fees. The building housed a great deal of horrors, which can be felt as you explore the facility. Over 200 people are said to have died inside the prison walls. During Halloween season, the Preservation Society offers haunted tours in lieu of the film tours and a number of ghost-themed television shows have filmed at the location. Yet outside, the place feels quiet and serene. Other films to have shot at the prison include “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Air Force One” and “Tango & Cash.”
LOCATION: 100 Reformatory Rd, Mansfield, OH 44905
The front of the prison. During tour hours, music from the film score plays over loud speakers.
The back of the prison is the yard where Red and Andy would meet.
The parole room, where Red keeps returning for his hearings. The table and chair props are not the originals, however, if I recall correctly.
This is where the inmates first line up to face the warden.
This is the warden’s office, where Andy locks the door and plays the music. The actor playing the captain really did break the window to the door in the scene, which is still missing today.
The warden’s office, where his fate is met.
This is where the production cut a hole in the wall, for the warden’s safe.
The showers seen in the movie were the prison’s real showers.
The hole Andy makes in the pipeline. This is the actual prop from the film.
This is a wide shot of the pipeline prop that Andy crawls through. Might ruin a little movie magic for you.
While similar looking, this is the prop used for the hole in the wall, behind the Rita Hayworth poster.
Brooks’ apartment. It was actually another room inside the prison.
This is unfortunately a replica. The real ceiling beam was, at one time, located in this room, but it was stolen. The Preservation Society recreated it.
Autographs from the film’s actors.
Autographed poster.
The cover from the crate prop, holding the library books that Andy had so frequently requested.
There’s really so much more to see inside the prison tour, such as the world’s tallest prison cell block. These were not the cell blocks seen in the film, however. The production opted to rent out a nearby warehouse and build their own set for the cell block, likely due to the unsanitary conditions of the real cell block. You are warned not to touch anything in this area, for risk of needing a tetanus shot. Since the rest of the features of the tour do not directly relate to the film, we will leave you with just one image of the many other, highly interesting things the tour has to offer.
Late in the film, Red has been released from prison and travels to Buxton to keep a promise he made to Andy. The spot where he’s dropped off was actually filmed in Worthington Township.
LOCATION: Snyder Rd / Hagerman Rd, Worthington Township, OH 44813
Pretty much all of the filming locations are conveniently marked with these signs, noting their film history.
The rock wall and tree from the end of the film could be found in the town of Lucas. The tree was hit by lightening in July 2011, which split it in two, with only half remaining standing. Eventually insects ate up much of the remaining portion and it fell over completely due to high winds by July 2016. Today, nothing is remaining at the location, as the rock wall and tree stump have all been removed. The area, which is now an agricultural field, is visible from the road, but the land itself is on private property. For a time, a section of the fallen tree was on display at the Ohio State Reformatory, but eventually it was removed, with portions of the wood being used to make souvenirs. This shot, which shows the tree and rock wall fully in tact, was taken in April 2011 and kindly shared with us by Come See With Me. They made a very comprehensive video about “The Shawshank Redemption” filming locations, which includes footage and more information about the tree, available here.
LOCATION: Near intersection of Bromfield Rd / Pleasant Valley Rd, Lucas, OH 44843 (GPS coordinates: 40°39’14.4″N, 82°23’30.3″W, now demolished)
Red takes a bus to leave town to Zihuatanejo, passing this barn on his way out.
LOCATION: Near the intersection of OH-95 / Butler Newville Rd, Worthington Township, OH 44813
Last, but not least, we leave you with one of Red’s prison shirts, which can be seen on display at Planet Hollywood in Florida.
LOCATION: 1506 E Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
If you find yourself in Ohio, we highly encourage you to take the prison tour, as it remains one of our all-time favorite film locations.
To see our “The Shawshank Redemption” location page, click here.
Film Oblivion 