The 1999 teen comedy “10 Things I Hate About You,” starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, was filmed around Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. In the opening scenes of the film, the Seattle skyline is shown from Kerry Park. The park is a famous tourist spot, which attracts a lot of visitors. The park was also featured in the films “Life or Something Like It,” “A Guy Thing” and “The Details,” with this same view also serving as the drawing of the Seattle skyline on the television show “Frasier.”
LOCATION: 211 W Highland Dr, Seattle, WA 98119
One of the primary locations of the film is the high school, which is Stadium High School in Tacoma. The exterior and interior are featured in numerous scenes throughout the course of the film. Here we’ll cover a few of the highlights. Early in the film, Michael, played by David Krumholtz, gives Cameron, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a tour of the school and a breakdown of all the social dynamics. The front entrance of the school is seen as Cameron is enamored with Bianca, played by Larisa Oleynik.
LOCATION: 111 N E St, Tacoma, WA 98403
The same school also appeared in the films “I Love You to Death” and “Nishabdham.”
During the end credits of the film, a band is seen performing on the roof of the school.
The football stadium next to the school also appears in numerous scenes. As Michael is leaving the school, he nearly gets into a collision with another vehicle, so he swerves his bike off the side of this hill toward the football stadium.
The Stadium Bowl is located to the left of the main school entrance.
Here is the area where Patrick, played by Heath Ledger, serenades Kat, played by Julia Stiles, from the stands and eludes the pursuing security.
The house of Kat and Bianca can also be found in Tacoma.
LOCATION: 2715 N Junett St, Tacoma, WA 98407
After Kat and Bianca’s father issues a rule that Bianca can only date if Kat does first, Cameron hatches a plan to get Patrick to date Kat, in turn opening the doors for Cameron to date Bianca. Cameron and Bianca visit the Fremont Troll in Seattle to discuss Kat’s personal tastes and how to win her over. The troll was built in 1990, led by the efforts of the Fremont Arts Council, as a way to revitalize the area. Not all GPS systems are great at navigating to the sculpture, perhaps because it sits beneath Aurora Ave N. The sculpture can be found at the intersection of N 36th St and Troll Ave N. Navigating to Troll’s Knoll Park, which is directly to the left, is another good way to get to the correct area. The troll is a tourist attraction and usually early mornings are your best bet if you’re wanting sparse crowds. By afternoon and evening, it’s usually surrounded by people lining up to get pictures. The sculpture also appeared in the film “Love Happens” and the TV show “Once Upon a Time.”
LOCATION: Fremont Troll, N 36th St / Troll Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
Kat and Patrick play a game of paintball at Gas Works Park in Seattle. At one time the area was a gas plant, but it ceased operations in 1956, when the city converted to natural gas. Some of the structures were left in tact and the area now serves as a public park.
LOCATION: 2101 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103
The same park has appeared in the films “Singles,” “Three Fugitives” and “Little Fish,” as well as the TV shows “Six Feet Under” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Larry Clark’s controversial 2002 film “Ken Park,” written by Harmony Korine, was filmed primarily in the town of Visalia, California. The opening credits show a montage of the titular character, Ken Park, riding his skateboard around Visalia.
Ken passes this mural at the corner of S Court St and E Acequia Ave, which surprisingly remains unchanged nearly twenty years later.
LOCATION: 116 S Court St, Visalia, CA 93291
He jumps his skateboard off these stairs at Redwood High School.
LOCATION: 1001 W Main St, Visalia, CA 93921
He then passes the Visalia Community Covenant Church.
LOCATION: 315 N Conyer St, Visalia, CA 93291
He then makes his way to Provident Skatepark, where the montage ends in violence. The skatepark is still open and actively used by skaters. While it is listed as being on W Murray Ave, it is easiest to access by driving along N Jacob St. A building blocks the view, but if you turn next to the railroad tracks and drive down what looks like a parking lot, you’ll reach the park.
LOCATION: 1035 W Murray Ave, Visalia, CA 93291
One scene not filmed in Visalia is when Claude’s abusive father, along with his buddy, go out trying to pick up prostitutes at Circus Liquor, located in North Hollywood. The liquor store and large clown sign was also seen in “Clueless,” “The Living End,” the 2005 remake of “The Bad News Bears” and Snoop Dogg’s music video for “Murder Was the Case.”
LOCATION: 5600 Vineland Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91601
The house from the TV series adaptation of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, can be found in Torrance, California.
LOCATION: 1313 Cota Ave, Torrance, CA 90501
Located just a few blocks away is Torrance High School, which served as Sunnydale High School. The same high school was used in the TV series “Beverly Hills, 90210” and in the film “She’s All That.”
The opening of the 1998 comedy “There’s Something About Mary” famously begins with a guitarist and drummer sitting in a tree, singing the opening theme. The tree, supposedly located in front of a high school in Rhode Island, can actually be found in Plantation, Florida. The tree remains alive and well in front of the Plantation City Hall, albeit with a few less branches.
LOCATION: 400 NW 73rd Ave, Plantation, FL 33317
The branch the drummer sat on has since been removed, but the lowest, curved branch on the left of the foreground tree is the one the singer sat on.
At the conclusion of the song, the camera then pans down to a young Ted, played by Ben Stiller. He stands in this grass immediately to the right of the tree. The same area is where Mary, played by Cameron Diaz, meets Ted after he breaks up a confrontation between Mary’s brother Warren and an angry jock.
The high school itself is no school at all, rather the aforementioned Plantation City Hall.
LOCATION: 400 NW 73rd Ave, Plantation, FL 33317
Mary’s house can be found south of Miami in the town of Coral Gables. The house and yard have since changed a bit. Some of those changes include doorways and a different railing added on the second level, as well as the front yard converted into a large driveway with a gate.
There’s now a wall along the front of the property, but it’s not difficult to see over.
After a humiliating zipper accident on the day of the prom, Ted loses touch with Mary. Now well into adulthood, Ted still can’t get her off his mind and decides to travel to Florida to try to find her. Joined by his friend Dom, played by Chris Elliott, the two track Mary down at her Miami workplace. The two hide behind this art sculpture and Dom shouts Mary’s name, forcing Ted to approach and talk to her.
LOCATION: 701 Brickell Ave, Miami, FL 33131
Here is the full sculpture Ted hides behind.
Mary stands on these stairs with her brother Warren. The address is Brickell Ave, but you have to go to the back side of the building along the water to find the areas seen in the film.
Ted successfully scores a date with Mary and gets a room at the Cardoza Hotel in Miami Beach. This is where the infamous hair gel scene takes place.
LOCATION: 1300 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Mary’s apartment, one of the key locations of the film, has unfortunately since been demolished, with high rise condos now in it’s place. It was formerly located at 2066 N Bayshore Dr, Miami, FL 33137. However, in the closing scenes of the film, the two stand on the street in front of her apartment, facing the water. This area remains similar to how it appeared in the film.
LOCATION: NE 20th Terrace / N Bayshore Dr, Miami, FL 33137
While the original “Problem Child” filmed in mostly around Dallas, Texas, the sequel, “Problem Child 2,” was filmed primarily around Orlando, Florida.
Ben Healy, played by John Ritter, moves with Junior into this lakefront home.
LOCATION: 1216 Lancaster Dr, Orlando, FL 32806
The school Junior attends is Kaley Elementary School. The same school was featured in the 1985 film “D.A.R.Y.L.”
LOCATION: 1600 E Kaley St, Orlando, FL 32806
This is the curb where Ben wrestles to get Junior out of the car and rips the entire seat out.
This entrance is where the bully tries to push the satellite onto Junior from the roof above.
Several scenes were also filmed at the Harry P. Leu Gardens. You have to pay to enter the grounds and the property is bigger than you might expect. Grabbing a map from the reception area might help you find your way, but if you’re seeking out the “Problem Child 2” locations, you might end up doing a bit more walking than you anticipated.
The Leu House Museum is where Ben prepares for his wedding to Lawanda.
LOCATION: 1920 N Forest Ave, Orlando, FL 32803
The wedding itself is set in another section of the same property.
The love rock Junior and Trixie visit is also at the Harry P. Leu Gardens. This is where the rock was placed, but the prop is long since gone.
The challenge in capturing the filming locations for a TV series such as “True Detective” is that the list become so voluminous, the pursuit can become staggering. We did our best to capture as many of the most well-known spots as we could, but it remains an ongoing progress. This only covers the first season. We’ve split the locations up by episode as well, but some of course appear over numerous episodes.
Season one, starring Matthew McConaughey as Rust Cohle and Woody Harrelson as Marty Hart, is set against the green, empty landscapes and the industrial detritus of the Southern Louisiana bayou. The story immerses us in the lives of two detectives over a span of seventeen years, as they try to solve a murder investigation.
The series shot all over Southern Louisiana, mostly in the small towns surrounding New Orleans. Many of the locations chosen are impressive, as some are so far off the beaten path, they’re certainly not your run of the mill places for a big budget production to film. Some spots are actually quite a challenge to access and others aren’t the safest of places. We’ll attempt to break it all down.
Episode One – “The Long Bright Dark”
The detectives are introduced to the case in 1995, when they discover the body of Dora Lang under a tree. The tree in question is found at the Oak Alley Plantation. Many productions have shot there, including “Interview With The Vampire,” “Primary Colors” and more. While the plantation is open to tours, the tree is not included on their tours. Most plantations in Louisiana run several miles deep, full of sugarcane or other crops. This tree is located back in the farming area of the property. You can in fact drive on a bit of the plantation’s dirt roads, but you’ll not likely access the tree from the main entrance of Oak Alley along LA-18, as the roads to most of the crops are usually gated off. The tree is much closer to LA-3127 on the back side of the plantation, near the intersection of LA-3127 and Oak Alley Dr (the latter being an unmarked dirt road). We’ve provided exact GPS coordinates below.
LOCATION: 3645 LA-18, Vacherie, LA 70090 (GPS coordinates: 29°58’16.71″N, 90°46’9.32″W)
Marty and Rust work at the Criminal Investigative Unit, which can be found in New Orleans. This building is actually tucked back a bit from the road, past a couple other parking lots, so you may not immediately spot it upon first approach.
LOCATION: 155 Brookhollow Esplanade, New Orleans, LA 70123
Later in the series, Marty and Rust get into altercation in the parking lot out front.
Episode Two – “Seeing Things”
In the second episode, the detectives discover a second body at a burned out church. That church was a set constructed by the production, but the location it was built at can still be visited. Locating it is not the easiest of tasks, however. It can be found near the Bonnet Carre Spillway in LaPlace. From CC Rd, you must take a slight left up an unmarked embankment, just before you reach the railroad tracks. If you pass the tracks, you’ve gone too far. If you follow the dirt road a short distance to the GPS coordinates listed below, you’ll arrive at the correct spot. While it is not private property, depending on the weather conditions, you might not want attempt it. The dirt roads flood very easily and depending on the time of year, the place can be swarming with insects as well.
LOCATION: GPS coordinates: 30° 1’8.83″N, 90°26’19.35″W, down an unmarked dirt road, just off of CC Rd, LaPlace, LA 70068
Episode Three – “The Locked Room”
Marty lives at this house in the town of Marrero. The home is seen several times in the series, such as when Rust comes and mows Marty’s lawn, much to his anger.
LOCATION: 2541 Fawnwood Rd, Marrero, LA 70072
Rust visits the Light of the Way Christian Academy where (*spoilers*) he unknowingly speaks to the killer, Errol Childress, who is mowing the lawn. Marty calls Rust away none the wiser as they follow a lead on Reggie LeDoux. The building itself is the Old Kenner High School in Kenner, which was subject to a fire by arson in 2018. This is what’s left of the building in the wake of the fire, the remnants of which, in all likelihood, will eventually be demolished.
LOCATION: 1601 Reverend Richard Wilson Dr, Kenner, LA 70062
Episode Four – “Who Goes There”
Rust meets Marty’s wife Maggie, played by Michelle Monaghan, at this diner and donut shop, where he informs her that Marty wants to see the kids while they are separated.
LOCATION: 7271 Jefferson Hwy, Harahan, LA 70123
Things take a darker turn when Rust goes undercover as “Crash” to reconnect with a biker gang known as the Iron Crusaders, in an attempt to find Reggie LeDoux. Rust heads to this biker bar, where he meets up with Ginger, a member of the gang. Marty arrives soon after looking for Rust, but he is quickly kicked out by the bikers. The building can be slightly tricky to find, as it sits behind a truck stop.
LOCATION: 65583 Pump Slough Rd, Pearl River, LA 70452
A view of the back of the property, where Rust makes a deal to help Ginger with a robbery, in exchange for a drug connection. Marty spots them boarding a boat just before he’s thrown out.
One of the most memorable sequences of the series is the six minute long, single take of Cohle and the Iron Crusaders robbing a drug house. Recreating the shot is no easy task. While set in Beaumont, Texas, the scene was actually filmed in Woodland Acres, a low-income housing unit located in Westwego, Louisiana. While nowhere near as extreme as what’s depicted on the show, it is nevertheless a tough neighborhood where tourism is certainly not common. There are only a few streets and all of them loop back together, meaning there is one way in and one way out (bad spot for a robbery, as the characters in the show quickly discover). Many of the residents like to sit outside and, due to the very self-contained layout, you will undoubtedly attract attention if you visit. Walking around photographing their properties, the reaction can be unpredictable. Sound judgment should be used as to how much you choose to impose. Another challenge is simply figuring out where all the shots take place. Even with plenty of research and preparation, it still takes a bit of time to figure out your bearings once you’re there. Other than one or two minor shots, which we voluntarily refrained from as not to be too disruptive to the tenants, we were more or less able to capture what we wanted unimpeded. However, prospective visitors should be aware your experiences may differ from ours, so use caution.
The Iron Crusaders pose as police officers with a shotgun held on one of the drug dealers, as they force their way into this drug house.
LOCATION: 212 Jackson St, Westwego, LA 70094
As the robbery proceeds, an angry crowd gathers outside and their control of the situation unravels after one of the robbers opens fire. Bullets flying, Cohle, no longer concerned with his cover, immediately turns on the Crusaders and takes Ginger hostage, as he still needs the information on LeDoux. Cohle and Ginger spill out the back door of the same apartment.
The camera pans up to see a police helicopter arriving above. Rust kicks in the back door of this adjacent unit with Ginger in tow, as he makes a call to Marty to pick them up at a nearby street.
LOCATION: 205 Lake St, Westwego, LA 70094
They make their way out the front door of the same building when Cohle is struck in the back with a baseball bat by one of the gang members. He fights off the assailants and pistol whips them in this front yard.
Rust and Ginger hide behind a bush as gang members and cops both head down Alaska Street to the scene of the robbery.
LOCATION: Alaska St, next to 202 Lake St, Westwego, LA 70094
Rust and Ginger run over to this unit, where they hide right behind the divider wall, as armed gang members spill out from the unit right behind them, looking to defend their turf.
LOCATION: 710 Texas St, Westwego, LA 70094
They then hurry over to this fence on the same property and climb it.
They cross through the grassy area on the right, where Marty picks them up to narrowly escape the chaotic scene.
Rust takes Ginger to Sportsman’s bar, where Ginger reluctantly introduces him to Dewall LeDoux, Reggie’s cousin and cook partner. In reality, this is a composite of two locations. The exterior is actually a sporting goods and bait shop, while the interior is the Spillway Bar (15641 US-61, Norco, LA 70079), located just a short distance away.
LOCATION: 15611 US-61, Norco, LA 70079
The compound of Reggie LeDoux, where more violence occurs and LeDoux gives his “time is a flat circle” speech, was in fact a set built by the production. The set was built off of Florissant Hwy in the town of St Bernard.
Episode Six – “Haunted Houses”
Marty stops for a drink at what was formerly Fox & Hound. There he meets Beth by chance, a former teenage prostitute who he once helped out, and the two have a conversation over drinks. The building has since been remodeled a bit and is currently a discount shop. It can be found in the Elmwood Shopping Center in New Orleans.
LOCATION: 1200 S Clearview Pkwy, New Orleans, LA 70123
Marty and Beth meet up for more drinks, before heading back to Beth’s place. In the show, the bar is depicted as “The Keg,” but it’s actually the Rickshaw Lounge in Harahan.
LOCATION: 378A Hickory Ave, Harahan, LA 70123
Episode Seven – “After You’ve Gone”
Rust follows a lead and meets a transvestite prostitute at the Dragon’s Den in New Orleans, located not far from the famous French Quarter. The same location was seen in the film “The Lovebirds.”
LOCATION: 435 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116
Rust breaks into the home of Billy Lee Tuttle, where he obtains incriminating photos and videos.
LOCATION: 4717 St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115
Seventeen years after the murder of Dora Lang, Hart and Cohle resume their investigation at Marty’s private investigation business, Hart Investigative Solutions.
LOCATION: 5703 Read Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70127
In 2012, an older, alcoholic Cohle now works as a bartender at this bar, known as Fisherman’s Wharf.
LOCATION: 4381 Bayou Gauche Rd, Des Allemands, LA 70030
Rust lives in this small house, which is located directly behind the Fisherman’s Wharf bar location.
LOCATION: 4381 Bayou Gauche Rd, Des Allemands, LA 70030 (behind the Fisherman’s Wharf building)
Gilbough and Papania, the two detectives interviewing Rust and Marty throughout the series, encounter the killer, Errol Childress and much like Cohle, are unaware of his true identity. Errol is mowing the Fleming Cemetery in Jean Lafitte. It is located very close to the filming location for Errol’s house.
LOCATION: Fleming Cemetery, Jean Lafitte, LA 70067 (GPS coordinates: 29°44’39.12″N, 90° 8’4.91″ W)
Episode Eight – “Form And Void”
In the final episode, Errol is seen on a ladder painting a school where children are playing. The building can be found at the Buddy Lawson Playground in the town of Kenner.
LOCATION: 1800 Short St, Kenner, LA 70062
Another view of the building.
As the series reaches it’s climax, Marty and Rust finally make it to the home of the killer, Errol Childress. The house has been renovated a bit from how it appeared in the show, with a staircase notably being added. Otherwise, it appears more or less the same. This portion of the house is unfortunately not visible from the road and sits on private property.
LOCATION: 2258 Jean Lafitte Blvd, Jean Lafitte, LA 70067
Errol flees into the tunnels of Carcosa, which is actually the ruins of Fort Macomb State Historic Site in New Orleans. Unlike the layout depicted in the show, the ruins are quite a distance away from Errol’s house. Built in 1822 by the United States, the fort was intended to defend the port of New Orleans from potential invading forces. The fort was decommissioned in 1871. Since then, there have been some attempts to open it up for public tourism, but due to the condition of the ruins, it has unfortunately been deemed unsafe for tourism at this time. Today, the area is surrounded by barbed wire fencing and is not open to the public. However, we’ve also seen the gates open and completely accessible. The ruins have appeared in a few other productions as well, including “NCIS: New Orleans” and Beyonce’s music video “Lemonade.”
You can actually see the perimeter of the ruins along the water on public property, but not the inner tunnels seen in the show. A tip for anyone considering visiting this general area, since the grounds are not currently maintained, they can become overgrown and the presence of insects is significant, especially in the summer months. Winter is a bit more suitable.
LOCATION: Fort Macomb State Historic Site, New Orleans, LA 70129 (GPS coordinates: 30° 3’53.30″N, 89°48’15.16″W)
In the final scenes, Marty visits Rust at the “Lafayette General Hospital.” This is actually the St. Bernard Parish Hospital in Chalmette, located nowhere near Lafayette. The pair discuss light versus dark and each offers their perspective on which is winning.
LOCATION: 8000 W Judge Perez Dr, Chalmette, LA 70043
For as many places from the show as we captured, there remain just as many we didn’t. Visiting these spots can be both enjoyable and very challenging. Some places, we recommend only for the most avid of fans. Other spots, we suggest plenty of research and preparation before visiting. It is a unique way to explore the Southern Louisiana bayou and you can take the odyssey as far as you want to go with it. For us, it served as one of the most extensive location searches we’ve ever done.
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.
Film Oblivion 