Whether you are a filmmaker or just want to see in person the places you’ve only visited through celluloid, the U.S. has hundreds of famous film locations you may want to visit. Get out your camera and peruse this list of the six most film-worthy places in the United States.
6 Film-Worthy Locations
Film Location 1: Miami, Florida
Miami isn’t just the spot to embark on cruises from Florida. It’s a city rich in history from Spanish colonialism to Cuban immigration. The Miami Beach Architectural District, a U.S. historic district, is famous for having the largest collection of art deco buildings in the world. It has been famously used as the recognisable setting for T.V. shows like Miami Vice and Burn Notice, while films include diverse offerings like Scarface and There’s Something About Mary. There’s no greater shorthand for sleek and sexy than Miami and environs.
Film Location 2: Monument Valley, Arizona-Utah
With its stark atmosphere and instantly recognisable buttes that look as if they’ve been dropped from space, Monument Valley is worth the drive. This isolated location in the heart of the Navajo Nation on the Arizona-Utah border has been the backdrop for numberless westerns including My Darling Clementine and Stagecoach and newer classics like Forrest Gump. Whether you’re photographing the amazing red landscape or waiting for the buttes to stand from the desert floor like unknowable shadows, you won’t be disappointed with your shots.
Film Location 3: Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, California
At the top of Griffith Park, the United States’ largest urban wilderness, sits Griffith Observatory. It is a working observatory with a planetarium and exhibits. If you live in L.A. it’s an easy way to feel like you’re getting away without leaving the city. Not only is it a unique building with its three domes and monument, it provides an unparalleled view of the city below. Most famously it was the backdrop for much of Rebel Without a Cause but it can also be seen in films from The Terminator to La La Land. The location is a quick signifier that you’re in Los Angeles, but can also indicate isolation.
Film Location 4: The Unisphere, Queens, New York
Another man-made structure that is quick shorthand for being in New York is the famous Unisphere in the borough of Queens. Built in the early 1960s, this 140 foot high, hollow representation of the globe surrounded by fountains is a dramatic backdrop for even the most casual shot. If you’re in town for the U.S. Open stop by this tourist attraction. In Men in Black the Unisphere is destroyed by a stolen spaceship while in other films it is used as a meeting spot. Cinematographers love this dramatic location.
Film Location 5: The Michigan Building, Detroit
While the Michigan Building has been restored, in part because of its role in so many more recent films, it’s still a sight worth seeing. The interior of the abandoned theatre made appearances in 8 Mile and in Only Lovers Left Alive Jarmusch uses the striking theatre space with its intricate tile work but air of abandon as the centre of a discussion on cultural decay. The theatre and adjoined 13-story office complex was opened in the 1920s with a renaissance revival architectural style. After it was abandoned in the 1970s, its past glamour with ornate mirrors, arches, windows and chandeliers faded into obscurity. It’s almost unfortunate that it has been revived because the abandoned space was so amazing to see on film.
Film Location 6: Devils Tower, Wyoming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yIp2huYgD8
There’s something about isolated buttes that grabs the imagination. Unlike the stark landscape of Monument Valley, Devils Tower rises out of the woods above a river in the northeast corner of Wyoming. This was the first U.S. national monument, established back in 1906. Of course, most famously, it was a central plot point for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. While it’s not as easy to get multiple dramatic shots of Devils Tower, it’s certainly a spot worth visiting.
Whether you are looking for natural wonders or man-made spots, these six options will leave you with amazing backdrops for amateur photos or professional films.
Finnegan Pierson loves business and has a passion for technology and films. As a freelance writer, Finn hopes to influence others so they can have a positive business experience.
