While Hollywood uses plenty of closed sound stages to make movie magic, nothing quite beats filming on location when possible. Filmmakers spend tons of time scouting the perfect locations for their stories.
Have you ever wanted to visit the cozy bed and breakfast The Cherry Inn, just like Phil in Groundhog Day? What if you could walk the halls of Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters? Well, you can! Here are locations from famous films that you can actually visit.
The House from A Christmas Story
Like plenty of other films, A Christmas Story was filmed in a different location than where the story takes place. While the story is based in Indiana, you can actually find the Parkers’ house in Cleveland, Ohio.
Several years back, the home was purchased and restored back to it’s Christmas Story glory — including renovating the inside to look just like the interior from the movie, which was actually shot on a soundstage. The home is now an exact replica of the Parkers’ home in the movie. There’s a museum full of props and memorabilia across the street, and a gift shop where you can get your very own Major Award Leg Lamp.
The Rebel Base on Yavin 4 from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
When director George Lucas needed to find ruins for the Great Temple of the Massassi that was turned into a rebel base, he turned to literal ruins. The Massassi Outpost rebel base on Yavin 4 is actually the Mayan temple ruins in the Tikal National Park in Guatemala.
Of course, other locations, like a hangar on an ex Royal Air Force base in England, were used too. But those establishing shots of the outside of the base and the Millennium Falcon landing came straight from the temple complex at Tikal.
The Fire Station from Ghostbusters
The Ghostbusters set up shop in a New York City firehouse, and it’s a real spot you can go visit. Although interior shots of the Ghostbusters HQ were filmed in Los Angeles, the exterior shots are from a fully operation New York Fire Department firehouse that’s home to Hook & Ladder Company #8.
You’ll find it at 14 North Moore Street in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan. Visitors aren’t allowed inside, but you can get a perfect photo op outside.
The Tributes’ Quarters and Training Center from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
If you’re a fan of The Hunger Games, surely you remember the chic Training Center, where tributes live and train. Although the Capitol and the President’s Mansion aren’t really there, the Training Center’s interior shots came from a real place you can visit.
The Atlanta Marriott Marquis is where you’ll find that gigantic atrium with 52-story glass elevators. The living quarters were filmed on the 10th floor of the same hotel, and a set was constructed on the roof.
The Baseball Field from Field of Dreams
When Universal Studios built a baseball field in the middle of an Iowa cornfield, they left it behind for the landowners. Fans are welcome to walk around the field, hit the concession stand, take a tour of the farm house, and pick up gear in the gift shop. You can also rent the entire farm house for a unique stay, or rent the field for your own game.
MLB even got in on the action. They constructed a real 8,000-seat ballpark next to the original filming location, and hosted the first MLB game ever played in Iowa. And while the stadium was described as temporary, the field, dugouts, and fences remain.
The Town from Groundhog Day
Although the movie takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, it was mostly filmed in Woodstock, Illinois — and this suburb of Chicago is ready to help you relive Groundhog Day.
You can stay in the cozy bed and breakfast, which is actually called Cherry Tree Inn Bed & Breakfast, and is located at 344 Fremont Street. While you’re there, take a Groundhog Day walking tour to see all the other locations from the movie, too.
The Fictional Resort Town from Jaws
While Spielberg’s classic Jaws takes place in the fictional resort town of Amity Island, it was actually filmed throughout affluent Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Several locations were featured in the film.
Don’t expect any pneumatically-powered prop sharks to still be hanging around, but you can see Jaws Bridge (aka the American Legion Memorial Bridge). Joseph Sylvia State Beach is the site of an on-screen shark attack, and many of the streets, houses, and stores made it into the movie, too.
The X-Mansion from the X-Men Movies
The X-Mansion has gone through a number of name changes over the years. It was Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, and later Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning as the X-Men became older.
Whether you call it the X-Mansion or the Xavier Institute, you can visit the spot used for exterior shots. It’s called Hatley Castle, and it’s located in British Columbia, Canada. The estate sits on 565 acres, and is a national historic site. You’re allowed inside if you schedule one of the guided tours.
