A film doesn’t only have the power to tell us amazing stories, it also has the power to transport us anywhere in the world. That’s why filmmakers take so much time planning, deciding, and choosing the next perfect location for their movies. If you are curious about where some of the iconic films were shot, worry not because we are here to serve you the iconic and amazing movie location that you can add to your travel bucket list.
1. Rocky- Philadelphia Museum of Arts
Probably one of the most iconic movie scenes is when Rocky is training for his upcoming boxing match and he climbed up the stairs of this museum. The Philadelphia Museum of Arts draws in several tourists every day not just because of the amazing artworks they have but also experiencing what’s it like to jog up the stairs just like Rocky did.
2. The Shawshank Redemption- Ohio State Reformatory
Just years before The Shawshank Redemption began filming, the Ohio State Reformatory was shut down. That’s why it made the perfect location to shoot the movie because it was absolutely empty and it had a timeless style.
3. Rain Man- Ceasars Palace Las Vegas
The luxurious and fabulous Caesar’s Palace was the chosen location for the movie Rain Man where it featured Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise counting cards in blackjack in an attempt to take home an enormous amount of money. You can still experience what’s it like to play in the casino of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas but counting cards is definitely a big no-no.
4. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider- Bayon Temple, Angkor Thom, Cambodia
In order to complete her quest, Lara Croft must recover some ancient magical artifacts that’s why the producers chose the Bayon Temple in Cambodia as the location for the movie because the temples, jungles, and ambiance suit perfectly for the adventures of Lara Croft.
5. Mamma Mia- Skiathos, Greece
The white houses and stunning ocean views in Skiathos made it the perfect place to sing, dance, and fall in love. That’s why it made the perfect location for the 2008 musical movie Mamma Mia. Since the movie came out, Skiathos became an instant tourist spot with about 150,000 tourists coming in each summer and enjoying more than 50 beaches.
6. Avatar- Hamakua Coast, Hawaii
Although it may seem that the movie Avatar was mostly CGI made, it offered some real-life shots too. And the location of those real-life shots was mostly filmed on the Hamakua Coast in Hawaii.
7. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly- Tabernas Desert, Spain
Even if the movie was set in the American Old West, some of its desert scenes was shot in the Tabernas Desert in Spain which happens to be a 170-square-mile park that is open to the public.
8. Argo- Grand Bazaar, Turkey
As the movie states, the real-life story of Argo took place in Iran but Ben Affleck and his team found it impossible to shoot in Iran that’s why they opted out to shoot in Istanbul, Turkey instead. And the market you saw when they were staging an ocular tour in the movie was shot in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar which is known to be one of the world’s oldest operational covered markets.
9. James Bond GoldenEye- Contra Dam, Switzerland
Considered to be one of the best movie stunts of all time, James Bond’s bungee jump scene in the movie GoldenEye was shot in Switzerland’s Contra Dam. Today, the thrill-seekers can have the same bungee jumping experience just like James Bond has for the price of 150 dollars.
10. Breakfast at Tiffany’s- New York
Ever since Audrey Hepburn ate pastries and drank coffee in front of Tiffany and Co.’s store in Manhattan New York, the place became iconic the store had to open an on-site café so that their customers and visitors would actually experience breakfast at Tiffany’s.
11. Home Alone- McCallister’s House, Winnetka Illinois
This house is probably one of the most famous houses in the 90s because of the hit comedy, adventure film Home Alone. it became very popular that after it was put on the market in 2012, it was bought for over 1.58 million dollars.
12. X-Men Series- Hatley Castle, British Columbia, Canada
Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters’ exterior was filmed in Hatley’s Castle in British Columba, Canada. In real life, the castle used to be dorms of the Royal Roads Military College and is now being used as an administrative building of the Royal Roads University. The university offers paid tours from Mondays to Fridays.
13. James Bond Skyfall- Varda Viaduct, Varda, Turkey
In one of the scenes in James Bond’s Skyfall movie, Bond fell off the Varda Viaduct after getting shot during a fight on a speeding train that is traveling on the single-track railway. The Varda Viaduct is one of the tallest and oldest structures in Turkey.
14. The Shining- Timberline Lodge, Mount Hood Oregon
The exterior of the Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick’s movie, The Shining, was actually shot in Mount Hood National Forest’s Timberline Lodge which is perched at an elevation of 6,000 feet in the air. Timberline Lodge is currently open for tourists and visitors, who gives at least a 4 out of 5 stars rating in the major hotel rating services.
15. Forest Gump- Chippewa Square, Savannah, Georgia
The park bench where Forest Gump sat and told his life story while waiting for the bus was located at Chippewa Square in Savanna, Georgia. Today, Forest Gump’s bench can now be seen inside the Savanna History Museum where people can visit it any day of the week.
16. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade- Al Khazeh, Jordan
The Al Khazneh temple in Jordan was a famous tourist attraction long before it was made as a resting place of the Holy Grail in the third installment of India Jones. This temple is carved out of a sandstone rockface during the first century A.D. and it was rediscovered by a Swiss explorer named Johann Burckhardt in 1812.
17. The Martian and Prometheus- Wadi Rum, Jordan
Also known as the Valley of the Moon, Wadi Rum is a protected desert in Jordan which looks like the surface of Mars. Maybe that’s the reason why Ridley Scott chose this as the location for two of his space-themed movies namely Prometheus and The Martian.
18. Harry Potter series- Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scotland
The 416 yards Glenfinnan Viaduct was featured in four of the Harry Potter films during the scenes which students were traveling to Hogwarts. This viaduct is the largest concrete railway in Scotland and you can take a ScotRail passenger train on the West Highland if you want to experience the ride going to “Hogwarts” as well.
19. Lord of the Rings trilogy- New Zealand
Many scenes from the Lord of the Rings were shot in the breathtaking landscapes of Glenorchy, Queenstown, and Arrowtown in New Zealand. And if you want to experience what’s it like to walk in the cinematic universe of Lord of the Rings, you can take a Lord of the Rings tour of the country.
20. When Harry Met Sally- Katz’s Delicatessen, New York
A seat at Katz’s Delicatessen in New Yor was featured in the unforgettable “I’ll have what she’s having” scene from the movie When Harry Met Sally helped put Katz’s Delicatessen in the list of America’s most iconic restaurant.