Best Film and Movie Locations in Los Angeles

So many films are made in Los Angeles that it’s easy to get a feeling of déjà vu after you’ve been there a while. In fact, it’s difficult to travel even a few miles without spotting a location used in a popular film. This article highlights iconic filming locations you surely recognize.

Biltmore Hotel

This grand old downtown hotel is recognizable in films such as Ghostbusters (as the fictional Sedgewick Hotel), Vertigo, The Sting, Chinatown, Beverly Hills Cop (I and III), Bugsy, Rocky III, and Wedding Crashers.

506 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

Chinatown

The classic film Chinatown, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, was shot here. Additionally, films such as Lethal Weapon 4, Rush Hour featuring Jackie Chan, and Made of Honor also utilized this vibrant locale.

Near Downtown Los Angeles

Griffith Observatory

One of its most famous film appearances was in the climactic shoot-out scene of Rebel Without a Cause. Moreover, the Griffith Observatory has appeared in over forty films and television episodes. This includes classics like The Rocketeer, Bowfinger, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, The Terminator, and Jurassic Park.

2800 East Observatory Road, Los Angeles

Los Angeles River

The Los Angeles River is famously known for its cement-banked riverbed, which has made it an ideal location for filming chase scenes. Documented films shot in this area include The Italian Job, To Live and Die in L.A., Grease, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Queen Mary

Since its construction in 1936, the Queen Mary, which is docked in Long Beach, serves not just as a ship but also as a hotel, featuring a wedding chapel, restaurants, and 18 art deco reception salons. This notable ship starred as the ill-fated cruise liner in The Poseidon Adventure and made appearances in Pearl Harbor, L.A. Confidential, Someone to Watch Over Me, Chaplin, Batman Forever, and The Aviator.

1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach

Rodeo Drive

Beverly Hills, located near the intersection of Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards, is renowned for scenes from Pretty Woman, where Julia Roberts’ character shopped extravagantly on Rodeo Drive. Other films capturing this famous shopping street include American Gigolo, Beverly Hills Cop, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, and Shampoo.

Santa Monica Pier

The Santa Monica Pier is perhaps best known for its role in the 1973 classic The Sting, where carousel scenes were filmed. Additional prominent films shot at the pier include Forrest Gump, Fletch, Thank You for Smoking, Beverly Hills Cop III, The Net, and They Shoot Horses Don’t They?

I-10 and CA Hwy 1

Union Station

If a film is set in a train station, it might have been filmed at this location, often referred to as the “last great railway station.” The riveting 1950 film Union Station carries its name, but it also appears in Pearl Harbor, The Way We Were, Blade Runner, Speed, Star Trek: First Contact, Silver Streak, and The Italian Job. The older ticket windows were used for Miami National Bank in Catch Me if You Can.

800 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles

Vasquez Rocks

The unique rock formations in Vasquez Rocks County Park have served as backdrops for numerous terrestrial and extraterrestrial locations. Over the years, you may have seen them in more than fifty television shows and feature films, including Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, The Flintstones movie, Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, Short Circuit, and The Scorpion King.

10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, CA