Famous movie locations you can visit around the world
Are you looking for something a little different to do on your next vacation? Or are you a movie buff who would travel large distances to visit the locations where your favorite pictures were filmed?
In either case, you’re sure to be interested in this list of famous movie locations which you can visit in different parts of the world. Read on to learn more about the places where you can visit real-life filming locations and the studios were some of film’s most legendary scenes were captured.
Hook & Ladder Company Firehouse, New York City
Fans of the iconic 1980s movie Ghostbusters will be pleased to know that the headquarters of the film’s ghost-fighting crew were actually filmed at a real firehouse in New York City. This firehouse, the home of the Hook & Ladder Company #8, remains fully functional today and you can see it in Tribeca at 14 North Moore Street on the corner of Varick Street.
Harry Potter Studios, London
The majority of the scenes of the legendary Harry Potter movies were filmed in the Warner Bros. Studios in London. Tickets for Harry Potter tours can be purchased online. As part of the tour you will be able to explore iconic Harry Potter sets such as Diagon Alley, the Great Hall and Dumbledore’s office, as well as see real costumes and props, including Harry’s Nimbus 2000 and Hagrid’s motorcycle.
Café des Deux Moulins, Paris
This quaint café in the Montmartre neighborhood in Paris is one of the main film locations of the cult class Amélie. This little café with its quintessential French décor and little tables on the pavement was the scene for the film’s main character Amélie’s workplace, a central location for many of the movie’s plot points.
The café is still there and largely looks the same, so you can simply pop in for a meal and feel like you’re in the movie yourself!
Salzburg, Austria
This historic Austrian city was the main filming location for the classic Julie Andrews film The Sound of Music, with settings for many of the movie’s scenes to be found around Salzburg. The Pegasus Fountain at the Mirabell Gardens, for example, was the location for the boating scene among others. Hellbrunn Palace’s gazebo was the set for the iconic “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” song and one of the most loved Sound of Music filming locations.
Fox Plaza, Los Angeles
Fox Plaza is not only the headquarters of Twentieth Century Fox, but it is also the setting for some of the studio’s biggest action films. The high-rise building, located at 2121 Avenue of the Stars in Century City was the central filming location for the legendary action movie Die Hard, as well as being featured in other classics including Speed and Fight Club.
Görlitzer Warenhaus, Görlitz, Germany
This historic department story in the town of Görlitz just east of the German city of Dresden, was one of the key film locations in the movie The Grand Budapest Hotel. The store, with its magnificent original columns, staircases, grand window and chandelier, served as the fictional hotel’s atrium lobby in the film.
The Marriott Marquis Hotel, Atlanta
Hunger Games fans will delight in visiting Atlanta, Georgia, where they’ll find one of the key locations of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The city’s Marriott Marquis Hotel, located at 265 Peachtree Center Avenue NE, served as the movie’s Tributes’ Quarters and Training Center. The hotel’s enormous atrium stretching up many storeys, and glass elevators made it perfect for the futuristic set.
Timberline Lodge, Mt. Hood, Oregon
This Alpine hotel and ski lodge in Oregon featured in the classic film The Shining. The Timberline Lodge was used for the exterior and establishing shots in the movie, and is located on the slopes of Mt. Hood. These days it attracts mostly skiers due to its location near a number of fine ski runs.
Phi Phi Leh, Thailand
Idyllic Phi Phi Leh island was the setting for 2000’s Leonardo DiCaprio film The Beach. Specifically, Maya Bay on the island was the central beach which the movie is named after. The island is located near Phuket, Thailand and local authorities closed Maya Bay for ecological reasons in 2018, but it is expected to reopen to tourists in 2021.
Koh Tapu, Thailand
Don’t worry if you can’t visit Maya Bay, because there is an equally famous and equally stunning film location in Southern Thailand. Koh Tapu is located in Phang Nga Bay and is known as “James Bond Island” because it appears in the 007 movie The Man with the Golden Gun. Tours to the spectacular limestone island run from nearby Phuket or Khao Lak.
Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
Along with being a popular summer vacation destination, Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts also served as the fictional town of Amity Island in the classic horror film Jaws. Edgartown and its landmarks featured heavily in the movie, including the American Legion Memorial Bridge, now known as “Jaws Bridge”. Local Joseph Sylvia State Beach was also the filming location for one of the movie’s shark attacks.
