When you really love a film or TV show, there’s something so surreal about actually going to the area where it was filmed. And in the US, there are so many filming locations from some of the most iconic TV shows and films ever made.
Below, we’ve created a guide to the top 5 filming locations you can actually visit.
Friends: New York
How can we do an article like this and not mention Friends? And if you haven’t watched and rewatched Friends 100 times, what are you doing with your life?
Filmed in New York, as anyone with good taste in TV shows will know, Friends had so many iconic filming spots, but the top has to be the Central Perk coffee shop and Central Park. You can also see the famous Friends apartment building, which is at 90 Bedford Street in the West Village of Manhattan.
It just feels so nostalgic to be in this area. And even though it isn’t quite 1990s Manhattan anymore, you’ve still got the shared apartments, coffee-shop culture, dating chaos, and friendship as family.
When you’re there, you can wander around Greenwich Village, visit Washington Square Park, have a picture taken outside the Central Perk coffee shop, and generally live your best life.
Yes, it can be expensive, but planning a film-inspired vacation shouldn’t have to bust your budget. When organizing your stay near these famous production sets, using an all-inclusive search platform like cozycozy makes it simple to instantly compare hotels, cabins, and vacation rentals side-by-side to lock in the absolute best rate.
We’re The Millers: Wilmington
We’re The Millers is such an effortlessly funny film. If you haven’t watched it before, it’s 100% worth watching if you want to see a film that will genuinely make you laugh.
The film starts in ‘Denver,’ which was actually Wilmington, and follows an attempted cross-border smuggling plot with the fake Miller family, starring Jennifer Aniston, Will Poulter, Jason Sudeikis, and Emma Roberts.
From Denver, they go across Albuquerque, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and North Carolina, so it’s difficult to pick a location.
We’ve gone with Wilmington because it’s where the film kickstarted; the city is massive, so you have other things to do; and there are beaches, which are always a plus.
To visit the apartment block to see where the Millers became a ‘family,’ go to the historic Carolina Apartments in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. The actual address is 420 Market Street, Wilmington, NC.
Breaking Bad: Albuquerque
According to IMDb, Breaking Bad is the 3rd best TV show of all time. And even if other ‘Top TV Show’ lists don’t put it first, it’s always at least in the top 5.
If you don’t like Breaking Bad, we’re silently judging you. A school teacher who has gone rogue with an ex-student, becoming the biggest organized crime group in America? You can’t go wrong with that plot.
Most of the show was shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A slightly orange tint always seemed to fill the camera shot, and that’s actually what it feels like when you’re there in the summer. Hot, sandy, and slightly eerie.
If you go to the Visit Albuquerque website, they have a guide to locations you can visit, including the Rail Yards and other recognizable spots. You have to go to Los Pollos Hermanos/Twisters, where you can actually eat inside, and the A1A Car Wash.
Warning: Don’t trespass or bother residents at private homes. Some famous locations are real homes, not tourist attractions.
The Equalizer: Boston
The Equalizer is arguably one of the best action-thriller films ever made. Densil Washington absolutely owned the role and made the film the success it was. The Equalizer 2 didn’t go down as well as the first one, but it was still good.
If you’re planning to spend a weekend in Boston, here are the key Equalizer locations you should visit:
- Beacon Hill
- Haverhill
- Salisbury
- Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich.
Boston and Massachusetts give the film a gritty and historic backdrop, and if you’re a big fan of the film, you really will feel that vibe coming through when you’re walking around the streets.
Near the filming spots we’ve mentioned, you can walk Beacon Hill, go to Acorn Street, walk around Boston Common, or follow the Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile route linking 16 historic sites, so it really is worth doing if you have the time.
Forrest Gump: Monument Valley
Forrest Gump is one of the most emotional, heartfelt movies ever made. If you’ve watched the film, you’ll remember the famous scene where Forrest famously stops running, which is actually on US Route 163 near Monument Valley.
He’d been running for three years, two months, 14 days, and 16 hours, to be exact. The viewpoint is on Highway 163 between Monument Valley and Mexican Hat, Utah.
Nearby to the iconic scene, you’ve also got the Navajo Tribal Park, which makes a 17-mile scenic loop drive; you can do a guided Navajo jeep tour, hike the Wildcat Trail, and see landmarks like the Mittens, Three Sisters, John Ford Point, Totem Pole, and Yei Bi Chai.
It really is a beautiful location to stay in, but if you are going to the roadside viewpoint where Forrest stopped running, be careful and watch for traffic. It’s not a controlled area, and cars do go past quickly.
Which of these would you be most excited to visit? And if it’s not these, which TV show or film set would you love to see in person? Always plan before you go so you can get the most out of the area.
