Movie and TV buffs can enjoy visiting the filming sites of some of Hollywood’s top productions. Several of these sites have appeared in numerous shows and movies and are well known in their own right. Listed below are 5 California movie spots Hollywood fans will want to go to on their next big getaway.
1. Bushnell Avenue located in South Pasadena. This neighborhood is a Hollywood favorite, with its quaint homes featured both outside and inside in many notable productions. A pair of properties in Bushnell served as homes for George McFly and Lorraine Baines’ characters in the 1985 time-travel comedy film Back to the Future. One of these same two houses can be seen in the Michael J. Fox sitcom Teen Wolf. The Bushnell Avenue houses are also used in the movies Ghost Dad, Old School, and the long-running TV show Thirtysomething.
2. Vasquez Rocks County Park. Sci-fi movie and TV buffs will want to take the opportunity to stop by Vasquez Rocks County Park. The location can be seen in the original Star Trek television series, as well as in the 1979 production Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the 1986 film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. It was also used as a filming location for George Lucas’ epic 1977 movie Star Wars, starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. In addition to its use in science fiction stories, Vasquez Rocks County Park served as a filming location for Hollywood comedy films such as the Flintstones, Little Miss Sunshine, and Blazing Saddles.
3. Bronson Canyon located in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. This California park should pique the interest of westerners and sci-fi lovers alike, as its scenery has been featured extensively in both genres. His extraordinary range of traditional western appearances includes such television shows as Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Lone Ranger, Little House on the Prairie, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr, Rawhide, Bat Masterson and Have Gun, Will Travel. It has also been used as a filming location for memorable movies including Lost Horizon, The Scorpion King and John Wayne’s famous western The Searchers. Bronson Canyon was also featured in sci-fi classics like Teenagers from Outer Space and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
4. Sonoma County, California. Numerous movies have used sections of Sonoma County as filming locations due to its diversity of settings. Sections of the county were used to film Petaluma in Kathleen Turner’s 1986 comedy film Peggy Sue Got Married. Sonoma County has also been used as a filming location for the timeless 1947 film The Farmer’s Daughter and the legendary 1942 Bing Crosby film Holiday Inn.
5. Newport Beach in the Orange County Region. This coastal community in the Orange County Region offers beaches and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. The Newport Beach landscape has been featured in many blockbuster movies, including Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, as well as the Tom Cruise films A Few Good Men and Jerry Maguire. And fans of Orange County will no doubt find it fascinating that Newport Beach served as a filming location for the famous TV show.