Getaway Guide: Russian River
Stay, play, and dine around the Russian River and you'll find yourself dancing to its tempo like you were destined to do it all along.
Link copied to clipboard
Location Scouting: Northern California Film Locations To Add to Your To-Do List
These NorCal movie locations were used for famous films and TV shows such as Big Little Lies, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Jurassic Park.
2 min read
March 02, 2020
When you think of film locations, you probably go straight to the man-made movie sets in Hollywood. But the fact is, many of the most popular movies and TV shows were filmed (at least in part) in Northern California. With iconic landmarks such as San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, lush forests like Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park’s Fern Canyon, and thousands of unique towns to explore north of Los Angeles, you won’t want to limit your location scouting road trip to Southern California.
Northern California Movie Locations
1. Oracle Park, San Francisco
Appears in: Silicon Valley, San Andreas, Fuller House
Also visit: The Painted Ladies at 1709 Broderick Street (a.k.a. the Full House house) as well as Pier 43 and the Financial District, which both appeared in San Andreas.
2. Forest Hill MUNI Station, San Francisco
Appears in: Milk, Dirty Harry
3. Oakland Coliseum, Oakland
Appears in: Moneyball
4. Musée Mécanique, San Francisco
Appears in: The Princess Diaries
Also visit: Mia’s house at 724 Brazil Avenue and her high school (Anthony R. Grove High School) at 2601 Lyon Street.
5. Bixby Bridge, Monterey
Appears in: Big Little Lies
Also visit: Big Little Lies filming locations throughout Monterey and Big Sur, including Garrapata State Park, Carmel River State Beach, Del Monte Beach, Lovers Point Park, Old Fisherman’s Wharf, and Monterey Bay Aquarium.
6. Fern Canyon, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Appears in: Jurassic Park
Also visit: Jurassic Park filming locations throughout the state, including Patrick’s Point State Park and the forested areas north of Eureka.
7. Redwood National Park, Orick
Appears in: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
8. The Paramount Theatre, Oakland
Appears in: Who Framed Roger Rabbit
9. Bridges Restaurant, Danville
Appears in: Mrs. Doubtfire
Also visit: The Claremont Hotel and Spa in Berkeley; KTVU Fox 2, located at 2 Jack London Square in Oakland; and the family home at 2640 Steiner Street in San Francisco.
10. Posey Tube, connecting Oakland and Alameda
Appears in: The Matrix: Reloaded
Also visit: The Financial District to scope out filming locations for Matrix 4.
Want to visit even more film locations? Check out the following movie places and TV locations:
- Steve Jobs film locations include San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House and Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall
- Some scenes from The Incredible Hulk were shot on Treasure Island and at the Advanced Light Source in Berkeley
- See Oakland’s Fentons Creamery from Up
- View Lombard Street, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Ferry Building as depicted in Inside Out
- Pier 14, the Bay Bridge, Union Square, and Market Street appear in Terminator: Genisys.
Inspiration delivered straight to your inbox.
Awesome! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
RELATED CITIES
Discover More
11 Cool Things To Do In Riverside You Haven't Though of Yet
For an all-encompassing experience of Golden State’s Inland Empire, Riverside is calling your name. Being there feels like flipping through the region's resume—and there’s no shortage of achievements either. To name a few, this place is where the first-ever public screening of Gone With the Wind took place, SoCal’s first polo field and golf course was opened, and, of course, the oranges. Riverside practically gave birth to California’s citrus industry, ...
The Ultimate Guide To The Richest Neighborhoods In California
As Will Smith so eloquently puts it, California's neighborhoods are places where you “drink orange juice out of a champagne glass”.
The Places To Stop By on The Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway
Put on your road trip playlist, gather your crew or travel solo, and make sure you have a Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway map on hand.
fueled by the power of California love
We’re committed to helping you discover the places, people and businesses that make our state Golden. Our online publication, updated daily, brings you all the content you need to live your California dreams. And that’s just the beginning…
LEARN MORE ABOUT US
