Are you fan of the Back to the Future saga? Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to see with your own eyes the most iconic filming locations where the three films by Robert Zemeckis were shot? With this article, we aim to fulfill your wish!
Alert: Spoiler! Most likely, if you’re reading this article, you have already seen “Back to the Future.” However, if you haven’t, please note that continuing to read this article may lead to significant spoilers!
Contents
The Success of the Movie
The “Back to the Future” saga certainly doesn’t need lengthy introductions. Raise your hand if you’ve never spent an evening with friends or family marveling at the sci-fi adventures of young Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and the eccentric scientist Emmett “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd), the brilliant inventor of a time machine.
The first film of the saga was released back in 1985, but despite its age, the movie has not lost its shine and remains incredibly relevant, engaging, and entertaining to this day. The gripping cosmic-temporal plot unfolds around the town of Hill Valley and its iconic citizens from the past, present, and future.
In the screenplay written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, the protagonists find themselves facing temporal paradoxes inadvertently caused by themselves, leading them to travel from one era to another to fix what they have caused.
Where was “Back to the Future” Filmed?
Los Angeles and its suburbs served as the backdrop for most of the scenes throughout the trilogy. However, in the final chapter, the mesas and buttes of the breathtaking Monument Valley provide the setting for the old American Wild West ambiance of the late 19th century.
For those who wish to be inspired by the locations of Back to the Future and include them as stops on their tour of this part of the American West, they will certainly not be disappointed by the sights that await them.
Map of the Filming Locations
Back of the Future Filming Locations (1985)
The first cult movie, produced by the enterprise of Steven Spielberg, opens on the morning of October 25, 1985. The alert seventeen-year-old Marty McFly goes to his eccentric and elderly friend’s laboratory to say hello before heading to school. Not finding him there, he decides to “mess around” with a super-amplifier, a bizarre invention of Doc’s. The laboratory, no longer visible today, was located in the parking lot behind the Burbank Burger King at 545 North Victory Blvd. However, the fast-food restaurant, although renovated in appearance, is still in full operation, and by positioning oneself on the sidewalk along North Victory Blvd and (with a little imagination) one can envision the young student secretly hitching a ride on a pickup truck and being pulled aboard his trusty skateboard.
The Hill Valley High School, attended by Marty, is actually Whittier High School, located at 12417 Philadelphia Street in Whittier. Many scenes from different eras in the saga were filmed outside this high school. Marty, during his first trip to 1955 and accustomed to the decay of the 1985 school, exclaims with amazement to Doc, “Hey, look at the school, how clean it is!”
The gymnasium where the music audition takes place is located at the McCambridge Recreation Center in Burbank, specifically at 1515 North Glenoaks Blvd. The center of Hill Valley, including the clock tower of the City Hall, is actually a reconstruction that can only be visited by purchasing a ticket to the Universal Pictures Hollywood Studios. Through the famous Studio Tour, visitors can explore the sets used not only for “Back to the Future” but also for many other famous films like “Psycho,” “The Sting,” or “The Great Outdoors.”
For those who wish to visit the “Twin Pines Mall,” the large parking lot where Doc first experiments with his sensational new invention, they should search for “Puente Hills Mall” on their navigation system. It is located at 1600 S. Azusa Avenue in the City of Industry, in the western suburbs of Los Angeles. During the first experiment, Doc explains to Marty how the time circuits of the time machine work and how they can be activated only by reaching 88 miles per hour with the car.
Bushnell Avenue in South Pasadena is a crucial and extensively used street for filming in the saga. In this typical American residential street, with grand houses semi-hidden by lush and well-kept trees, you can locate three houses whose exteriors were immortalized in the trilogy. At 1727 Bushnell Avenue stands the house where the young Lorraine Baines McFly (Lea Thompson) lives in 1955.
The future mother of Marty undresses in her second-floor room overlooking the street. The young George McFly (Crispin Glover), already in love with Lorraine before even meeting her, is known to climb the tree in front of the house and use binoculars to observe her changing clothes. The first time Marty catches him in the act, he exclaims in astonishment, “My dad is a peeping Tom!” The tree in question is still alive and well. It can also be easily located using Google Maps by searching for “Tree George McFly Back to the Future.”
Also in 1955, the awkward and cowardly George McFly resides in the beautiful villa located at 1711 Bushnell Avenue. Many shots were indeed filmed outside this beautiful house and its immediate surroundings. Lastly, the saga’s antagonist, the intertemporal bully Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson), lives with his grandmother at number 1089 on the same street. This house only appears in the second chapter of the trilogy.
Another important location to mention from the first Back to the Future film is Doc’s house in 1955. Marty, accidentally transported to the past, believes that the only person who can help him return to the future is the young 1955 version of Dr. Emmett Brown. The scientist’s residence is the famous “Gamble House”, located at 4 Westmoreland Place in Pasadena. It was designed by the architect brothers Charles and Henry Greene for magnate Berry Gamble, son of the founder of the Procter & Gamble business empire.
The house’s annex, which is used in the film as Doc’s laboratory and storage area, is now a Book Store where you can purchase gadgets, books, and informative brochures of various kinds, including those related to the numerous bungalow-style works created by the famous Greene brothers around the world. The McFly family’s house is located in Arleta, a town north of Pasadena, specifically at 9303 Roslyndale Avenue.
The first film concludes on the driveway of this house: Marty, having just returned from the challenging but instructive mission in the past, is once again pulled aboard the time machine by Doc. During the “rolling” phase, in response to a pertinent observation by his friend about the street being too short to reach the fateful 88 miles per hour, the creator of the DeLorean reveals to the young friend: “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads!” Doc then demonstrates to Marty how he has transformed the car into a flying vehicle during his latest trip to the future from which he has just returned.
PS: If you want to see the legendary DeLorean from “Back to the Future,” it is currently located at the cinematic theme park Universal Studios in Florida.
Back to the Future II Filming Locations (1989)
In the second chapter of the trilogy, in addition to the many locations already used in the 1985 film, there are some important points of interest to note. When Marty returns to the alternate 1985, where Biff Tannen reigns unchallenged, he risks being shot by a rifle fired by the school principal, Gerald Strickland (played by James Tolkan), who is always keen on straightening out what he considers “slackers.”
The principal’s house with the veranda, which has undergone some renovations since filming, is still easily recognizable and can be found at 12511 Bailey Street in Whittier. This house is located just behind Whittier High School, and at the end of the same street, you can catch a glimpse of the Auditorium, which also appeared in the scenes. As mentioned, in this alternate present, Biff, who has become wealthy from the bets won using the sports almanac stolen from the future, creates a Hill Valley resembling an urban jungle, where violence, corruption, and delinquency reign.
The princely mansion of the magnate is the Biff Tannen’s Pleasure Paradise, a skyscraper that faithfully replicates the main facade of the Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. This casino, one of the first built in the bustling city of Nevada, is located at 1 South Main Street, right in downtown. The building, situated across from the Fremont Street Experience, has been used for the filming of many other blockbusters such as “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” (1998), “Casino” (1995), and “The Hangover Part III” (2013), just to name a few.
When Marty travels back to 1955 to steal the prophetic sports almanac, he must snatch the magazine from young Biff’s moving convertible. During the chase, the two enter the “River Road Tunnel“, which in reality is none other than the Mt. Hollywood Tunnel in Los Angeles (on Mt. Hollywood Drive). This short tunnel leads to West Observatory Road, the road that takes you to the popular tourist attraction of Griffith Observatory.
Back to the Future III Filming Locations (1990)
One of the locations in the final chapter of the trilogy is the stunning Monument Valley, a perfect setting for the late 19th-century American Wild West scenes. Immediately transported to the distant year of 1885, Marty must quickly escape from a group of Indians riding at high speed to evade the cavalry. This scene was filmed in the plain bounded by Merrick Butte to the south, West Mitten Butte, and East Mitten Butte. From here, looking north, you can see on the horizon the “monuments” immortalized in the film: Stagecoach, Saddleback, Big Indian, Setting Hen, and Eagle Mesa. For a more detailed exploration of the park’s monoliths, feel free to read our guide on what to do in Monument Valley.
The trilogy ends on the railroad tracks in Port Hueneme, a seaside town north of Los Angeles. Here, after finally managing to return to his own 1985, Marty unintentionally demolishes the time machine, which is left in pieces by the sudden passing of a train. After retrieving his girlfriend Jennifer Parker (Elisabeth Shue), Marty returns to the railroad crossing located at the intersection of South Ventura Road and Shoreview Drive, where the remains of the DeLorean lie.
Unexpectedly, however, Doc Brown reappears with his family aboard a new and even more fascinating time machine, this time using the chassis of an old steam train. Saying goodbye to Marty and Jennifer, Doc reminds them that, “your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one, both of you!”
Places to Stay near the Locations
Certainly, except for Monument Valley (for which I invite you to read our hotel recommendations for Monument Valley, the Navajo Reservation at the Utah–Arizona border) and the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, the best base to visit most of the locations from the trilogy is undoubtedly the Los Angeles area. There are countless accommodation options in this metropolis, ranging from budget motels in the Melrose area, which offer relatively affordable prices and easy access to major city attractions, to luxurious beachfront villas overlooking one of the many beaches in the city.
For those who love enjoying the ocean, two good options with a balanced combination of price and overall quality are Port Hueneme, located north of the city, and Sunset Beach, situated south of Long Beach. By planning ahead, it is possible to book hotels or motels of good standard close to their tranquil beaches, away from the more famous, crowded, and sometimes less desirable beaches within the city limits. For Sunset Beach, we recommend the Ocean Surf Inn and Suites, a comfortable, clean, and charming hotel just steps away from the ocean.
In addition to the specific needs of this itinerary, I would also suggest taking a look at our guide on finding a hotel in Los Angeles, which provides advice on the best areas to enjoy the city’s attractions and specific recommended hotels.
