Uncover the secrets of Hollywood on a self-guided tour of iconic filming locations in Los Angeles. Explore famous spots from The Dark Knight Rises to Gilligan’s Island and more!
Uncover the secrets of Hollywood on a self-guided tour of iconic filming locations in Los Angeles. Explore famous spots from The Dark Knight Rises to Gilligan’s Island and more!
- North Spring Street & Ord Street - This intersection served as the filming location for the dramatic climax of Roman Polanski’s Chinatown, a classic in the film noir genre. Since the 1940s, film noir has been a staple of Hollywood, combining the gritty, hardboiled American crime fiction of the 1920s and 30s with the striking, moody cinematography…
- North Spring Street & Ord Street - This intersection served as the filming location for the dramatic climax of Roman Polanski’s Chinatown, a classic in the film noir genre. Since the 1940s, film noir has been a staple of Hollywood, combining the gritty, hardboiled American crime fiction of the 1920s and 30s with the striking, moody cinematography influenced by German Expressionist filmmaking. These stories often feature deeply flawed protagonists caught in conspiracies and complex investigations beyond their control.
Note: This 33+ mile-long tour highlights the essentials of LA Filming in 2-3 hours.
Purchase once, enjoy for a year! Perfect for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
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Los Angeles Union Station - On your right is Union Station, the busiest train hub in the western United States. It has appeared in numerous films and TV shows over the years, though rarely as an actual train station!
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Los Angeles City Hall - The heart of LA’s government and a frequent filming location. Unlike Union Station, City Hall often portrays itself, most notably in the 1953 film War of the Worlds, where it was famously destroyed (in miniature). It has also doubled as other locations, such as the Daily Planet building in the 1950s TV show The Adventures of Superman.
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Bradbury Building - Notice the brown, Victorian office building on your right? That’s the Bradbury Building, a National Historic Landmark in LA. It has been featured in numerous films, including Double Indemnity and (500) Days of Summer, but is best known as the setting for J.F. Sebastian’s apartment in the original Blade Runner. The film revisits this location several times, including for the climactic rooftop showdown between human detective Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, and his Replicant target Roy Batty. After an intense chase, Roy delivers one of science fiction’s most famous monologues:
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The Last Bookstore - On the ground floor of this tower to your right is The Last Bookstore, the largest used bookstore in Los Angeles. Once a bank, it has been transformed into a haven for book lovers, with stunning displays in every corner of the two-story atrium. It’s also a popular spot for photoshoots and music videos, having hosted artists like The Kid LAROI and the late Kobe Bryant.
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650 S Spring St - This bank was prominently featured in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 during one of the most thrilling action sequences in superhero history. In the scene, Doctor Octopus attempts to rob the bank and battles Spider-Man along the building’s sides. Filming such a special effects-heavy scene is challenging and often takes days to complete. The scene involved shots filmed on location and footage shot in front of a green screen on a studio lot, all seamlessly edited together in post-production.
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Palace Theatre - The Palace Theatre is best known for doubling as the mysterious Club Silencio in David Lynch’s surreal masterpiece Mulholland Drive. One of Lynch’s finest works, Mulholland Drive is both a tribute and a critique of Hollywood, created by an artist who has spent much of his career on the outside looking in.
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Cicada Restaurant and Lounge - Look to your left for a vintage, Art Deco venue on the building’s ground floor. Notice the intricately crafted iron grills over the windows? You’re looking at the Cicada Club, a Hollywood staple since the 1920s. In film, it’s most famous for the scene in Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts flings a snail across the room, though it has also appeared in other movies like Bruce Almighty and Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood.
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The Biltmore Los Angeles - The Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles, also known as the fictional Hotel Sedgewick in Ghostbusters. In the film, the Ghostbusters capture their first ghost here, accidentally destroying the ballroom in the process.
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West 5th Street & Flower Street - As you approach the intersection of West 5th St and Flower St, watch for any bank robbers in armored vans. This location was used for the famous shootout scene in Michael Mann’s Heat, one of the most gripping action sequences ever. In the scene, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, and their crew of bank robbers are cornered by the police, leading to a nearly 10-minute gunfight.
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Pacific Dining Car - This charming diner on your left is the Pacific Dining Car, a prime Hollywood lunch spot since the 1920s. Due to its central location in downtown LA, it has hosted numerous Hollywood stars, from Mickey Cohen and Mae West to Nicolas Cage and Johnny Depp. It has also appeared in films and TV shows, most notably in Training Day.
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Echo Park Lake - That small body of water to your left is Echo Park Lake, one of the many urban lakes in LA. Look out over the water at some of the islands. Do they look familiar?
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Music Box Steps - The Music Box is a Laurel and Hardy short film comedy released in 1932. Directed by James Parrott, produced by Hal Roach, and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film depicts the duo attempting to move a piano up a long flight of steps. It won the first Academy Award for Best Live Action Short (Comedy) in 1932. In 1997, it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
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The Virgil - A 1920s-style saloon with ornate, vintage decor offering classic cocktails.
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4473 Sunset Dr - You’re approaching a tricky intersection, but as you pass through it, try to catch a glimpse of the big red movie theater on the far corner. You can’t miss it - just look for the big, lit-up sign!
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John Marshall High School - John Marshall High School is a public high school located in the Los Feliz district of Los Angeles at 3939 Tracy Street. Serving grades 9 through 12, it is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
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Messhall Kitchen - A sleek and modern indoor-outdoor gastropub serving elevated American comfort food and creative cocktails.
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2607 Glendower Ave - The Ennis House is a residential dwelling in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Charles and Mabel Ennis in 1923 and built in 1924.
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Griffith Observatory - Griffith Observatory is a facility in Los Angeles, situated on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. It offers a view of the Los Angeles Basin, including Downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest.
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Bronson Caves - Holy Toledo, Batman, we’re approaching Bronson Canyon! This series of caves has been used in Westerns and sci-fi films since the 1930s, but it’s most famous as the original Batcave location in the 1960s Batman TV show. See that little tunnel up ahead? By using carefully chosen camera angles, the tunnel’s mouth was transformed into the entrance to Bruce Wayne’s underground lair. Because the “cave” was actually the mouth of a tunnel, the Batmobile could be filmed exiting the Batcave at high speeds that wouldn’t have been safe with a real cave.
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Hollywood Sign - The Hollywood Sign is an American landmark and cultural icon overlooking Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It is located on Mount Lee, in the Hollywood Hills area of the Santa Monica Mountains.
- Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
- Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
- Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
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Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
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- Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
- Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
- Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
- Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
- Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
- Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
- Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
- Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!
- Foods & Drinks
- Foods & Drinks
Recommended: Purchase one tour per vehicle to allow everyone to listen simultaneously!
Have you ever wondered how something makes it to the big screen? This self-guided tour of Los Angeles Filming Locations reveals the secrets behind America’s most renowned industry: Hollywood! Explore sites from the courthouse in The Dark Knight Rises to the lake…
Recommended: Purchase one tour per vehicle to allow everyone to listen simultaneously!
Have you ever wondered how something makes it to the big screen? This self-guided tour of Los Angeles Filming Locations reveals the secrets behind America’s most renowned industry: Hollywood! Explore sites from the courthouse in The Dark Knight Rises to the lake featured in Gilligan’s Island and more! As you drive, discover fascinating industry secrets about some of your favorite films.
After booking, check your email to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. These steps require a reliable internet/Wi-Fi connection. Then, simply follow the audio instructions and the route.
Purchase once and enjoy for a full year! Perfect for extended stays and return visits over the next 12 months.
- How to access: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a confirmation email and text with instructions: • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password • Download the tour MUST DO while in strong wifi/cellular Works offline after download
- How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
- Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
- Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
- Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
- Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.