Stardust, in theaters now, may not have this summer’s biggest box office numbers but it does have this summer’s most stunning scenery.
This fairy tale with a big name cast including Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfieffer, and Claire Danes, was filmed during the spring and summer of 2006 in the UK. Here is a guide to four of the main locations used in filming, for a list of all locations, check imdb.com.
Much of the film was made in Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands. We stumbled across the Highland Council’s report on filming in Ross. The document states they had nothing but positive feedback from the location manager and that they were hoping to double the amount of revenue they made in filming from the year before. Here is a list of hotels in the area. This site also contains information about what there is to do and special events taking place year round.
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Take A Look At Our Road Trips!
Don’t Forget We have compiled a few fun theme road trips for you! Check them out below to get stated on your very own On Location Vacation!
Our Valentine’s Day trip, “We Love NY”, takes us on a special walking tour of New York City landmarks that have been featured in our favorite romantic movies. We start at the Empire State Building and end in Riverside Park where Meg Ryan (Kathleen Kelly) and Tom Hanks (Joe Fox) finally find love in You’ve Got Mail. Bring your sweetheart along to experience all of the charm of New York in winter.
Our December trip, “Have A Holly Jolly Road Trip” starts in Cleveland, Ohio for a tour of the Parker family home. After leaving Cleveland we hit New York City for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and end our trip in Vermont to experience the charm of New England in winter.
Our “Scary Excursion” brings us from Cape Cod to Washington D.C. and every scary site in between. We visit the apartment building seen in Rosemary’s Baby and the lake where we first saw Jason in Friday the 13th as well as other classic horror film locations! This trip is great for fall so come along, if you dare.
Why not take a trip down memory lane on our “Brat Packing Across America” road trip. We never have to leave Illinois to see the coolest locations from our favorite Brat Pack movies. So get out your walkman and leg warmers for some ’80s style fun!
Forget Paris, for our money the most romantic city in the world is New York and countless filmmakers agree with us. This city has been the backdrop for some of the most romantic movies ever made which is why our Valentine’s Day road trip is actually a special walking tour of NYC landmarks that have been used in our favorite romantic movies.
We start off at the Empire State Building, an icon of romance. From King Kong to Sleepless in Seattle and its predecessor An Affair to Remember the Empire State Building has been used in film to bring couples together or sooth the aching hearts of those who can’t be. It is mandatory to include such a famed location on our walk but we have to admit, it may not be worth the price of admission. The lines are always long and when you finally reach the top you have to fight through tour groups and vendor’s booths to see anything. It is not exactly Hollywood magic but it is a must see so go early and get it over with.
We have a long walk ahead as we start up Fifth Avenue to Tiffany’s. You may want to take your time and do some window shopping, stop in to St. Patrick’s or watch skaters at Rockefeller Center. This stretch is probably one of the best walks in New York. If you aren’t up for it, since there is still a long way to go on our journey, you can always find a cab, subway, horse and carriage, or bus, NY has it all!
Of course our stop at Tiffany’s is an homage to the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany’s where Audrey Hepburn is looking longingly into the front window of Tiffany’s. After gazing in the famous window yourself be sure to step inside and take it all in. Next you can take a walk over to The Plaza. They are in the process of turning this famous hotel into residences so you may not be able to get too close but even from a distance this building has charm and majesty. The Plaza was featured in several romantic movies including The Way We Were and Barefoot in the Park.
After you have taken a stroll by The Plaza cross the street to Central Park. Central Park is the gem of this romantic walking tour. There are so many romantic movies that have been filmed in the park it is hard to know where to begin. Serendipity, When Harry Met Sally, Two Weeks Notice, and Kate and Leopold all include scenes shot in Central Park. The Boat House, Wollman Rink, and Strawberry Fields are all picturesque anytime of year. There is nothing more romantic than walking hand in hand through the park or even just sitting down on a park bench watching the world pass by. Take your time passing through or come back when you can spend the whole day, it is worth it.
We continue on to The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. This opera house was the setting of a dream night for Ronny (Nicholas Cage) since he is finally able to enjoy both of his loves together (opera and Loretta played by Cher) in Moonstruck. From here we move on to Riverside Park, it is lovely, a different vibe from Central Park but equally romantic. This is the park where Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly (Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan respectively) finally meet again in You’ve Got Mail.
By now you will be hungry so what better way to end your day than with a Gray’s Papaya hot dog? These were Alex Whitman’s (played by Matthew Perry) favorite in Fools Rush In, the same hot dogs Isabel (Selma Hayek) had shipped to him for his birthday in Nevada. How romantic! If you want something more upscale, head back into the park for Tavern on the Green, this opulent restaurant is perfect for a romantic dinner just for two.
This wraps up our walking tour of New York and we are exhausted just writing about it. Hope you enjoy the beauty of New York in winter as much as we do! To see directions and addresses for all of the locations on our walking tour click on the map below.
If you don’t know what the Brat Pack is, this road trip isn’t for you. For everyone else, we have compiled a list of the quintessential Brat Pack movies- Class , Sixteen Candles , The Breakfast Club , Weird Science , About Last Night , and Pretty in Pink and set out to find their locations. So get out your favorite mixed tape and a pair of leg warmers and lets hit the road!
Now, we should also add that this road trip could actually be called “Brat Packing Across the Prairie State” since we never have to leave Illinois to see locations used in each of our Brat Pack movies. This is in part due to the fact that Illinois is the home state of John Hughes.
John Hughes was the uber-director of the 1980s who happened to direct four of the films on our list, three of which star Molly Ringwald-what a team! All of you thirtysomethings remember spending Saturday nights watching these movies wishing you were Molly Ringwald or wishing you could get with Molly Ringwald, well, now you can stand in her footsteps, literally.
We’ll start in Elgin, Il. for our first Hughes film and the only film where we don’t see a filming location per se. Elgin is the speculated setting for Pretty in Pink. A street sweeper in the film has the word “Elgin” emblazoned on it’s side but this is also the name of a company that makes street sweepers so we leave this portion of the trip to your discretion. Unfortunately, we need to travel across the country to see locations actually used in the film, like the high school, which is John Marshall High School in Los Angeles, CA.
Next we move to 2300 Shermer Road, Northbrook, IL where we find Glenbrook North High School. If you walk to the back of the school you will see the football field Judd Nelson walks across in the final scene of The Breakfast Club. We can just see you now, walking across the field, fist in the air…..
While still in Northbrook we can check off one of the locations for our next film, Sixteen Candles. Remember that dreamy scene at the end of the movie when Sam (Molly Ringwald) walks out of the church and there is her crush Jake Ryan(Michael Schoeffling) waiting across the street? You can find the church, Glencoe Union Church, at 263 Park Avenue.
Travelling south to Des Plaines, Illinois, specifically, 9511 Harrison Street, we’ll find the Illinois State Police Station. This police station was once the Maine North High School which was used as the exterior of the high school in The Breakfast Club during the Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald kiss; you know the one where she gives him one of her diamond earrings, aw, so sweet.
Then we head to Skokie and kill two birds with one stone. If you make your way to 7700 Lincoln Ave you will find Oakton Community College which was once the site of Niles East High School used in both Sixteen Candles and Weird Science. Though it is sad the majority of the school has been torn down, part of the building remains and the name of the school can still be seen on the flag post in front of the college.
This leaves us with 2 non-Hughes movies, Class and About Last Night. It also brings us to the city of Chicago. The club featured in About Last Night was Mother’s at 26 W. Division St in Chicago. Now there is also some debate over whether they actually used Mother’s for the exterior shots or Bootleggers at 12 w. Division St, they are in the same block, we say check them both out- that is what any true Brat Packer would do. Mother’s is also the real life location of the Free and Easy club in Class. So you can hit two bars and two films in the same block, Chicago is a great town!
While you are enjoying the Brat Pack locations of Illinois, check out what else the state has to offer and for something more offbeat try this. We hope you enjoy your walk down memory lane!
To get directions for this road trip click on the map below!
Christmas is a hectic time for everyone. Our Holly Jolly Road Trip lets you get away while still enjoying the season. This trip starts in Cleveland, OH, the real home of A Christmas Story. The house used in the film is now open for tours and after a tour you can stop by Higbee’s Department Store to say hello to Santa. There is plenty to do in the Cleveland area during the holiday season, check it out here.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is not only the setting for the 1947 movie Miracle on 34th Street but also an unforgettable experience everyone should have. If you decide to go to the parade remember to get there early and don’t forget your mittens, it is New York in November after all. If Thanksgiving is a little too soon to start your Holly Jolly Road Trip there is plenty to do in the Big Apple throughout the holiday season. Check out the windows at Macy’s, see the Rockettes, or watch the tree lighting in Rockefeller Center. New York is magical at Christmastime and you don’t want to miss a thing!
One snag in planning a great holiday movie road trip is that many of these classic films were made on studio stages, not actually on location. We try to capture the same cozy atmosphere of New England in winter that we feel when watching Holiday Inn, White Christmas, and Christmas in Connecticut by exploring two different inn tours that capture exactly what we are looking for, snow on the window, a cozy fire, and plenty of treats! The Inn to Inn Cookie Tour in New Hampshire is just as it sounds, quaint and delicious, a great way to kick off your holiday season. Seventeen local Inns in the Mount Washington Valley provide sweet treats to sample. You do not have to stay at one of the inns but if you do your pass for the tour is free.
The Holiday Inns Tour is another way to experience a bit of New England holiday charm. This tour offers refreshments at eight historic inns in Southern Vermont. This holiday road trip is a great getaway for couples, families, or singles, to enjoy the holidays without the hustle and bustle.
Here is a link for directions. Happy Road Tripping and Happy Holidays from all of us at On Locations Vacations!
Our Northeast Scary Excursion is perfect for the fall. Many towns along the route have fall festivals, apple picking, and beautiful fall foliage. If you dare try our route, we start in Martha’s Vineyard, home of the movie that made us all afraid of the water, and we end in Washington D.C. in search of the world’s most famous exorcism.
Many of the scenes in the movie Jaws were filmed off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, specifically, Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, so we start our scary excursion here. There is plenty to do after paying homage to Spielberg’s scariest creature. Spend some time exploring the island, Martha’s Vineyard is full of great shopping, hiking, and um, water sports, anytime of year. For more information about Martha’s Vineyard take a look at Martha’s Vineyard Online.
Our next stop brings us into the heart of the Big Apple. To see the location of Rosemary’s Baby take a walk by the Dakota Apartments at One West 72nd St. Beatles fans will take a special interest in the building since this is also where John Lennon was shot in 1980. Fans still flock here from all over the world to pay their respects. Of course there are endless amounts of attractions in NYC. Take in a play, hit a museum, walk through Times Square or if you want to continue to scare yourself silly check out this link for walking tours of New York’s best haunted places.
Next we set out for Camp No Be Bo Sco just south of Blairstown, NJ on Route 818 in New Jersey. Friday the 13th was filmed here. The exact address is 11 SandPond Rd and the Lake is actually called Lake Cedar (in the movie it was called Camp Crystal Lake). This is where Jason made his first appearance- ever.
From New Jersey we head to Burkittsville MD, home of the Blair Witch. The movie, The Blair Witch Project was shot in Seneca Creek State Park, 25 miles west of Burkittsville (it was called the Black Hills Forest in the film). The house that was used in the film is also near by and can be found in the Patapsco Valley State Park in Ellicot City. Even though Burkittsville might have a bad rep it actually has a quaint historic district and is a great place for an afternoon stroll, just be sure not to get lost! For more information check out their website here.
For our grand finale we pay a visit to the country’s capital and home to what is arguably the scariest movie ever made. Many of the exterior shots used in The Exorcist were filmed at 36th Street NW, Georgetown, Washington D.C. Like, New York, Washington D.C. has countless activities especially for history buffs most of which you can find here.
That wraps up our Scary Excursion but if you can’t quite let go, head over to The J. Edgar Hoover FBI Headquarters. This building’s exterior was used several times in The Silence of the lambs.
To get directions for this road trip click here.
