• Home
  • About
    • About Me
    • Location Hunting – Getting Started
    • Location Hunting Guidelines
    • FAQs
    • Contact
  • TV Shows
    • American Housewife
    • The Big Bang Theory
    • The Brady Bunch
    • Cobra Kai
    • Coronation Street
    • Dance Academy
    • Dog The Bounty Hunter
    • The Drew Carey Show
    • The Fosters
    • Fresh Prince of Bel Air
    • Friends
    • Full House
    • Fuller House
    • The Goldbergs
    • The Golden Girls
    • Grey’s Anatomy
    • Hawaii Five-0
    • I Love Lucy
    • The Jeffersons
    • Jeopardy
    • Leave It To Beaver
    • Lost
    • Married… with Children
    • Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
    • Modern Family
    • The Office
    • Perfect Strangers
    • Schitt’s Creek
    • Seinfeld
    • Stranger Things
    • Tiny Pretty Things
    • The Tom Green Show
    • The Walking Dead
    • Will and Grace
    • The Wonder Years
    • Young Sheldon
  • Movies
    • 50 First Dates
    • A Christmas Story
    • Back To The Future
    • Billy Elliot
    • Blades of Glory
    • Blue Crush
    • Blue Hawaii
    • Dance Academy: The Comeback
    • Elf
    • Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
    • Forgetting Sarah Marshall
    • Forrest Gump
    • From Here To Eternity
    • Ghostbusters
    • Ghostbusters 2
    • Hairspray
    • Home Alone
    • Home Alone 2
    • Isn’t It Romantic
    • It: Chapter One
    • Jurassic Park
    • Jurassic World
    • Kindergarten Cop
    • Lords of Dogtown
    • Love Actually
    • Love Simon
    • Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates
    • Mrs. Doubtfire
    • My Big Fat Greek Wedding
    • Napoleon Dynamite
    • Notting Hill
    • Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
    • Pretty Woman
    • Sister Act
    • The Sum Of All Fears
    • Uncle Buck
    • Undercover Angel
    • Warm Bodies
    • Wayne’s World
    • The Wizard Of Oz
  • Film Studios
    • CBS Studio Center
    • The Jim Henson Studios
    • Kualoa Ranch
    • Lucasfilms
    • NBC Studios
    • Paramount Pictures
    • Sony Pictures Studios
    • Universal Studios Hollywood
    • Warner Brothers Studios – Hollywood
    • Warner Brothers Studios -The Making of Harry Potter
  • Live TV Tapings
    • The Big Bang Theory
    • Late Night with Conan O’Brien
    • The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
    • The Late Show with David Letterman
    • Live with Kelly and Ryan
    • Mom
    • The Price is Right
    • Saturday Night Live
    • The Talk
    • Will & Grace
  • Museums
    • CBC Museum
    • Lucy-Desi Museum
    • The Smithsonian
    • Star Trek Original Series Set Tour
    • The Walt Disney Family Museum
  • Destinations
    • Atlanta
    • Chicago
    • England
    • Hawaii
    • Los Angeles
    • New York City
    • Toronto
  • Famous Graves
    • Benjamin Harrison
    • Billy Wilder
    • Buddy Rich
    • Carl Wilson
    • Carroll O’Connor
    • Colonel Sanders
    • Daniel Boone
    • Dean Martin
    • Dino Bravo
    • Don Knotts
    • Donna Reed
    • Doris Roberts
    • Eva Gabor
    • Fanny Brice
    • Florence Henderson
    • Franklin Delano Roosevelt
    • Grace Kelly
    • Harry Truman
    • Heather O’Rourke
    • Jack Lemmon
    • Jackie Collins
    • Jeanne Sauve
    • Joanne Carson
    • John Abbott
    • Johnny Rougeau
    • Leonard Cohen
    • Lester B. Pearson
    • Lucille Ball
    • Marilyn Monroe
    • Maurice “The Rocket” Richard
    • Mel Torme
    • Minnie Riperton
    • Miss Elizabeth
    • Muhammed Ali
    • Owen Hart
    • Peter Falk
    • Rene Angelil
    • Richard Dawson
    • Robert Borden
    • Rodney Dangerfield
    • Roy Orbison
    • Roy Rogers and Dale Evans
    • The Titanic Victims
    • Thomas Darcy McGee
    • Tommy Douglas
    • Truman Capote
    • Vaslev Nijinsky
    • Walter Matthau
    • Wilfred Laurier
    • William Shakespeare
    • Yousef Karsh
  • Interviews
    • Stephanie Davy – Ottawa Film Office
    • Tim Dolan – Broadway Up Close
    • David Morgan – Kualoa Ranch
    • Bill Sindelar – Warm-Up Comedian
  • Extras
    • Billy Elliot The Musical
    • McDonald’s
    • Location News
    • Books
    • Links
Rob on Location
  • Home
  • About
    • About Me
    • Location Hunting – Getting Started
    • Location Hunting Guidelines
    • FAQs
    • Contact
  • TV Shows
    • American Housewife
    • The Big Bang Theory
    • The Brady Bunch
    • Cobra Kai
    • Coronation Street
    • Dance Academy
    • Dog The Bounty Hunter
    • The Drew Carey Show
    • The Fosters
    • Fresh Prince of Bel Air
    • Friends
    • Full House
    • Fuller House
    • The Goldbergs
    • The Golden Girls
    • Grey’s Anatomy
    • Hawaii Five-0
    • I Love Lucy
    • The Jeffersons
    • Jeopardy
    • Leave It To Beaver
    • Lost
    • Married… with Children
    • Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
    • Modern Family
    • The Office
    • Perfect Strangers
    • Schitt’s Creek
    • Seinfeld
    • Stranger Things
    • Tiny Pretty Things
    • The Tom Green Show
    • The Walking Dead
    • Will and Grace
    • The Wonder Years
    • Young Sheldon
  • Movies
    • 50 First Dates
    • A Christmas Story
    • Back To The Future
    • Billy Elliot
    • Blades of Glory
    • Blue Crush
    • Blue Hawaii
    • Dance Academy: The Comeback
    • Elf
    • Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
    • Forgetting Sarah Marshall
    • Forrest Gump
    • From Here To Eternity
    • Ghostbusters
    • Ghostbusters 2
    • Hairspray
    • Home Alone
    • Home Alone 2
    • Isn’t It Romantic
    • It: Chapter One
    • Jurassic Park
    • Jurassic World
    • Kindergarten Cop
    • Lords of Dogtown
    • Love Actually
    • Love Simon
    • Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates
    • Mrs. Doubtfire
    • My Big Fat Greek Wedding
    • Napoleon Dynamite
    • Notting Hill
    • Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
    • Pretty Woman
    • Sister Act
    • The Sum Of All Fears
    • Uncle Buck
    • Undercover Angel
    • Warm Bodies
    • Wayne’s World
    • The Wizard Of Oz
  • Film Studios
    • CBS Studio Center
    • The Jim Henson Studios
    • Kualoa Ranch
    • Lucasfilms
    • NBC Studios
    • Paramount Pictures
    • Sony Pictures Studios
    • Universal Studios Hollywood
    • Warner Brothers Studios – Hollywood
    • Warner Brothers Studios -The Making of Harry Potter
  • Live TV Tapings
    • The Big Bang Theory
    • Late Night with Conan O’Brien
    • The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
    • The Late Show with David Letterman
    • Live with Kelly and Ryan
    • Mom
    • The Price is Right
    • Saturday Night Live
    • The Talk
    • Will & Grace
  • Museums
    • CBC Museum
    • Lucy-Desi Museum
    • The Smithsonian
    • Star Trek Original Series Set Tour
    • The Walt Disney Family Museum
  • Destinations
    • Atlanta
    • Chicago
    • England
    • Hawaii
    • Los Angeles
    • New York City
    • Toronto
  • Famous Graves
    • Benjamin Harrison
    • Billy Wilder
    • Buddy Rich
    • Carl Wilson
    • Carroll O’Connor
    • Colonel Sanders
    • Daniel Boone
    • Dean Martin
    • Dino Bravo
    • Don Knotts
    • Donna Reed
    • Doris Roberts
    • Eva Gabor
    • Fanny Brice
    • Florence Henderson
    • Franklin Delano Roosevelt
    • Grace Kelly
    • Harry Truman
    • Heather O’Rourke
    • Jack Lemmon
    • Jackie Collins
    • Jeanne Sauve
    • Joanne Carson
    • John Abbott
    • Johnny Rougeau
    • Leonard Cohen
    • Lester B. Pearson
    • Lucille Ball
    • Marilyn Monroe
    • Maurice “The Rocket” Richard
    • Mel Torme
    • Minnie Riperton
    • Miss Elizabeth
    • Muhammed Ali
    • Owen Hart
    • Peter Falk
    • Rene Angelil
    • Richard Dawson
    • Robert Borden
    • Rodney Dangerfield
    • Roy Orbison
    • Roy Rogers and Dale Evans
    • The Titanic Victims
    • Thomas Darcy McGee
    • Tommy Douglas
    • Truman Capote
    • Vaslev Nijinsky
    • Walter Matthau
    • Wilfred Laurier
    • William Shakespeare
    • Yousef Karsh
  • Interviews
    • Stephanie Davy – Ottawa Film Office
    • Tim Dolan – Broadway Up Close
    • David Morgan – Kualoa Ranch
    • Bill Sindelar – Warm-Up Comedian
  • Extras
    • Billy Elliot The Musical
    • McDonald’s
    • Location News
    • Books
    • Links

Back To The Future

Back to the Future is not only one of the biggest films of the 80s, but one of those classics that still endures today.  The fan interest in this movie seems to actually grow by the year.  From special events to cosplay to replica Deloreans, fans love to show just how much they adore this film.  One of the ways fans can feel closer to this film is to visit some of its filming locations.

There are numerous websites that do an excellent job of documenting almost every location used in the 3 films. While I haven’t had a chance to visit them all these sites, I’d like to share some of the Los Angeles locations I’ve personally visited. 

The McFly House

The first Back To The Future location is Marty McFly’s house in 1985.  The house is located at 9303 Roslyndale Ave. This is located in Arleta, Ca, just north of Burbank.  The house is a standard residential home, and has changed very little from how it looked in the movie.  Even the powerlines behind the house haven’t changed.  

While here, don’t forget to check out the street in front of the house.  At the end of the film where Doc Brown takes Marty and Jennifer in his flying Delorean and takes off into the sky above the street, that scene was accurately filmed right in front of the house.  The trees have changed a lot, but it’s the same location.

Lyon Estates

Closeby is the location where Marty skateboards past the Lyon Estate signs towards his house.  This wasn’t filmed on Roslyndale Ave, but just a couple blocks away at the corner of Kagel Canyon Street and Sandusky Avenue.  When you are at the intersection, look southeast down Sandusky Ave, and this is the view from the film.  The houses and trees are quite a bit different than they were in 1985.  Be careful when taking photos, as you’ll need to be in the intersection to get the right angle.  Make sure you stay safe and don’t disrupt the traffic.

Burger King & Doc Brown’s Garage

The next location we will look at is the Doc Brown’s Garage and the Burger King that Marty skateboards from.  These are located on the same spot in Burbank.  One of the first scenes of the movie shows Marty playing guitar in Doc Browns garage. He then grabs his skateboard to head to school.  The garage is a replica of the one located at the Gamble House. It was built in the back parking lot of the Burger King located at 535 North Victory Blvd in Burbank. 

The garage itself is long gone, however the Burger King that we see Marty skate through is still there.  The building and sign have been modified over the years, but the layout of the parking lot and drive-thru are still the same.  

Universal Studios

Back To The Future’s Hill Valley and the Courthouse were created on the Universal Studios Hollywood backlot.  It would have been harder to accomplish a 1955 appearance outside of a studio.  The backlot was changed extensively since the films.  It has also been affected by a couple fires on the Universal lot.  

If you visit the theme park, you can take the Studio Tour tram ride, which is a 1 hour tour of the backlots.  You can’t leave the tram, but you can take photos from your seat.  The tour generally visits the clocktower, but isn’t guaranteed.  When I took the tour, that area was closed for filming, so we didn’t get to see it up close.  You can, however, get a birds eye view from the upper levels of the Theme Park.  

Universal Studios also offers a VIP option.  This includes a tour of the studios in small groups, similar to how you would tour Paramount or Warner Bros.  This option is great if you want to see the backlots up close.  The VIP option also includes a lunch, and VIP access to all of the theme park rides and attractions.  You’ll find the price substantially higher, but it may be worth it if you are hoping to see the backlots up close.  Again, keep in mind the clocktower is still not guaranteed if the area is closed when you tour.

Gamble House

The house used for Doc Brown’s 1955 home is known as the Gamble House. The historic house is located at 4 Westmoreland Place in Pasadena.   The house offer tours, so try and fit this in.  You can also view the garage which is seen in the movie. It was also replicated at the Burger King location we discussed above.

Bushnell Avenue

The next location is Bushnell Avenue in South Pasadena.  Several houses on Bushnell were used to film several scenes from the 1955 time period.   The house where Marty’s mom, Lorraine, lived is located 1727 Bushnell.  Make sure you notice the large tree across the street, where George used to spy on Lorraine.

His father, George McFly’s house, is just down the road at 1711 Bushnell Ave.  

While here on the street, make sure you check out number 1809 Bushnell as well.  This house was used as Biff’s house in the 2nd Back To The Future movie.  

A local filmmaker has made a short documentary about Bushnell Ave.  This documentary includes the various locations in Back To The Future. His website includes details to rent or buy the documentary.  

Hill Valley High School

Moving on to the next location, Hill Valley High School.  They used an actual school, Whittier High School, at 12417 East Philadelphia Street in Whittier.  All the exterior shots of the school were filmed here.  Unfortunately, the entire school is surrounded by a large fence, so you won’t be able to go on school property. However you can certainly take pictures from the sidewalk on Philadelphia Street.  The parking lot scenes were filmed in a grassy courtyard on the east side of the school. You can see it from Whittier Ave.  Again, the best you’ll get is a view from the fence.  

Mr. Strickland’s House

Right around the corner is another location that you may want to check out.  The house belonging to Mr, Strickland, Marty’s school principle, is located at 12511 Bailey Street.

Puente Hills Mall

The Twin Pines Mall (later the Lone Pine Mall) is actually the Puente Hills Mall in the City of Industry.  The section of the parking lot used to film scenes from Back To The Future are in the south portion of the parking lot. This is just off Colima Road, in between the Macy’s and the 24 Hour Fitness.  This is where the Delorean made it’s debut and took Marty to the past as he escaped from Libyan terrorists.  

Also, take note of the entrance to the parking lot off Colima Road, right by the TGI Friday’s.  This is the spot where Marty skateboarded towards the mall.  It is also where they set up the Twin Pines Mall sign.

Make sure you go inside the mall as well.  While none of the film was set inside the mall, they do have the Twin Pines Mall sign on display.

Jennifer’s House

The final spot I’ll mention is Jennifer’s house from Back to the Future 2.  This is the spot where Doc and Marty leave Jennifer on her porch swing.  The house is located at 161 North Magnolia Ave in Monrovia.

The Delorean

One of the most famous vehicles in movie history is the Delorean Time Machine.  Even now, you’d need to be living under a rock to not know about this car. 

While some cars are lost, there are a couple ways to see an actual screen used Delorean.  One car is in private hands, but is occasional on display at conventions.  The second is displayed at Universal Studios Orlando, next to the time traveling locomotive from the 3rd movie. 

The final car, called the “Hero” car, was in disarray but has been meticulously refurbished. It was displayed for a while at Universal Studios Hollywood, which is where I saw it. It is now on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.   

If you have any questions or thoughts about Back To The Future or the filming locations, please share with me in the comment section below.

While this site is a hobby, it does cost me out-of-pocket to keep the site going. You can help support the site by clicking the link below and shopping on amazon. Thanks for all the support!

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and MailChimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.
Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.
Follow me:
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Share with your friends:
Posted in Movies
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Recent Posts

  • Cobra Kai February 10, 2021
  • The Big Bang Theory February 8, 2021
  • Jeopardy January 7, 2021
  • Tiny Pretty Things January 4, 2021
  • Lucy-Desi Museum December 27, 2020
  • Forrest Gump December 27, 2020
  • Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates December 21, 2020
  • Elf November 18, 2020
  • Bill Sindelar – Warm-Up Comedian October 29, 2020
  • David Morgan – Kualoa Ranch October 22, 2020

Today’s Top 10

  • Schitt’s Creek
  • Grey’s Anatomy
  • Married… with Children
  • Stranger Things
  • American Housewife
  • Welcome to Rob On Location
  • Full House
  • Love Simon
  • Isn’t It Romantic
  • Blue Crush

Follow Me

  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

© Rob on Location, 2019-2020. All Rights Reserved.