The Birdcage is a 1996 remake of the classic French comedy La Cage aux Folles. This remake stars Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Hank Azaria, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, and Christine Baranski. Exterior shots were filmed in Miami.
The Birdcage Hotel
The exteriors of the Birdcage Hotel were filmed on location at the Carlyle Hotel. The hotel is located on Ocean Ave along the main strip of South Beach. While the hotel has had some cosmetic changes, the front is largely unchanged from when the movie was filmed.
The movie features a number of shots of the side of the hotel, along 13th Street. This part of the hotel has been extensively changed from filming. The side entrance has been completely eliminated, and the protruding wall has been demolished. The sidewalk has also been narrowed to allow street parking.
The Birdcage was not the hotel’s first appearance on the screen. When The Golden Girls ended, a short-lived spinoff called The Golden Palace ran for one season, and this hotel was used for establishing shots.
The Leslie Hotel
In one of the more memorable scenes, Armand takes Albert to the hotel next door, and uses the cafe to teach him how to act manly. The characters are shown walking from their hotel to the Leslie Hotel, which is located right next door. However, as far as I can tell, the cafe interiors were not filmed at the hotel.
The Wedding Chapel
The movie culminates in Val and Barbara’s wedding. This was not filmed in Miami, but at the First Christian Church of North Hollywood. The church is popular for filming, having been featured in Young Sheldon, The Office, The Fosters, 7th Heaven, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull, amongst many others.
