Some of the most iconic scenes in American cinema were filmed not in Hollywood or New York, but in small towns you can actually visit. From the beaches of Tybee Island, Georgia, to the cornfields of Dyersville, Iowa, these real locations double as pilgrimage sites for film fans. Honestly, if you’re the type who plans trips around movies (no judgement, I’m the same), this list is going to keep you busy for a while.
Famous Movie Towns Across the US You Can Actually Visit
Tybee Island, Georgia – Baywatch, The Menu, Fly Me to the Moon
Tybee Island is a barrier island off the coast of Savannah, known for its historic lighthouse and wide sandy beaches. It served as a primary filming location for the Baywatch movie (2017), and later appeared in The Menu (2022) and Fly Me to the Moon (2024). The lighthouse itself regularly pulls in strong visitor reviews, and the beach is one of those spots that looks just as good in person as it does on screen. If you’re into small town east coast beaches, Tybee deserves a spot on your radar.
Edgartown, Massachusetts – Jaws (1974)
Edgartown stood in for the fictional Amity Island in Jaws (1974). The town’s coastal character made it the perfect setting for the shark thriller, and walking around the harbour you can still pick out spots that appeared in the film. It’s a popular stop for anyone exploring things to do in New England, and the whole Martha’s Vineyard area has that old-school charm that Spielberg was clearly after.
Ipswich, Massachusetts – Multiple Films
Ipswich has appeared in a surprisingly wide range of productions:
- The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
- Shutter Island (2010)
- Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)
- The Equalizer (2014)
- Little Women (2019)
Few small towns can claim that kind of range across genres. Turns out the Crane Estate (used in several of these films) consistently ranks as one of the top attractions in the area, and for good reason.
Dyersville, Iowa – Field of Dreams (1989)
Dyersville is permanently linked to Field of Dreams (1989). The town still celebrates that connection today, hosting MLB games at the original filming site. If you make the trip, the diamond is still there. Visitors consistently rate the experience highly, with many saying it’s surprisingly emotional even if you’re not a massive baseball fan. Not gonna lie, standing in that field hits different.
Woodstock, Illinois – Groundhog Day (1993)
Woodstock served as the filming location for Groundhog Day (1993). The town leans into this identity with an annual celebration tied to the film, held every February 2nd. You can walk the town square and spot plaques marking the exact spots where Bill Murray’s scenes were shot, which is a nice touch that shows the town genuinely cares about the connection rather than just slapping a sign up and calling it a day.
Blairstown, New Jersey – Friday the 13th (1980)
Blairstown provided the backdrop for the original Friday the 13th (1980). Key locations include Main Street, Roy’s Hall, and the Blairstown Diner, all visible in the film. Horror fans regularly make the pilgrimage, and the diner in particular is one of those spots where the staff are used to people pulling out their phones to compare the current view with screenshots from the movie.
Astoria, Oregon – The Goonies (1985)
Astoria became famous through The Goonies (1985) and has fully embraced its cinematic identity. The town is home to the Oregon Film Museum, housed in the old county jail that appeared in the opening scene, making it a natural stop for film tourists on the Oregon coast. The museum gets solid reviews, though some visitors note it’s on the smaller side. The Goonies house itself is a private residence, so be respectful if you swing by.
Wakita, Oklahoma – Twister (1996)
Wakita featured in Twister (1996) and now houses the Twister the Movie Museum for fans of the tornado-chase classic. It’s a small museum in a small town, but visitors say the locals are incredibly welcoming and happy to chat about the filming days.
El Reno, Oklahoma – Twisters (2024)
El Reno was used as a filming location for Twisters (2024), the follow-up to the original film. The town already has a reputation in storm-chasing circles (it’s where a record-breaking 2.6-mile-wide tornado touched down in 2013), so the film connection feels almost inevitable.
More Surprising Small-Town Movie Locations
Beyond the most-cited towns, a longer list of US locations has quietly hosted major productions.
| Town | State | Film(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Creede | Colorado | The Lone Ranger (2012) |
| Telluride | Colorado | The Hateful Eight (2015) |
| Fairhope | Alabama | Get Out |
| Port Townsend | Washington | An Officer and a Gentleman, Snow Falling on Cedars |
| Bodega | California | The Birds |
| St. Helens | Oregon | Twilight |
| Page | Arizona | Planet of the Apes (original) |
| Park City | Utah | Dumb and Dumber, Hereditary |
| Kanab | Utah | 100+ films including Westerns |
| Sylva | North Carolina | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri |
| Rachel | Nevada | Independence Day (trailer park scenes) |
| Berlin | Maryland | Runaway Bride, Tuck Everlasting |
| St. Michaels | Maryland | Wedding Crashers |
| Waxahachie | Texas | Bonnie and Clyde, The Trip to Bountiful, Places in the Heart |
| New Canaan | Connecticut | The Stepford Wives (2004) |
| Taos | New Mexico | Easy Rider, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Terminator Salvation |
| Jamestown | Rhode Island | Me, Myself and Irene, Moonrise Kingdom |
| Port Clyde | Maine | Forrest Gump |
| Agua Dulce | California | Nope (2022) |
Creede, Colorado – The Lone Ranger (2012)
Disney’s The Lone Ranger (2012) required 11 weeks of set construction and 3 weeks of filming in Creede. Disney invested $7 million in the area during that shoot, which is a wild amount of money for a town with a population hovering around 400.
Telluride, Colorado – The Hateful Eight (2015)
Quentin Tarantino chose Telluride for The Hateful Eight because of its imposing mountain peaks and snow-covered landscape. Most of the filming took place at the family-owned Schmid Ranch, where the production crew built a dedicated set for the two-month shoot. Cast members including Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, and Jennifer Jason Leigh were spotted around town, skating on the local ice rink and eating at local restaurants during early 2015 filming. If you’re planning a trip with a partner, Telluride also happens to be one of the more underrated romantic getaways in the United States.
Fairhope, Alabama – Get Out
The Armitage house from Jordan Peele’s Get Out is located at 6892 Heathcroft Lane in Fairhope. Both interiors and exteriors were filmed there. It’s a private property, so don’t go wandering up the driveway, but you can appreciate it from the road.
Kanab, Utah – Over 100 Films
Kanab has appeared in more than 100 films, with a particular concentration of Westerns. Clint Eastwood’s The Outlaw Josey Wales and John Wayne’s El Dorado both used the area. The Little Hollywood Museum in town documents this history, and visitors regularly comment that the surrounding landscape alone is worth the drive.
Waxahachie, Texas – Bonnie and Clyde and More
Waxahachie is nicknamed “Little Hollywood in Texas” and has hosted over 90 movies and TV shows. Scenes from Bonnie and Clyde (starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty) were shot here, along with The Trip to Bountiful, in which Waxahachie stood in for the fictional town of Bountiful, and Places in the Heart. The town’s historic Ellis County Courthouse is a stunner and reason enough to stop, even without the film connections.
Taos, New Mexico – Easy Rider, No Country for Old Men
Taos has appeared in Easy Rider, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Terminator Salvation. The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge just outside town, the fifth highest bridge in the US, has featured in Easy Rider, No Country for Old Men, and Terminator Salvation. The bridge is genuinely vertigo-inducing in person, which probably explains why filmmakers keep coming back to it.
Port Clyde, Maine – Forrest Gump
The Marshall Point lighthouse in Port Clyde, at the end of Marshall Point Road, appears in Forrest Gump during Tom Hanks’s character’s cross-country run. A museum at the site holds photographs and documents from the filming. It’s a small but well-maintained museum, and the lighthouse walk itself is lovely on a clear day.
Jamestown, Rhode Island – Me, Myself and Irene
Scenes from Jim Carrey and Renee Zellweger’s Me, Myself and Irene (2000) were filmed in Jamestown, largely on Narragansett Avenue. The Conanicut Marine Services store was transformed into a law office and “Freddie the Barber” for the film. Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom also features the town, which gives Jamestown a surprisingly eclectic film résumé for such a quiet place.
St. Helens, Oregon – Twilight
St. Helens served as a filming location for Twilight, despite the series being set in Forks, Washington. The town holds an annual “Halloweentown” celebration (referencing the Disney Channel movie also filmed there), which draws big crowds every October.
Agua Dulce, California – Nope (2022) and More
Jordan Peele’s Nope (2022) was filmed in Agua Dulce, with the production building sets including a small theme park and a 19th-century ranch house. The town has also hosted productions including Blazing Saddles, Star Trek, Westworld, and Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. For a town most people couldn’t point to on a map, that’s a genuinely impressive filmography.
New Canaan, Connecticut – The Stepford Wives (2004)
New Canaan provided the setting for The Stepford Wives (2004), with scenes filmed at 77 Main Street and the town hall. The town’s manicured, almost too-perfect appearance made it an obvious choice for the role.
St. Michaels, Maryland – Wedding Crashers
The famous wedding reception scene in Wedding Crashers was filmed at a colonial mansion in St. Michaels that is now the Inn at Perry Cabin. You can actually stay there, though the rates are firmly in the “special occasion” category.
Berlin, Maryland – Runaway Bride and Tuck Everlasting
Berlin provided settings for both Runaway Bride and Tuck Everlasting. The town’s Main Street has that picture-perfect Americana look that translates well on screen, and it’s been recognized as one of the coolest small towns in the country by various publications.
Sylva, North Carolina – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Despite the film’s Missouri setting, Sylva in North Carolina was the actual filming location for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The historic courthouse and surrounding mountains give Sylva a distinctive look that clearly caught the production team’s eye.
Rachel, Nevada – Independence Day
Rachel featured in the trailer park scenes of Independence Day. The town sits along the Extraterrestrial Highway near Area 51, so the alien invasion theme fits right in.
Page, Arizona – Planet of the Apes
Page provided the desert landscape for Charlton Heston’s original Planet of the Apes. The area around Lake Powell and Horseshoe Bend is stunning in its own right, and it’s one of those places where the scenery does all the heavy lifting.
Bodega, California – The Birds
Alfred Hitchcock chose Bodega for The Birds. The schoolhouse and church from the film still stand, and the Potter Schoolhouse in particular is instantly recognizable to fans.
Port Townsend, Washington – An Officer and a Gentleman
Port Townsend appeared in An Officer and a Gentleman and also in Snow Falling on Cedars. The Victorian-era downtown and waterfront setting make it one of the more charming stops on this list, and it regularly shows up in things to do in New York State style roundups for the Pacific Northwest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What small town is most famous as a movie filming location?
Several towns compete for that title. Dyersville, Iowa (Field of Dreams), Astoria, Oregon (The Goonies), and Woodstock, Illinois (Groundhog Day) are among the most celebrated. Kanab, Utah, has appeared in over 100 productions, making it one of the most filmed small towns in the US.
Can you visit the Field of Dreams filming location in Dyersville, Iowa?
Yes. The original filming site in Dyersville remains accessible and the town now hosts MLB games there. Visitor reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with many people saying it’s worth the detour even if you’re not a die-hard baseball fan.
Where was Jaws filmed?
Jaws (1974) was filmed in Edgartown, Massachusetts, which stood in for the fictional Amity Island.
Where was The Hateful Eight filmed?
Quentin Tarantino filmed The Hateful Eight primarily at the Schmid Ranch in Telluride, Colorado, during a two-month shoot that began in early 2015.