Back to the Future (1985)

545 North Victory Boulevard (Burbank)

Burbank, United States

Restaurant of the Burger King chain, just north of West Cypress Avenue. Remodeled in 2016, it has significantly changed in appearance: the building and the sign have been redone, but the layout of the parking lot and the drive-thru lane have remained unchanged. The section of the boulevard that passes in front also appears in Memento, by Christopher Nolan.

The scene : At the beginning of the film, Marty McFly realizes that he is late for school and rushes out of Doc Brown's lab-garage, which is seen behind him as he hops on his skateboard. He passes by the restaurant and then grabs onto the back of a truck that tows him north.

17545 Cucamonga Avenue (Chino)

Chino, United States

Section of road south of the California Institution for Women, a state prison for women. The area has hardly changed for about forty years.

The scene : Marty arrives in 1955 after fleeing the Peabody ranch. He gets out of the DeLorean and looks, perplexed, at the billboard showing the model homes of the subdivision where he will later live. He hides the car behind the billboard to avoid drawing attention, then walks three kilometers to town to seek help.

Courthouse Square (Universal backlot)

Universal City, United States

Courthouse Square is a permanent set on the backlot of Universal Studios, located in Universal City, California, reproducing an archetypal small-town American square organized around the facade of a courthouse that serves as its centerpiece. This courthouse facade was built in 1948. Composed of a set of facades, the set is renowned for its versatility: a simple change of signage, storefronts, and urban furniture is enough to make it appear as an entirely different location, which has led it to appear in hundreds of productions. It is bordered to the south by "New York Street," another street set on the backlot. The fires that ravaged the backlot in 1990 and then in 2008 destroyed these neighboring sets but spared the courthouse; the square reopened on June 18, 2009. It remains one of the most iconic outdoor sets on the Universal backlot.

The scene : In 1985, Marty and Jennifer talk there after leaving the audition for the band, and that's where he reappears upon returning from the trip. In 1955, he arrives in town and finds George in this square. On November 12, 1955, at 10:04 PM, lightning strikes the clock tower and provides the 1.21 gigawatts for the return trip.

First United Methodist Church of Hollywood

Los Angeles, United States

United Methodist Church at the corner of Franklin Avenue and Highland Avenue, in the Hollywood Heights neighborhood. The recreation hall and gymnasium were built in the early 1920s; the Gothic-style sanctuary, designed by Thomas P. Barber and partly inspired by Westminster Hall in London, was begun in 1927 and opened on March 16, 1930, for 800,000 dollars. Its steel-framed concrete structure makes it relatively earthquake-resistant. It has been designated a historic-cultural monument of Los Angeles No. 248 since December 4, 1981, under the name of First United Methodist Church of Hollywood. The large red ribbon for AIDS placed on the bell tower in 1993 was replaced by a durable version in 1996, and then repainted in 2004.

The scene : In the gymnasium, the high school prom of 1955. Biff's gang locks Marty in the trunk of the band’s car; the musicians get him out, the guitarist injures his hand, and Marty takes his place on stage next to Marvin Berry and the Starlighters. He plays while George and Lorraine share their first kiss: his existence is no longer in jeopardy, and he inadvertently invents rock 'n' roll. He bids farewell to his parents on the staircase that descends from the stage to the basement.

Gamble House

Pasadena, United States

House built in 1908-1909 by architects Charles and Henry Greene for David B. Gamble, son of James Gamble, co-founder of Procter & Gamble. American Craftsman-style bungalow, stemming from the Arts and Crafts movement, featuring wooden shingles and Japanese inspiration. Designated as a National Historic Landmark and California Historical Landmark. Since November 2019, it has been managed by the Gamble House Conservancy, affiliated with the city of Pasadena, previously by the School of Architecture at the University of Southern California. It is open for visits.

The scene : Sent back to 1955, Marty McFly comes to ask Emmett Brown to bring him back to 1985. The DeLorean is stored in the bookstore attached to the house. Only the exteriors are filmed here.

9479 Sandusky Avenue (Arleta, Los Angeles)

Los Angeles, United States

The scene : Around the thirteenth minute, Marty McFly rides home on his skateboard and passes by the "Lyon Estates" signs to enter his neighborhood.

South Pasadena, United States

Front tree of 1800 Bushnell Avenue, a 1910 Craftsman house listed in the Inventory of Historic Resources of South Pasadena, in the Wayne/Bushnell/Fletcher district, and former residence of the chief designer of Union Station. The curb in front of the tree bears an inscription engraved by the owner in the fresh cement during the gutter repair, approved by the city after being reported by the site inspector.

The scene : Because in the tree with binoculars, George McFly (Crispin Glover) watches Lorraine change behind the window of her bedroom, upstairs, across the street; Marty catches him and exclaims, "My dad is a peeping Tom!" George then falls into the path of Lorraine's father's car; Marty saves him and gets hit in his place, knocked out on the pavement in front of the tree, creating an alternate timeline.

1711 Bushnell Avenue (South Pasadena)

South Pasadena, United States

Craftsman-style house listed in the inventory of historical resources of South Pasadena, in the Wayne/Bushnell/Fletcher district (built from 1902 to 1933). The inventory assigns it the status code 3S: following the census evaluation, it is deemed eligible individually for the National Register of Historic Places.

The scene : Marty shows up in the middle of the night, disguised as Darth Vader, to terrify George and persuade him to ask Lorraine out.

1727 Bushnell Avenue (South Pasadena)

South Pasadena, United States

Craftsman from 1909, listed in the inventory of historical resources of South Pasadena as a contributor to the Wayne/Bushnell/Fletcher district (built from 1902 to 1933), which is itself designated at the local level.

The scene : Marty surprises George because he's in a tree, watching Lorraine behind the upstairs windows; it is in the street, in front of this tree, that he gets hit by a car while saving George.

9303 Roslyndale Avenue (Arleta)

Los Angeles, United States

Ordinary residential pavilion, located on a quiet street overlooking Sunburst Street, beneath a high voltage power line.

The scene : Marty returns from high school and finds the crashed car in front of the house: Biff Tannen, his father's superior, blames George McFly for lending it to him without warning that it had a blind spot. At the end of the film, Doc Brown brings Marty back there, and then the DeLorean takes off into the sky above the street with Marty and Jennifer on board — it's the final shot.

Burbank, United States

Municipal Recreation Center of the city of Burbank: a gymnasium, several meeting rooms, and classrooms. Two murals were painted there in 1976 by volunteers from the Betsy Lueke Creative Arts Center, at the request of the city's bicentennial committee, and have remained on the walls throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The murals on the stage wall and the opposite wall have since been covered with paint; the city launched a call to artists in 2021 for a new mural on the stage wall of the gymnasium.

The scene : Marty and his group, the Pinheads, are auditioning for the high school band competition in front of four judges, performing "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News. A judge cuts them off with a megaphone: too loud, "too darn loud."

Puente Hills Mall

City of Industry, United States

San Gabriel Valley Regional Shopping Center, opened in phases from February 1974 to spring 1975, after the completion of the Pomona Freeway. Cross-shaped plan on two levels, approximately 102,000 m² of leasable space, developed by The Hahn Company. The first anchor, The Broadway, opened on February 18, 1974, on three levels and 160,000 square feet; the center had about 150 stores in March 1975 and peaked at 155. After the departure of Toys 'R' Us in 2018, Sears in the same year, Forever 21 in 2020, Macy's in 2022, Burlington in 2024, 24 Hour Fitness in 2025, and Ross in January 2026, only two anchors remain operational, AMC Theatres and Round One.

The scene : The rendezvous is set for 1:15 AM on October 26, 1985, in the south parking lot. Doc reveals to Marty the time machine he has mounted on a DeLorean, powered by plutonium extracted from Libyan terrorists; Marty films the test with a camcorder while Doc explains the date keyboard to him. At 1:20, the car reaches 88 miles per hour, and the dog Einstein becomes the first time traveler, leaving behind only two trails of fire. Doc then dials November 5, 1955, the day he had the idea for the invention; the Libyans arrive, shoot Doc, and their Volkswagen van crashes into the Fox Photo stand set up in the parking lot. Marty flees at the wheel and inadvertently triggers the time travel. He returns running at the end of the film, witnesses the shooting again, and then Doc gets up: he was wearing a bulletproof vest. On the illuminated sign at the entrance, only a pine tree remains.

Robert R. Blacker House

Pasadena, United States

The Robert R. Blacker House is a residence in Pasadena, California, built in 1907 according to plans by architects Charles and Henry Greene of the Greene & Greene firm. Commissioned by lumber magnate Robert Roe Blacker and his wife Nellie, it is the first and largest of the 'ultimate bungalows', these explicit residences of the American Craftsman style designed by the two brothers between 1907 and 1909. Covering more than 1,100 square meters, the Greene brothers designed a total ensemble—from the building to the furniture, through the lighting fixtures, stained glass, and hardware—in the spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement. Taking advantage of its client's timber fortune, the house employs rare and precious woods such as teak, mahogany, or cedar. Today, it is regarded as one of the major works of Greene & Greene. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The scene : On November 5, 1955, Marty knocks on the front door and meets his friend thirty years younger. Doc is working on his brainwave analyzer and makes Marty his first human test subject — only his dog Copernicus had come before him. Marty eventually convinces him that he is from the future and asks for his help to get back.

Walt Disney's Golden Oak Ranch

Santa Clarita, United States

890-acre (360-hectare) movie ranch owned by Walt Disney Studios, operated as a filming location and backlot, on the edge of Placerita Canyon Road. Disney first leased the land in the 1950s for the segments "Adventures of Spin & Marty" of the Mickey Mouse Club, purchased 315 acres in 1959 for $300,000, and then expanded the total to 890 acres through the acquisition of adjacent parcels. The name recalls the first gold discovery in California, made on this land by Francisco Lopez prior to the gold rush. The site features a helipad, meadows, two streams, a waterfall, and several western sets. It is closed to the public.

The scene : Marty arrives from 1985 at 6 AM on November 5, 1955: the DeLorean strikes a scarecrow and then comes to a stop in the Peabody barn, waking up the entire family who comes out to see. The farmer's son, Sherman, recognizes in the car and the driver in a radiation suit the flying saucer and the alien from his comic Tales from Space; he shows the comic to his father, who fires his shotgun just as Marty exits the barn. Marty takes off, crushing one of the two pine trees the farmer was cultivating — only one remains — and a final shot shatters the mailbox.

Whittier High School

Whittier, United States

Public high school opened in 1900, initially housed on the second floor of the old Jonathan Bailey School, with 47 students. In 1905, a new building was inaugurated at the corner of Philadelphia and Lindley, the current location of the campus; it was then named Whittier Union High School. The influx of students led to the construction in 1923 of a girls' gymnasium, an administrative building, and an auditorium. The campus is in Art Deco style. Richard Nixon (class of 1930), the 37th president of the United States, and John Lasseter (class of 1975), co-founder of Pixar, were students here. The boys' gymnasium burned down in 1998; the Perry Gymnasium that replaced it opened in 2002.

The scene : In 1985, with all the clocks running 25 minutes late, Marty arrives late and tries to sneak in with the help of Jennifer, who is waiting for him at the door; Principal Strickland catches them both, gives them a tardy slip, and warns Marty about "that so-called Doctor Brown." In 1955, Doc brings Marty to see George and Lorraine, who are students there. The south façade, on Philadelphia Street, serves as the main entrance; the parking scenes — Marty parking the car, George flooring Biff — were shot in a grassy courtyard on the east side, visible from Whittier Avenue.