Back to the Future Part III (1990)

China Flat (Oak Park)

Oak Park, United States

Plateau of the north-central Simi Hills, in Ventura County, at an altitude of 610 m, just below Simi Peak, the highest point of the massif. Native oak and chaparral, with large outcrops of sandstone. The land is protected within Cheeseboro Canyon / Palo Comado Canyon Park, in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, between Oak Park, Thousand Oaks, and Simi Valley. It is accessible by trail: approximately 40 minutes of ascent from the end of King James Court.

The scene : In 1955, Doc and Marty blast open the walled-up entrance of the gallery with dynamite. While Doc pulls the DeLorean out, Copernicus does not come when called; Marty finds him in the nearby cemetery and stumbles upon Doc's grave, "shot in the back by Buford Tannen over an affair of 80 dollars."

Oxnard, United States

The scene : Marty and Jennifer drive there in a pickup truck and stop at a red light: from there, they see the entrance to the subdivision where they will later live. Needles challenges Marty to a race and nearly gets hit by a Rolls Royce coming out of Coronado Place. Marty refuses, thereby avoiding the accident that Doc had warned him about.

United States

A set of sandstone buttes from the Colorado Plateau, the highest of which rise 300 meters above the valley floor, located on the Arizona-Utah state line. The site is within the Navajo reservation, and the Navajo Nation holds it sacred. John Ford filmed several westerns there, including Stagecoach (1939), Heroic Charge (1949), and The Searchers (1956); over a hundred films have been shot there.

The scene : Doc sends Marty back to 1885 from the Pohatchee drive-in; Doc and Marty also conduct the test intended to reach 88 miles per hour.

Jamestown, United States

A tourist railway and part of the California state parks system, the park preserves the historical core of the Sierra Railway of California; its shops are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Sierra Railway Shops Historic District, and the roundhouse dates back to 1910. It still operates an excursion train from Jamestown to Oakdale and displays the steam locomotive Sierra No. 3. Nicknamed "The Movie Railroad", the site has served over two hundred films, series, and advertisements since 1929, including the filming of High Noon, 3:10 to Yuma (1957), and The Great Race.

The scene : Doc and Marty board it through the back van, then launch the steam locomotive behind the DeLorean to push it onto the siding at 88 miles per hour.

Red Hills Ranch (Sonora)

Sonora, United States

Former filming ranch used for Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie, and The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. The outdoor sets built for Back to the Future Part III, reused in Bad Girls (1994), burned down on August 10, 1996, in a brush fire ignited by lightning; the site no longer accommodates film shoots. The land falls under a BLM designated Area of Critical Environmental Concern, open to the public; Ed Moyle's landing strip remains private property.

The scene : The day after his arrival in 1885, Marty enters town under the alias Clint Eastwood, encounters Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen and his gang, and Doc saves him from the hanging that Tannen has prepared for him.

Port Hueneme, United States

Level crossing on a line currently out of service. The same crossing and the section of track filmed appear in the final chase of "No Way Out," the ninth episode of the first season of The Equalizer.

The scene : Marty arrives in 1885, and the car comes to a stop on the tracks, signals activated, facing a convoy pulled by two diesel locomotives; he jumps in time, the machine crashes into the DeLorean and scatters its debris across the rails. Returning to the spot with Jennifer, he sees the signals start ringing again and Doc's steam train materialize, with Clara and their children on board.

Universal Stage 12

Universal City, United States

Soundstage of the front lot of Universal Studios, in Universal City, built in 1928 and bearing building number 468. It measured 199 feet long by 146 feet wide and 49 feet high, covering approximately 29,000 square feet on the ground, and water tanks were installed beneath its concrete floor. Once nicknamed the "Back to the Future stage," it was demolished in January 2020, along with the surrounding production offices.

The scene : Doc and Marty descend the well; along the way, Doc recounts that the tunnel reminds him of Journey to the Center of the Earth, the book that made him decide to become a scientist. At the bottom, behind a wall marked with his initials, the DeLorean has been waiting under a tarp for seventy years. Some shots of the 1885 cave are also filmed there: Marty parks the car, and the black bear that lives there chases him off, leaving behind his boots.

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 : On November 12, 1955, just moments after seeing Doc's DeLorean disappear, Marty runs in and joins the Doc of that year, who has just sent the other Marty back to the future.

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 : Marty returns with Doc from 1955, after receiving the letter sent from the past.

9479 Sandusky Avenue (Arleta, Los Angeles)

Los Angeles, United States

The scene : Back in 1985, Marty runs through the entrance of the housing development and then continues towards the family home.

161 North Magnolia Avenue (Monrovia)

Monrovia, United States

House built in 1905, with an area of 2,659 square feet (approximately 247 m²).

The scene : Back in 1985, Marty comes to wake up Jennifer, who is still asleep on the porch where Doc and he had left her. She wakes up recounting a nightmare about their future — Marty being sent away, a neighborhood named Hilldale where they will live one day — and then asks if it was just a dream.

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 : Back in 1985, Marty returns still dressed as a cowboy: he is not recognized, they thought he had gone to the lake, and they ask him if he thinks he is Clint Eastwood. The car is getting its second coat of wax, the family is getting impatient for a brunch reservation that won't last the day, and Marty immediately leaves to look for Jennifer.