Escape from New York (1981)
- Documented locations
- 30
- Year
- 1981
- Directed by
- John Carpenter
- Cities
- New York, St. Louis, Los Angeles, St. Joseph, East St. Louis, Atlanta, Valencia, Pasadena, New York City, Tucson, Long Beach, San Fernando
New York, United States
The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center (1973-2001), in Lower Manhattan.
The scene : Snake Plissken lands his glider on the roof of one of the two towers, then descends into the building to reach the streets of Manhattan.
Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
St. Louis, United States
Former Route 66 bridge spanning the Mississippi between north St. Louis and Chouteau Island. Closed to traffic in 1970, it took decades and four million dollars in renovations to reopen it to pedestrians and cyclists.
The scene : Final obstacle of the escape: Snake must cross this mined bridge to bring the President from the prison island back to the mainland.
St. Louis, United States
The scene : Its façade acts as an old Broadway theater, one of the relics of Manhattan turned prison; the sign for Fox Theatre remains visible on screen.
St. Louis Union Station
St. Louis, United States
Station inaugurated in 1894, presented at its time as the largest in the world: its sheds covered 11.5 acres under a single roof. The last train left in 1978, and the building now houses shops, leisure activities, and a hotel. The Link Room is named after the station's architect, Theodore Link.
The scene : The Grand Hall becomes Madison Square Garden, where Snake is thrown into a death match against Slag. The train sheds and the Link Room, a former private dining room of the train station's restaurant, serve as the backdrop for the President's captivity.
North 21st Street & Locust Street (St. Louis)
St. Louis, United States
The scene : Air Force One crashes around this intersection. A few meters further down, on Locust Street heading towards 22nd Street, a blockade shuts off what is supposed to be Broadway.
Civil Courts Building (St. Louis)
St. Louis, United States
The scene : This courthouse is part of the sets of Brain's lair.
St. Louis, United States
The scene : The dark streets of downtown St. Louis resemble those of Manhattan surrendered to the inmates.
Sepulveda Dam (Encino)
Los Angeles, United States
Flood control dam of the Los Angeles River, completed in 1941 in the San Fernando Valley, a recurring backdrop of Hollywood productions.
The scene : The futuristic concrete forms of the dam host the sequences of the air traffic control center that monitors the prison island.
St. Joseph, United States
The scene : St. Joseph is one of the cities in Missouri where the team filmed.
East St. Louis, United States
The scene : East St. Louis, on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, is one of the filming locations for the movie.
Ashby Station (MARTA)
Atlanta, United States
The scene : Removed from the final cut, the heist prologue went through this Atlanta station, disguised as a Colorado subway; several stops were filmed on the blue line.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Concourse A)
Atlanta, United States
The scene : Deleted scene: Terminal A of the airport serves as a Colorado terminal in the prologue of the bank heist that was supposed to open the film.
Valencia, United States
Former filming location of 200 acres north of Six Flags Magic Mountain, highly sought after by cinema and television until its closure in 1990. The Rocketeer would be the last film to be shot there.
The scene : This is where Snake takes off: the glider shots were made on this field, just like his arrival on a replica of the top of the Twin Towers and the Chock Full O'Nuts shop.
Los Angeles, United States
Art Deco hall opened in 1931, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and classified as a historic-cultural monument of Los Angeles. Heavily renovated, it has become a renowned concert venue. It appears in Lethal Weapon, Streets of Fire, and La Bamba, and its lobby serves as the Earle Hotel in Barton Fink.
The scene : The theater lends its interiors to three scenes: the graffiti-covered corridors that Snake traverses while descending from the World Trade Center, the room where the taxi driver sings during a revue, and the shabby basement where the President's bracelet is found.
Los Angeles, United States
The scene : The final scenes of the film were shot in Sherman Oaks, in the San Fernando Valley.
Pasadena, United States
Private nonprofit institution for artistic education, founded in 1930.
The scene : At the beginning of the film, Snake is escorted down a dreary prison hallway before his briefing; these hallways are those of the school.
Valencia, United States
The scene : In the main hall of the school, Snake tries to start the Datsun when a man from the Duke bursts out of the engine compartment.
Doheny Memorial Library (USC)
Los Angeles, United States
Monumental Library of the University of Southern California (USC), inaugurated in 1932. It was designed by Ralph Adams Cram and Samuel Eugene Lunden in a Neo-Renaissance style and is designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
The scene : The lower entrance of the library serves as the hall of the New York Public Library, where Brain has settled.
New York City, United States
An iconic monument gifted by France to the United States in 1886, located on Liberty Island at the entrance to New York Harbor. Designed by French architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and holds World Heritage status.
The scene : A panoramic shot shows the statue on its island, the seat of security in the film, just before entering the control center.
Tucson, United States
The scene : Cut scenes from the edit: the airplane graveyard at the base and the overflight of Leningrad by the Gullfire glider.
New Masonic Temple (St. Louis)
St. Louis, United States
Masonic temple completed in 1926 on Lindell Boulevard. Harry S. Truman had an office there when he was a senator, and Charles Lindbergh is said to have been initiated there before his flight across the Atlantic. The building has since been converted into housing.
The scene : Its classic façade serves as the exterior of the New York Public Library, which Brain has made his headquarters.
St. Louis, United States
The scene : Snake takes refuge in a bar at this intersection. The decor, or the building, has disappeared since.
St. Louis, United States
The scene : The helicopter lands on this stretch of St. Charles Street, where the President's rescue capsule has crashed.
St. Louis, United States
The scene : The wreck of Air Force One or the helicopter landing in Manhattan: both scenes have been linked to this downtown intersection.
St. Louis, United States
The scene : The alley next to the library, in the film, was shot in this section.
St. Louis, United States
The scene : At this address, the crew filmed a scene supposed to take place under the Queensboro Bridge.
Los Angeles, United States
The scene : The shelves of this philosophy library furnish the interior of Brain's lair, where an oil pump is visible.
Century Plaza Towers
Los Angeles, United States
Twin office towers of Century City, built on the former grounds of the 20th Century Fox studios.
The scene : The foot of the Twin Towers of Century City serves as the entrance to the World Trade Center, where the taxi driver comes to pick up the business group.
Long Beach, United States
Port city in the southern part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
The scene : The opening sequence, where a raft of fugitives is destroyed, was filmed on the coast of Long Beach rather than on the East River.
San Fernando, United States
The scene : The helicopter flyover of what is supposed to be Central Park was filmed in San Fernando.