9 Places to Recreate Movie Magic in Pittsburgh

Christopher Cussat didn't have to move to Hollywood to work in show business. The Pittsburgh-based actor and writer has had amazing opportunities to work on major motion pictures in his hometown; films like Jack Reacher and The Next Three Days, which featured some of the most well-known actors and directors of Cussat’s generation, were filmed in the region.

“Pittsburgh’s modern and eclectic look, its diverse cultural heritage and the city's iconic history have made it an accessible, attractive and ideal movie location,” Cussat says.

In the past decade, the Pittsburgh Film Office has noted an increase in the amount of work in western Pennsylvania, primarily because of the successful film tax credit program offered by state. What makes Pittsburgh in particular an attractive place to shoot is that it can double for almost any city in the world.

“People love how Pittsburgh looks and that we’re able to resemble other places relatively easy, like New York, San Francisco, Paris and the Ukraine,” says Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office. “Within 15 minutes from our urban core, you can be in a rural farmland, which is nice if you want different looks for your projects. Pittsburgh’s also a great place because the people are so friendly and welcome you with open arms.”

Here are nine locations for Pittsburgh movies that you may recognize from the silver screen. Check them out the next time you visit the Steel City.

Downtown

The New York Times once referred to Pittsburgh as the only city in America with an entrance. As you exit the Fort Pitt Tunnel and enter downtown Pittsburgh, the city bursts into view—an experience replicated in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. (By the way, the Nickelodeon, the world’s first modern movie theater, was built here in 1905.)

Oakland

If you’re in the Oakland neighborhood, check out the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum, a local museum honoring Allegheny County war veterans. This was also the site of the famous cage scene in the Oscar-winning The Silence of the Lambs. Nearby, Carnegie Mellon University’s Kresge Theater served as the backdrop for the WordFest literary festival in Wonder Boys. A mile to the west, the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning was featured in The Mothman Prophecies, 42 and Wonder Boys. It’s home to 29 Nationality Rooms; each room represents different cultures during various eras.

North Shore

Crew members from The Dark Knight Rises take over Smithfield Street in downtown Pittsburgh. Photo credit: James Mahathey

In 2011, producers of The Dark Knight Rises assembled thousands of extras at Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, in the North Shore neighborhood for a game between the fictional Gotham Rogues and Rapid City Monuments. The North Shore is also where you’ll find PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, where a chase scene in the movie Abduction was filmed during an actual game between the Pirates and New York Mets. Tours of both parks are available.

Point Breeze

Sundance Film Festival award winner Me and Earl and the Dying Girl was filmed in the author-turned-screenwriter Jesse Andrew’s childhood home in Point Breeze; his parents still live there. While in the neighborhood, visit Clayton, the historic home of industrialist Henry Clay Frick, and dine at the lovely Café at the Frick. Also, check out the Frick’s free Car and Carriage Museum and Frick Art Museum.

West Mifflin

Go for a spin on the Musik Express ride at Kennywood Amusement Park, a location for the 2009 film Adventureland. Photo credit: kennywood.com, courtesy of Jayson Cassidy

Adventureland was mostly shot at Kennywood Amusement Park in West Mifflin. Kennywood’s Auto Race, a set of electric cars traveling through a wooden track built in the 1930s, is the last remaining ride of its kind in America. Be sure to check out the Jack Rabbit, one of the oldest operating coasters in the world, known for its double dip, which gives you some serious airtime. The last seat is the best!

Station Square

Climb the grand staircase into the Grand Concourse Restaurant, home to great seafood and frequent movie star visits. Photo credit: visitpittsburgh.com

Parts of Flashdance, Dogma, The Next Three Days and Love & Other Drugs were filmed at the Grand Concourse Restaurant, a 1920s grand train station. Waiters from the popular restaurant often serve as extras in films.

Hill District

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson grew up in this neighborhood, so it was only appropriate the critically acclaimed Fences, based on his stage play of the same name, was filmed there. Visitors can stop at the August Wilson House; it’s currently being renovated, but it’s expected to re-open in September 2019. The Historic Hill Institute leads customized tours of the neighborhood. A colorful mural at 2037 Centre Ave. shows scenes from Wilson’s plays.

Mount Washington

Take the Duquesne Incline and share the same view of the city as the cast from Flashdance.

This neighborhood is home to the Duquesne Incline, an inclined plane cable car railway where you get a spectacular view of the Pittsburgh skyline as you ride up and down the mountainside. Scenes from The Next Three Days and Flashdance were filmed on the incline.

Evans City

The original Night of the Living Dead was filmed near Evans City, 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, in 1967. Many of the scenes were shot at the Evans City Cemetery; Evans City is also where you’ll find the Living Dead Museum. The film premiered at the Fulton Theater in downtown Pittsburgh in October 1968; the theater would later be restored and renamed as the Byham Theater.

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