Multimedia - Shooting Locations - Escape From New York
Introduction: I want to thank SD Bob (Art), Erik Markarian, CreedsGalBirdy and Bankok Rules (Stephen Manley) for making this page possible. Their trip to St. Louis, Missouri 5/30 - 5/31, 2008 and information inspired me to do this page. I also want to thank Producer Debra Hill, Production Designer Joe Alves, Director John Carpenter and Kurt Russell for their info on the provided commentaries on some of the EFNY DVDs. I also want to thank Sabino86 and Tom Higginson. Also worth mentioning: Most of the location pics are very recent pictures and the shooting cities are separated into shooting order.
Note: Scenes not mentioned or shown here were either shot on a sound or special effect stage. I believe most FX shoots (featuring miniature models and matte paintings etc) were made at Roger Corman's New World Pictures/Venice effects facility. I also believe that the Air Force One interiors were made at the Culver Studios (9336 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 9023). Many interior vehicles scenes (Cabbie taking Snake to the NY Public Library for instance) were also shot on a soundstage, most likely at the Culver Studios.
If you have something more to contribute, doesn't want me to have a photo of yours here or want to be credited for a photo: Please let me know
1980
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Atlanta, Georgia
1: Atlanta Hummer Station Corridor (Part of the deleted opening sequence) (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, People Mover, Concourse A, Atlanta, GA) (Street View)
Trivia: The camera dolly broke down during this scene so John Carpenter had to use a sound cart for the camera. This was also on the first day of shooting.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
6000 North Terminal Parkway Suite 4000, Atlanta, GA 30320
http://www.atlanta-airport.com
>
1980 - Now
Ashby Marta Station 2: Atlanta Hummer Station/Meeting with Bill Taylor (Part of the deleted opening sequence) (Ashby Marta Station, West Line #3, Atlanta, GA) (Atlanta's MARTA System) (Street View)
Description: The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (Marta) operates the subway and bus system in the City of Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb counties. The rail system currently has 36 stations with 46 route miles. MARTA carries about 250,000 rail passengers on weekdays.
Ashby Marta Station
65 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd
Atlanta, GA 30314
http://www.itsmarta.com/getthere/stations/ashby.htm
>
1980 - Now (I believe this is the place)
Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center Station 3: San Francisco Hummer Station (Part of the deleted opening sequence) (Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center Station, Atlanta, GA) (Atlanta's MARTA System) (Former Omni MARTA Station) (Street View)
Comment (Art): "The train sequence was shot on Atlanta's MARTA system, basically right after MARTA completed it and before the public started using it. It was shot entirely at the W1 train station, Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center Station."
Comment (Sabino86): "This scene was partially filmed on an actual MARTA train (original Franco-Belge 1979 rolling stock with padded seats)."
Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center Station
100 Techwood Drive, NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
http://www.itsmarta.com/getthere/stations/dome.htm
St. Louis, Missouri
Trivia: St. Louis was chosen because entire neighborhoods had been burned out in 1976 during a massive urban fire. Across the Mississippi River from the more prosperous St. Louis, Missouri, East St. Louis was filled with old buildings that looked seedy and run-down. The city's architecture was also similar to that of a major east coast city. It was Barry Bernardi (Location Manager) who found this city on a paid vacation to find the worst city in the United States. • The city of St. Louis was very helpful and allowed the production to shut down all the electricity in this part of the town and do whatever was needed. • John Carpenter sprayed the streets with water to create the required look of the city. • The production design department would get their props by taking several dump trucks to the local garbage landfill sites and filling them up with junk like broken refrigerators and car shells. • Every night teams would move in with bulldozers, piling up mountains of garbage and old cars ready for the rigorous night shooting. Just before dawn the same teams returned to clear the streets ready for the morning rush-hour traffic. All the debris, garbage and ruined cars were carefully stored in a local junkyard to await the next night's shooting. • There was still a big mess on the streets when shooting was over and the studio was billed a pretty penny to have it cleaned up. • The entire crew was plagued by persistent mosquitoes during a very hot and sticky St. Louis summer. • John Carpenter read the script for The Thing while shooting the movie in St. Louis.
>
1980 - Now1: Chopper Landing Site (Saint Charles St, St. Louis, MO) (Street View)
Trivia: Many in the first attempt to rescue the President scenes in St. Louis were actually from St. Louis National Guard. This sequence started out with 30 men pouring out of the choppers and into the streets, but ended with only 15 tired Guardsmen left due to heat exhaustions, a broken angle and a dislocated shoulder etc. You could hardly see through the helmets.
Saint Charles St. between the intersections of 16th and 17th streets
St. Louis, MO
>
1980 - NowTo the Pod (Street View)
>
1980 - NowPod Crash Site/Romero meets Hauk (Street View)
Comment (Erik Markarian): "Where the pod actually crashed, in the movie it is an extension to an existing building to make it look like a hole was made in the wall. It would be where the wooden fence partition is in my pictures. Nowadays from what I could see, that section is actually the front of a tenement-type of building and the fenced-off portion in my pictures is a child's play area with a few toys and things in there."
Trivia: The scene where Snake decides to sit on a chair was improvised on the spot.
1980
(Street
View)The Crazies Comes Out
2: To the Pod/Pod Crash Site/Romero Meets Hauk/The Crazies Comes Out (Saint Charles St, St. Louis, MO)
Description: Has no Chock Full O' Nuts. The building across the pod crash site has been demolished. The building that Snake backs up from the crazies from (white brick lower wall) is now a parking lot.
Trivia: The manholes used in the scene crazies comes out were actual manholes. The covers were made of wood though.
Saint Charles St. between the intersections of 17th and 18th streets
St. Louis, MO
1980Snake's Walk to the Plane Crash (Street View)
Description: In this part Snake (Kurt Russell) walks by the Swift Printing Company building in downtown St Louis. It was abandoned since Swift's move out in 1969. The building was renovated in 1991, and is now the home of the St. Louis Brewing Company - the makers of the Schlafly brand of beers.
>
1980 - NowPlane Crash Site (Street View)
1980To the 69th Street Bridge (Street View)
3: Snake's Walk to the Plane Crash/Plane Crash Site/To the 69th Street Bridge (Locust St, St. Louis, MO)
Trivia: The President's downed plane was an old DC-8 bought from a guy in St. Louis. Joe Alves (Production Designer) and his assistant art director Chris Horner was first at an airplane graveyard in Tucson, Arizona scouting for parts when the guy there told them about this plane for sale for $8000 in St. Louis. The plane was carved up into 3 separate pieces and trucked into the film's St Louis locations in the dead of night as they didn't have the requisite paperwork. A security guard had to be brought in to guard the plane for eight hours. The next day the St. Louis news paper had a picture of the sight along with eye witnesses telling them having seen it crash which was false of course. Joe Alves also had trouble putting the fires out on this set.
Schlafly Tap Room
2100 Locust St
St. Louis, MO 63103
www.schlafly.com
>
1980 - Now
>
1980 - Now4: Snake enters the Theater (Fox Theater, St. Louis, MO) (Street View)
Description: "No longer need residents of St. Louis look beyond their own city for the finest entertainment." This statement was coined by the William Fox Circuit of Theatres in 1929 for the opening of their newest, most exotic temple of amusement, and it still holds true! It was originally opened as a movie theater and the theater was restored to its original glory in 1981.
Fox Theater
527 N. Grand Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63103
http://www.fabulousfox.com/
>
1980 - Now (Street
View)
>
1980 - Now (Street
View)5: Snake's Alley Reverse/Snake's Alley Front (Locust St, St. Louis, MO)
Locust St. between 21st and 22nd streets
St Louis, MO
19806: Cabbie Driving Snake (St. Louis, MO) (Unknown Location)
Comment (Andreas): "This scene was probably shot where the unknown To the 69th Street Bridge scenes were shot." (Nr: 13)
1980 (Street
View)7: Cabbie's parking spot/Hiding from the Duke/Snake hijacks a car (Lucas Avenue/West 16 St, Warehouse District (Ex Meat Packaging Area), St. Louis, MO)
Description: The Washington Avenue Historic District is located in Downtown West, St. Louis, Missouri along Washington Avenue, and bounded by Delmar Boulevard to the north, Locust Street to the south, 8th Street on the east, and 18th Street on the west. The buildings date from the late 19th century to the early 1920s and exhibit a variety of popular architectural styles. The majority of the district's buildings are revival styles or of the Chicago School of architecture. Most buildings originally served as warehouses for the St. Louis garment district and are large multi-story buildings of brick and stone construction. Many have terra cotta accents on their facades. After World War II, the decline in domestic garment production and the preference for single-story industrial space led to many of the buildings being vacant or underused due to functional obsolescence.
The area began to experience some redevelopment in the 1990s. In 1998, the state of Missouri adopted a tax credit for the redevelopment of historic buildings, making large-scale renovation financially feasible. Local and national developers have acquired many buildings along Washington Avenue and in other parts of downtown. The buildings are being redeveloped with loft-style condominiums and apartments.
Comment (Stephen Manley): "Car was parked at N.W. corner of Washington and 16th. You can see the lot where the choppers descended in the B.G. There was a tighter variation of this shot as the Dukes caravan was headed to the train station. Same backgrounds (Scene: 12). This street now has a restaurant on the left side of it. The loading dock that Snake, Maggie and Brain hide behind, I believe has been demolished for the restaurant."
Comment (Andreas): "The building seen in the background has been partly demolished and turned into a parking lot."
Warehouse District (Ex Meat Packaging Area)
Lucas Avenue/West 16 St
St. Louis, MO
8: The Duke arrives at the NY Public Library (Lucas Avenue, St. Louis, MO) (Street View)
Warehouse District (Ex Meat Packaging Area)
Lucas Avenue 16 St.
St. Louis, MO
>
1980 - Now
>
1980- Now
St. Louis New Masonic Temple9: NY Public Library (Exteriors) (The New Masonic Temple of St. Louis, St. Louis, MO) (Street View)
Description: The New Masonic Temple is a historic building in St. Louis, Missouri built in 1926. Like many other buildings built for Freemason meeting places, it shows Classical Revival architecture. It is located at 3681 Lindell Boulevard, across the street from Saint Louis University.
New Masonic Temple of St. Louis
3681 Lindell Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63108
http://www.newtemple.blogspot.com/
198010: To Broadway (St. Louis. MO) (Unknown Location)
Comment (Andreas) "This scene might have been shot at Saint Charles St. between the intersections of 16th and 17th streets where the USPF chopper's landed. It looks like it could've been shot there."
1980 (Street
View)
1980 (Street
View)
1980 (Street
View)
1980 (Street
View)
1980 (Street
View)11: Broadway (Locust St. St. Louis)
Comment (Amdreas): "The building on the right side in picture 3 has been demolished. "
Locust St. between 21st and 22nd streets
St Louis, MO
198012: Duke's Caravan to the Grand Central Station - Rear Entrance (Washington Avenue, St. Louis, MO) (Street View)
Washington Avenue/West 16 St. (Cars were at Saint Charles 16 St.)
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis Union Station 13: Grand Central Station: Rear Entrance/Duke target practicing at the President/Snake in captivity/Brain and Maggie frees the President/Snake fighting Slag/Snake running out from the Grand Central Station (St. Louis Union Station, St. Louis, MO) (Street View)
Description: From its magnificent 65-foot, barrel-vaulted ceiling in the Grand Hall to its Victorian-engineered train shed totaling more than 11 acres, St. Louis Union Station remains one of our nation's true architectural "gems." Built at a cost of $6.5 million in the 1890s St. Louis Union Station was designed by German-born architect Theodore C. Link of St. Louis who won the prized project in a nationwide contest. In the early 1980s , the Station underwent a $150 million restoration. St. Louis Union Station consists of three main areas: The Head house, Midway and Train Shed.
Trivia: Many sources mentions Madison Square Garden as being the Duke's place. The correct building is in fact Grand Central Station. It is mentioned in the script, Novel and Debra Hill clarifies this in the commentary.
>
1980 - Now (Somewhere around this area) 
St. Louis Union Station Hard Rock Cafe Entrance (Street
View) Grand Central Station - Rear Entrance (Old St. Louis Union Station Train Station (The Train Shed)
Description: The Train Shed, 11.5 acres of sweeping arches, was the largest single-span train shed ever constructed. It once covered the greatest number of train tracks (32) than any other station in the nation. Measuring 606 feet wide by 810 feet long, the Victorian-engineered shed soars to 140 feet with its massive space divided by five structural bays. The Shed currently houses retail and restaurant facilities, a portion of the Marriott Hotel, the lake, event and parking areas.
Comment (Erik Markarian): "The location of the train where Snake is captured is behind Union Station. That whole area is now a parking lot. The overhead structure of the train shed is still there and covers about half of the lot, as well as the mall that is now attached to Union Station. It's hard to say for certain exactly where the train itself was actually parked, since we don't know how much new construction was added and may have overlapped. Anyways I'm presuming it would have been on the left hand side if you were facing out of the mall. There is actually a single restored train car parked over on the right side but it looks like it's just there as a sort of historical type attraction. There is also a fountain-type thing and a Hard Rock Cafe over there too."
Trivia: This train station was abandoned and not used at the time.
>
1980 - Now
>
1980
- NowThe Duke target practicing at the President (Old St. Louis Union Station Gathering Space (The Midway between Union Station and the Marriott Hotel, Stairway West Hall)
Description: The Second main area, The Midway, once serviced more than 100,000 rail passengers a day. The 610-foot-long and 70-foot-wide concourse was connected to the massive Train Shed, where passengers lined up to board trains through one of 32 boarding gates. The Midway was constructed with a light steel trussed roof of glass and iron. Today it serves as a passageway filled with an array of shops and restaurants.
Comment (Andreas): "This hall was filled with shops etc until 2009 when the Marriott acquired it. Now it's an empty hall waiting for the Marriott to proceed with their plans."
Comment (Andreas): "The area where the Duke target practicing at the President has been demolished and turned into a St. Louis Union Station entrance."
>
1980 - NowSnake in captivity/Brain and Maggie frees the President (St. Louis Union Station former Harvey House Restaurant area (The Station Grille)
Description: Station Grill, the original Harvey House restaurant, continues to display the original architecture and style of the restaurant from days gone by. The main restaurant of Union Station, Station Grille is known for their sumptuous steaks and Italian flair, and offers three meals a day. The ambiance of the dining room is relaxing and intimate.
Comment (Stephen Manley): "Yes, The Station Grille Restaurant is the area. You can tell by the octagonal columns. The "Presidential Room" is right there also. Where they had Donald Pleasance tied up with the wig on. It is a small room. Of course the hallway leads down to the "arena"
>
1980 - Now
>
1980 - Now
>
1980 - Now
>
1980 - Now Snake fighting Slag (St. Louis Union Station Grand Hall (Marriott Hotel's Grand Lobby (Ex Hyatt Regency)
>
1980 - Now (Street
View)Snake running out from the Grand Central Station (Marriott Hotel Entrance (Ex Hyatt Regency) (Deleted Scene)
Description: The Head house: The architecture of St. Louis Union Station is an eclectic mix of Romanesque styles. The Station's interior and exterior details are a combination of both Richardsonian Romanesque tradition and French Romanesque or Norman style. In fact, Link modeled the grandiose Station after Carcassone, a walled, medieval city in southern France. These designs are most evident when entering the Station's Headhouse and the impressive Grand Hall, with its sweeping archways, fresco and gold leaf detailing, scagliola surfaces, mosaics and art glass windows. One can imagine the incredible impression the room created in 1894 on opening day. Today, the Grand Hall continues to awe visitors as the Marriott Hotel's lobby and lounge area. A most impressive feature of the Grand Hall is the "Allegorical Window," a hand-made stained glass window with hand-cut Tiffany glass strategically positioned above the Station's main entryway. The window features three women representing the main U.S. train stations during the 1890s -- New York, St. Louis and San Francisco.
Comment (Andreas): "The fight scene in the boxing ring was filmed in the abandoned grand hall of St. Louis Union Station several years before the building's renovation. While the hall was extremely dilapidated, viewers can make out the stained glass window representing New York, St. Louis, and San Francisco in the background. This window is still above the front entry into the grand hall from Market Street."
Trivia: Ox Baker (Slag) struck Kurt Russell very heavily with some of his blows during the boxing ring fight scene. Russell had finally had enough and asked Baker to take it easy, tapping him in the groin to let him know he was serious. Baker then calmed down. It was the hardest scene in the film to do according to Kurt Russell and it took a whole day to shoot. The two stuntmen who were coordinating the actors moves ended up with injuries - one with a lump on his forehead as big as a baseball (Dick Warlock).
St. Louis Union Station/Marriott Hotel (Ex Hyatt Regency)
1820 Market Street
St. Louis, MO 63103
http://www.stlouisunionstation.com/
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/stlus-st-louis-union-station-marriott/
1980
1980 (Deleted Scene)14: To the 69th Street Bridge (St. Louis, MO) (Unknown Locations)
Comment (Andreas): "John Carpenter says they shot these scenes (at least the bridge sequence) near downtown St. Louis somewhere."
>
1980 - Now (Illinois Side)
>
1980 - Now (Missouri Side) (Street
View)
Old Chain Of Rocks Bridge15: 69th Street Bridge (The 59th St. (Ed Koch Queensboro) Bridge) (Old Chain Of Rocks Bridge, St. Louis. MO) (Street View)
Description: The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge spans the Mississippi River on the north edge of St. Louis, Missouri. The eastern end of the bridge is on Chouteau Island, (part of Madison, Illinois), while the western end is on the Missouri shoreline. It was the most famous of the Route 66 crossings of the Mississippi River. It was deemed as unsafe for daily heavy traffic and closed in 1970. For nearly three decades the fate of the bridge was uncertain. During this time, the bridge developed a reputation for crime and violence, including the April 1991 murder of sisters Julie and Robin Kerry. In 1998, the bridge was leased to Trailnet, a local trails group, to operate. Four and a half million dollars have been spent on renovating the bridge for pedestrian and cycling use. The blue side fencing was added to the bridge for safety when the bridge became a pedestrian bridge. It's also famous for its 22 degree bend in the middle of the bridge. Both entrances has also been painted green very recently.
Trivia: John Carpenter purchased the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge in St Louis for $1 from the government (or more specific the US Army Corps of Engineers) and then returned it to them for the same amount after filming was completed. • The buildings on the sides of the 69th Street Bridge entrance were built by the film crew. • The wall at the bridge took one month to construct and the scenes at the bridge took four days to shoot. • The 69th Street Bridge was invented by John Carpenter since they couldn't stop the ten-lane, double-decker traffic of the George Washington Bridge and couldn't afford to rebuild it somewhere else. The 69th Street Bridge was built somewhere between 1980 and 1997 and Debra Hill suggested calling it the Richard N. Nixon Memorial, or even the John B. Anderson Memorial, but that was before the election. In a later interview he claimed naming it the 69th Street Bridge was a cheap adolescent joke. In a more recent interview John Carpenter claims he didn't know New York that well and that it was meant to be the The 59th St. (Ed Koch Queensboro) Bridge.
Old Chain Of Rocks Bridge
(Missouri side)
St. Louis, MO
- from downtown take I-70 North to Exit 247 onto East Grand Ave
- go left onto Hall St.
- Hall St. becomes Riverview Dr.
- bridge is on the right before the exit to Rt. 270
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_of_Rocks_Bridge
1980Los Angeles, CA
1: Snake robs the Bank of the United States Colorado Federal Reserve (Part of the deleted opening sequence) (Down Town Los Angeles, CA) (Unknown Location)
19802: Helicopter searching for the escape raft and blowing it up (Long Beach, Los Angeles, CA)
1980 - Now
Sepulveda
Dam Flood Control Basin3: Liberty Island Security Control/Central Park (Exteriors/Also in Liberty Island, NY) (Sepulveda Dam Flood Control Basin, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, CA) (Street View)
Description: Sepulveda Dam Flood Control Basin is located in Los Angeles, California. The Sepulveda Dam is a project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, built in 1941 to control winter flood waters along the Los Angeles River. Due to its neomodern look and proximity to Hollywood, California and Burbank, the dam is a popular filming location for movies, television and advertisements. Not far from the dam, the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Area has been set aside by The City of Los Angeles to protect native plants and animals. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded in the basin.
Trivia: The wall Joe Alves built was a 33-feet-high, 200-feet-long monolith which took over a month to build. • The Central Park scenes were shot on a field on the other side of the Sepulveda Dam Flood Control Basin. • The buildings in back in picture 5 (Central Park) were painted by future director James Cameron on a piece of glass.
Sepulveda Dam Flood Control Basin
North West junction of the 101 Hollywood/Ventura Fwy and the 405 San Diego Fwy
San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, CA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepulveda_Dam
Art Center College of Design
4: Liberty Island Security Control (Interiors) (Art Center College of Design, Photo Dept. areas, Pasadena, Los Angeles, CA) (Street View)
Description: Art Center College of Design has been a leader in art and design education for nearly 75 years. The College offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines, as well as Public Programs offering design education to all ages and levels of experience.
Snake Enters: North
Photo Stairs/Still there
Photo Locker Areas/Still there
Radar Communications: Room 119/Still there but enlarged 
Command Ctr.
Board Room: Photo Stage/Still there
Hauk's Office: Room 215/Demolished for expansion
Hauk Gives Snake Tracker: Lower Photo Corridor/Still there
Medical Lab: Black and White Lab/Still there Art Center College of Design
1700 Lida Street
Pasadena, Los Angeles, CA 91103
http://www.artcenter.edu
Indian Dunes (Photo By Tom Higginson)5: Snake on the move on the roof of the Bank of the United States Colorado Federal Reserve in the desert/Snake entering the glider and taking off/WTC Roof Top/Chock full o' Nuts (Exteriors and Interiors) (Indian Dunes, Valencia, Los Angeles, CA) (Street View)
Description (Indian Dunes): Was used for motorcycle dirt biking between 1970-1985. Many movies were also shot here. It featured two motocross tracks, one called the International the other ShadowGlens. There was also a flat track and a mini bike track. The very first World Mini Bike Grand Prix was held at the Dunes.
Description (Indian Dunes Airfield): Opened sometime in the '60s. It was used to film numerous aviation-related scenes for television shows and movies. Some of these include: The Black Sheep Squadron, Escape From New York, China Beach, and others. The last scenes to be filmed here were those from The Rocketeer in 1989. The field closed sometime thereafter. The tragic Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) helicopter crash which killed the pilot and two child actors aboard occurred in nearby Indian Dunes Park. The field is now owned by a development company (Newhall Land & Farming Company) and is slated to become homes.
1980Snake on the move on the roof of the Bank of the United States Colorado Federal Reserve in the desert (Part of the deleted opening sequence) (Locations, pictures and info: Prop Sets at the Dunes By Tom Higginson)
1980Snake entering the glider and taking off (Interiors were made on a sound stage) (Locations, pictures and info: Prop Sets at the Dunes (pdf) By Tom Higginson)
Trivia: Bill Bartell was the pilot in the glider sequence. He sold the glider to the production company and then flew it. The glider used had the designation N2927B and was a Romanian-made IS28-B2. During the WTC roof top landing scene it bumped and smashed against the edge so it took two years to get it sold by Debra Hill. In the meanwhile she leased it to a school that teached gliding.
Comment (Tom Higginson): "The glider actually landed on a square patch of asphalt that was built in the center of the large hardball oval track just a few dozen feet south of the runway; he didn’t actually land on the runway. Also, Bartell nailed the landing in one take."
Comment (Stephen Manley): "The runway used when Snake is entering the glider and taking off was also used in the 1980 film The Stunt Man with Peter O'Toole. The same runway shot from the same angle a year before can be seen in the "wing walking" scene during the daylight: desert hills and all."
1980WTC Roof Top (Locations, pictures and info: Prop Sets at the Dunes (pdf) By Tom Higginson)
Trivia: Debra Hill first hired a helicopter to scout for a suitable roof top in San Fernando Valley to land on, but it was deemed too dangerous because of the lack of light required for the scene.
Trivia: When Kurt was to work on the wiring to open the elevator on the roof of the World Trade Center the elevator control box exploded from the wall and burned Kurt's hands a little bit. He was a bit shaken afterwards but told them to use the take for its element of surprise.
>
1980 - 1985 (Airwolf episode "Dambreakers")
Chock full o'Nuts (Lexington and 43rd Street) (Exteriors and Interiors) (Locations, pictures and info: Prop Sets at the Dunes (pdf) By Tom Higginson)
Comment (Tom Higginson): The “Chock full o’Nuts” set remained standing at Indian Dunes well into the 1980s and the balcony Snake climbs up into and kicks in the window to get in can be seen in the background in this shot from the 1985 Airwolf episode Dambreakers.
Comment (Andreas): "Snake (Kurt) is back in St. Louis when he gets over the alley wall outside Chock full o' Nuts." (See: St. Louis, Missouri - Snake's Alley)
Trivia: The Chock full o' Nuts set was actually a half set.
Indian Dunes & Ex Indian Dunes Airfield
California 126 Highway, Henry Mayo Dr, Seasoned Road/Wolcott Way
Valencia, Los Angeles, CA
http://www.elrodracing.com/legendarytracks indiandunes.aspx
http://members.tripod.com/airfields_freeman/CA/Airfields_CA_SanFernan.htm
1980
The Mercury Building6: Deserted Floors of the WTC (The Mercury Building (Ex Getty Oil Building), Los Angeles, CA) (Street View)
Description: The former Wilshire at Western Building was the home of the Getty Oil Company. It was a 23 stories tall derelict office building for many years and it always had "for lease" signs on it. It went vacant in the mid 90s. Then a condo conversion project transformed the building in 2005-2006.
Comment (Andreas): "John Carpenter says that the deserted floors of the WTC scenes were shot on the second floor of the Wiltern Theater, but Debra Hill and Joe Alves believes it was shot in CalArts. However, Stephen Manley can confirm that it was in fact the Mercury Building (Ex Getty Oil Building) they used. He also says that the Wiltern has no floor like that. Debra Hill described this building as a raggedy office building across the street from the Wiltern Theater. She also believed that the WTC Lobby scenes were shot here, but those were shot in CalArts. Stephen Manley was in this building for a location scout on a project and could easily confirm these spots."
The Mercury Building (Ex Getty Oil Building)
3810 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(Deleted Scene)
>
1980 - Now
CalArts, California Institute of the Arts7: WTC Lobby (CalArts, California Institute of the Arts, Main Gallery, Valencia, Los Angeles, CA) (Street View)
Description: CalArts is the first U.S. higher educational institution to offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in both visual and performing arts. It was established in 1961 by Walt and Roy Disney through the merger of two professional schools, the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, founded in 1883, and the Chouinard Art Institute, founded in 1921. CalArts moved to its permanent home in Valencia in 1971 and added degree programs in dance, film and theater to those in art and music.
Comment (Andreas): "Both John Carpenter and Joe Alves have said they shoot these scenes in CalArts, although Debra Hill believes it was shoot in a raggedy office building across the street from the Wiltern Theater on the S.W. corner of Wilshire and Western (The Mercury Building). Kim Gottlieb-Walker (EFNY Still Photographer) also believes it was shot in CalArts."
Trivia: CalArts wouldn't allow Joe Alves to graffiti their walls, so he had to use hundreds of yards of butcher paper instead. Students also helped out making the graffiti.
CalArts, California Institute of the Arts
24700 McBean Pkwy
Valencia, Los Angeles, CA 91355
http://www.calarts.edu/
(Deleted Scene)
1980 - Now 
Century Plaza Towers8: WTC Entrance (Century Plaza Towers, Century City, CA) (Street View)
Description: Century Plaza Towers I and II are two 44-story, 571 feet (174 m) tall twin towers located at 2029 and 2049 Century Park East in Century City in Los Angeles, California. Commissioned by Alcoa the towers were completed in 1975 and designed by Minoru Yamasaki. The towers resemble his World Trade Center in their vertical black and gray lines and use of aluminum exteriors. The towers have a somewhat unique triangular footprint and are landmarks that are clearly seen around the Los Angeles Westside. Their prominence in the Century City skyline has been reduced in recent years with the addition of new skyscrapers that partially block their view. Nevertheless, the Century Plaza Towers remain the tallest buildings in Century City and the tallest skyscrapers in Southern California outside of downtown Los Angeles. The towers sit on top of one of the world's largest underground parking garages.
Comment (Stephen Manley): "I believe, from production experience, that it was the North (left) tower they ran out of. Due to the street being used for production vehicles and trucks. They had to get "in and out" fast because century City has always had very strict filming rules and EFNY had to get all their shots (basically all the same camera set-ups) in 1 night. The garage area is too far away and impractical, so if the camera was facing west that means the North Tower was the "Hero" tower used."
Trivia: Debra Hill wore a sexy outfit and sweet talked the building manager to use the buildings.
Century Plaza Towers
2029 and 2049 Century Park East
Century City, Los Angeles, CA 90067
http:www.centurypark.net/centuryplazatowers/index.html
>
1980 - Now
>
1980 - Now
>
1980 - Now 
Wiltern Theater
19809: Theater (Interiors) (Wiltern Theater, Los Angeles, CA) (Street View)
Description: The Wiltern Theatre and adjacent 12-story Pellissier Building are Art Deco architectural landmarks located on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue in Los Angeles, California. The entire complex is commonly referred to as the Wiltern Center. Clad in a blue-green glazed architectural terra-cotta tile and situated on a diagonal to the street corner, the complex is considered one of the finest examples of Art Deco style architecture in the United States. The Wiltern building is owned privately and the Wiltern Theatre is operated by Live Nation's Los Angeles division and is a well established landmark in Los Angeles. The historic Wiltern Theater originally opened on 7 October 1931 and was later sold to an insurance company in 1956 who ignored it till the late 70s. It was in a bad shape and was saved by a local group of preservationists from being demolished on two occasions. A developer called Wayne Ratkovich later purchased it in 1981 to restore the theater and office building. The renovation of the The Wiltern Theater was complete by 1985. It is currently used for a large variety of events including: rock/pop concerts, dance performances, award shows, television tapings, stage productions, and corporate events.
Wiltern Theater
3790 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90010
http://www.livenation.com/venue/getVenue/venueId/1237
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellissier_Building_and_Wiltern_Theatre
1980
Doheny Memorial Library10: NY Public Library (Interior Stairs and Corridor Part) (Doheny Memorial Library, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA)
Description: The historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library has served as an intellectual center and cultural treasure for generations of students, faculty and staff since it opened in 1932. Created as a memorial to Edward L. Doheny Jr., a USC trustee and alumnus, this landmark building was USC's first freestanding library. 75 years since its doors first opened, it remains one of the university's most important and popular academic facilities.
Trivia: John Carpenter went to USC so he was familiar with these locations.
Doheny Memorial Library
3550 Trousdale Parkway
University Park Campus
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0185
http://www.usc.edu/libraries/locations/doheny/
>
1980 - Now
>
1980
- Now
>
1980 - Now
Hoose Library of Philosophy 11: NY Public Library (Interior Library Part) (Hoose Library of Philosophy, USC College School of Philosophy, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA) (Street View)
Description: The Hoose Library of Philosophy was established in 1929. The collection has more than 50,000 volumes in all branches of academic philosophy. It is particularly rich in materials dealing with the history of modern philosophy, analytical philosophy and metaphysics. The library collects all major English language publications pertaining to academic philosophy. Most of the library's older circulating volumes are stored in the Grand Depository. If you are interested in one of these volumes, click on the highlighted call number on the bibliographic record in HOMER and follow the instructions. Within 24 hours, the desired volume will be available at the circulation desk at the Doheny Library.
The Hoose Library of Philosophy has two collections of rare books that are housed in Special Collections on the second floor of the Doheny Library. The first collection, called the Flewelling Collection, consists of medieval manuscripts, renaissance incunabula and early editions of seminal works in philosophy of the 16th and 17th centuries. The second collection, called the Gomperz Collection, consists of first editions of seminal philosophical works from the 18th and 19th centuries. The Gomperz Collection is particularly rich in German philosophy from the Enlightenment through the epochs of romanticism and idealism. The journal collection of the Hoose Library is extensive. Many of these journals are also available in electronic format.
Trivia: John Carpenter used his influence as a former USC student to shoot this scene in this library. The campus facility proudly allowed their famous graduate to erect a full-size oil rig in the middle of the floor for an entire day's shooting.
Hoose Library of Philosophy
Mudd Hall of Philosophy
3709 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0182
http://dornsife.usc.edu/phil/home/index.cfm
198012: Maggie Hit by Duke's Car (Los Angeles, CA)
Trivia: Once filming was completed, John Carpenter realized he hadn't covered off a shot of Adrienne Barbeau's death, so he shot the scene with his then-wife in their garage."
>
1980 - NowNew York City, New York
1: Liberty Island Security Control (Exterior/Also in Sepulveda Dam Flood Control Basin, Los Angeles, CA) (Liberty Island, NY) (Street View)
Description: Liberty Island, formerly called Bedloe's Island, is a small uninhabited island in New York Harbor in the United States, best known as the location of the Statue of Liberty. The name Liberty Island has been in use since the early 20th century, although the name was not officially changed until 1956. Before the Statue of Liberty, Bedloe's Island was the home to Fort Wood, an eleven pointed star-shaped fortification made of granite. Because of this, its nickname was "Star Fort".
Trivia: The only scene shot in New York was the dolly shot of The Statue of Liberty with the helicopter introducing and following Rehme into a booth. The morning shot of Manhattan (where a helicopter is seen) was also filmed here. These were also the last scenes to be filmed for the movie. The rest of the Liberty Island Security Control exteriors were shot in the Sepulveda Dam Flood Control Basin in Los Angeles. • The crew were in Liberty Island for 2 days and it was the first film to be allowed to shoot on Liberty Island underneath the Statue of Liberty. They had the whole island for themselves, but it wasn't easy to get permission. Only three months earlier they'd had bombings by Croatian Freedom Fighters and they were worried about trouble.
Liberty Island
Mouth of the Hudson River, NY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty Island
Escape From L.A.
Introduction: Unlike the first film, Escape From L.A. was indeed shot in a couple of various desolate parts in L.A. as well in busy parts and studio back lots. The streets looked too beautiful, but they found a couple of useful untouched sites in Northbridge from the 94 earthquake as well as an old unused landfill in Carson which was a stand in for Sunset Boulevard and Santa Monica Freeway. A part of the movie was shot in the heart of the city, on a seven block sector of fourth street. Every night in this busy part of the city they completely trashed the streets to create their intended vision of a earthquake induced wasteland. A remade city block off of Seventh and Broadway was also used. The store fronts were trashed and spattered with graffiti. The street itself was then littered with giant styrofoam chunks of rubble and populated by food vendors and prostitutes and their consorts. Other locations used was the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, The Queen Mary in Long Beach, Los Angeles Theater, The Union Station, Biltmore Hotel, Griffith Park, Semi Valley, a ranch someplace near Westlake, A famous alley in the Tenderloin District, Universal Studios Courthouse Square set (Back to the Future's famed Clock Tower Set etc) and Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort in New Braunfels, Texas.
Note: The shooting locations shown here are confirmed locations. I have several other guesses, but I won't post anything until they have been confirmed. Also, some of these scenes could also have been shot in 1995.
(Street
View)
(Street
View)
(Street
View)
(Street
View)
Fourth South Flower Street1: Fourth South Flower Street (Fourth South Flower Street, Los Angeles, CA)
Comment (Andreas): "It doesn't seem like the rest of the scenes from this sequence was shot on this street."
Fourth South Flower Street, Los Angeles, CA
>
1996 - Now2: Los Angeles Union Station (Los Angeles Union Station, Los Angeles, CA)
Description: Los Angeles Union Station (or LAUS, formerly the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal or LAUPT) is the main railway station in Los Angeles, The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. California. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line. Bus services operate from the Patsaouras Transit Plaza on the east side of the station and others on the north side of the station. The station opened in May 1939, one of a number of union stations in the United States. It was built on a grand scale and became known as "Last of the Great Railway Stations" built in the USA. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Since February 2011 it is in the ownership of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Trivia: This scene was a mixture of miniature work and actual location footage shot by the second unit. They blew up the built front door and miniature cars etc and added filmed footage of people running at the Union Station.
Los Angeles Union Station
800 North Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=am/am2Station/Station_Page&code=LAX
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Los_Angeles)
19953: Mulholland Drive (Mt. Hollywood Drive, Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA)
Description (Griffith Park): Griffith Park a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers 4,310 acres (1,740 ha) of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America. It is the second-largest city park in California, after Mission Trails Preserve in San Diego, and the tenth largest municipally owned park in the United States. It has also been referred to as the Central Park of Los Angeles, but it is much larger and with a much more untamed, rugged character than its New York City counterpart.
Description (Mt. Hollywood Drive): For a number of years Mount Hollywood Drive, which runs from behind the Griffith Observatory (just north of the tunnel) over the top of Mount Hollywood and down into the San Fernando Valley, has been closed to cars. It is one of the few hill-routes bicyclists can ride without concern for cars. Recently, the condition of the roadbed has become a bigger concern than any auto traffic could pose. Present conditions are such that patching and other cosmetics now could extend the useful life of the surface, but if this roadway continues to be neglected, it will soon be impassible and expensive to restore.
Trivia: Principal photography began on the top of Mt. Hollywood Drive in Griffith Park in Los Angeles where Snake Plissken arrives in Mulholland Drive.
Griffith Park
4730 Crystal Springs Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90027
http://www.laparks.org/dos/parks/griffithPK/griffith.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffith_Park
>
1996 - Now
>
1996 - Now
Los Angeles Theater4: Los Angeles Theater (Los Angeles Theater, Los Angeles, CA) (Street View)
The Los Angeles Theatre, built in 1931, is a National Register landmark located in the heart of the Los Angeles Broadway Historic Theatre District.The Theatre was the last and most elaborate of the movie palaces built on Broadway between 1911 and 1931. When it opened in January of 1931 it was advertised as "The Theatre Unusual" because of its many unique features.
The Los Angeles Theatre was designed by architect S. Charles Lee in the Baroque style. Lee filled the theatre with glamour, glitz, technical innovations and sumptuous audience conveniences. With a construction cost of over $1.5 million, the Los Angeles was the most expensive theatre built up to that time on a per seat basis. On opening night the theatre hosted the premier gala screening of Charles Chaplin's City Lights. Among celebrities of the era in attendance that evening was Mr. Albert Einstein.
City Lights was only the first of many openings and first run screenings. The Los Angeles flourished as the heart of the Broadway Entertainment District into the 1960s. As the fortunes of Downtown declined, the interest and attendance of the Los Angeles Theatre waned until it closed its doors to regular screenings in the 1990s. Sustained as a film location and through special events, including the star studded opening of Chaplin, the Los Angeles has waited for a resurgence of Downtown. This new century will see the Los Angeles Theatre return to past glory and place as the heart of our city’s entertainment district.
Los Angeles Theater
615 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA
http://www.losangelestheatre.com/
19965: Sunset Boulevard/Santa Monica Freeway (Old unused landfill in south L.A. city of Carson, CA)
Trivia: The toughest scene for Kurt Russell to shoot was the Sunset Boulevard scene. This whole scene took four nights to shoot. Kurt had to put out every time when leaping over car to car so he wouldn't fall and get run over. According to himself he did this probably 50 or 60 times every night.
Trivia: The Santa Monica Freeway scene was shot in another part of the landfill in Carson where over 200 trashed vehicles were brought in from an auto demolition yard and dumped in a jumbled maze.
>
1996 - Now
The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena6: The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA) (Street View)
Description: The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was opened on July 4, 1959 by then U.S. Vice President Richard M. Nixon. It is a multipurpose sports arena in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California at Exposition Park. It is located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum just south of the campus of the University of Southern California.
Trivia: John Carpenter and Debra Hill managed to secure the site only after intense negations with Coliseum management, which had just lost football's Raiders and didn't view hosting the apocalypse as any great consolation.
Trivia: The first thing Kurt Russell did during this mist full night shoot was to slip on the wet floor and hurt his back. However, Kurt continued and finally nailed all of those shots purely on his own talent, even the full-court one. Kurt began practicing playing basketball early on between scenes.
The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
3939 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90037
http://www.lacoliseumlive.com/joomla/
>
1996 - Now
Schlitterbahn Water Park Resort, New Braunfels, Texas7: Wilshire Canyon - Boulevard (Boogie Bahn FlowRider (Parts), Schlitterbahn Water Park Resort, New Braunfels, Texas)
Description (Schlitterbahn Water Park Resort): Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort in New Braunfels has over 3 miles of tubing adventures, 7 children’s water playgrounds, 17 water slides, the world’s first surfing machine, and 3 uphill water coasters spread over 65 acres of fun!
Description (FlowRider): A FlowRider (or Flow Rider) is an artificial sheet wave surfing environment incorporated in many waterparks and hotels. It was originally invented by Tom Lochtefeld, a surfer, for the Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort in New Braunfels, Texas.
The Flow Rider is manufactured by Wave Loch, Inc. of La Jolla, California and range in cost anywhere from 1 million us dollars and onwards. There are currently more than 100 FlowRider installations around the globe, including five units on cruise ships. Wave Loch also has a mobile unit that can be moved by truck.
Trivia: Two professional surfers stood in for Kurt Russell and Peter Fonda on this FlowRider (Boogie Bahn). The rest of this scene was shot in a warehouse with Kurt Russell and Peter Fonda.
Schlitterbahn Water Park Resort
New Braunfels between San Antonio and Austin off IH-35, Texas
http://www.schlitterbahn.com/nb/
http://www.waveloch.com/
>
1996 - Now8: Happy Kingdom in Anaheim (Universal Studios Courthouse Square, Los Angeles, CA)
Description: A large town square named after the imposing Courthouse building most famously seen in Back to the Future (1985-1990). The square has been seen in hundreds of Universal films (and those of other studios). In common with many other standing sets, simple changes like the arrangement of street furniture and signage can make the set appear to be a completely different location. Prior to Back to the Future, the area was known as Mockingbird Square, after it's appearance in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Although the devastating fires in 1990 and 2008 destroyed the New York Street area, the Courthouse itself was spared.
Trivia: The Walt Disney Co. refused to allow Carpenter to taint the name of Disneyland so they decided to call it The Happy Kingdom instead.
Universal Studios Courthouse Square
100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA
http://www.thestudiotour.com/ush/backlot/courthousesquare.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courthouse_Square