Summary
If the idea of visiting Aunt Beru’s subterranean desert home for a vegetable stew or bumping into a’magical’ brick wall in King’s Cross station stimulates you, then these could be the perfect destinations for you.
We at MailOnline have taken a look at the 20 most iconic film and television sets that are open to the public after filming has concluded.
Some of them have become tourist attractions, while others have become culinary markets or film locations.
Here is a compendium of still-existing, publicly accessible film locations from around the globe…
1. Star Wars’ Tatooine
While you can’t yet visit outer space, unless you’re Elon Musk, the next best thing for Star Wars aficionados is to visit Tatoonie, the saga’s most famous planet.
Tatooine, a desolate arid planet orbiting twin suns in the Outer Rim of the Star Wars galaxy, is governed by Hutt criminals.
While it is not yet possible to travel to outer space, unless you are Elon Musk, admirers of the saga can visit the renowned planet.
Near Nefta in the North African nation of Tunisia, well-preserved remnants of sites such as Luke Skywalker’s aunt and uncle’s residence can still be seen.
2. Pirates of the Caribbean
Fans of this film can visit the filming location in Wallilabou Anchorage, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a Caribbean island nation.
While Johnny Depp has been gone for years, the set of the 2003 blockbuster film remains.
There are still structures and buildings in place, but the port has disappeared.
After its release in 2011, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides became the most expensive film ever produced, with a budget of $378,5 million.
And the film ultimately grossed a staggering $1.04 billion, with Johnny Depp receiving $55.5 million for his role.
3. Hobbiton from ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ trilogies
On an aerial search of Waikato, New Zealand, production surveyors selected a family sheep farm overlooking a lake, which can still be visited by enthusiasts today.
The Lord of the Rings films and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey by J.R.R. Tolkien are adaptations of novels and are renowned for their magnificent recreations of fantastical settings.
The Hobbiton Shire, where the major characters of both trilogies reside, was utilized in all of the Tolkien films directed by Peter Jackson.
During an aerial search of Waikato, New Zealand, production surveyors selected a family sheep farm overlooking a lake, which can still be visited by enthusiasts.
The verdant hillsides and abundance of natural beauty, along with the arched entrances and stunning gardens, created an ideal backdrop.
The Shire is now a significant tourism attraction, replete with excursions, a restaurant, and The Green Dragon Inn, a recreated tavern from the films that serves ales and ciders.
4. The Shining
The exterior of the Timberline Lodge was used for exterior scenes in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.
Horror aficionados can schedule a stay at the lodge.
Fans of horror can schedule a stay at the Timberline Lodge, the actual hotel where Stanley Kubrick filmed exterior scenes for The Shining.
During production, Kubrick consented to alter the infamous room number from 217 to 237 (which does not exist) because the hotel was concerned that future guests would not want to remain in the room.
The most frequently requested accommodation at Timberline Lodge, according to the hotel’s website, is room 217.
5. Jurassic Park
Kualoa Ranch on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. After two years of pre-production, the movie’s outdoor sequences were filmed in Hawaii in only three weeks.
Jurassic Park was the highest-grossing film of its era, generating a staggering $912 million after its release in 1993.
After two years of pre-production, outdoor sequences in Hawaii were filmed in just three weeks. Filming took place in California and Hawaii.
Today, many of the locations where the film was shot are accessible to the public.
However, we cannot guarantee the discovery of dinosaur remains.
6. ‘Sex and the City’
The New York residence of Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City. Although you cannot enter the edifice, you may capture photographs in front of it.
In New York, admirers of Sex and the City can visit Carrie Bradshaw’s residence.
You may not be able to enter the building, but you can still capture photos to share on Facebook or Instagram.
Carrie Bradshaw’s residence on Perry Street, which was featured in the HBO series and the film “Sex and the City,” is a popular tourist destination for those who wish to step into Carrie’s luxurious heels.
7. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
The budget for the first film in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was $125 million.
The majority of the Harry Potter set can be seen at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London, for a fee.
Platform 9 and 3/4, the enigmatic wizarding train station that served as a portal to the Hogwarts Express, played a significant role in the film.
The sequences were filmed at the Kings Cross train station in London.
8. Bates Motel
The iconic television series Bates Motel is based on the classic Hitchcock thriller Psycho.
The film became a cult classic and received four Academy Award nominations.
In Aldergrove, British Columbia, where elements of the series were filmed, a replica of the original Bates Motel set from the film Psycho was constructed.
9. Gone Girl
The American psychological thriller directed by David Fincher grossed an astounding $369 million.
Amy’s attempted acquisition of a firearm was discovered by the authorities in an abandoned shopping facility in Hawthorne, California.
This location was also used to film sequences from Minority Report and Rush Hour, as well as the HBO series Westworld.
10. Escape From Alcatraz
While Alcatraz is no longer a prison – it was closed as a state penitentiary in 1936 – film aficionados can still visit Alcatraz Island in San Francisco.
In the 1979 film, Eastwood’s character attempted an audacious breakout from the notorious California penitentiary.
Despite the fact that Alcatraz is no longer a prison (it was closed as a state penitentiary in 1936), it cost millions to get the facility ready for filming.
The abandoned penitentiary on San Francisco’s Alcatraz Island is now open to the public.
11. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is wildly popular across all age groups.
In the film, Indiana Jones, an explorer and college professor, searches for the Holy Grail at a location known as ‘The Treasury.’
And you can visit ‘The Treasury’ today.
In fact, the Al Khazneh is one of Jordan’s most prominent tourist attractions.
The temple was constructed in the first century A.D., and according to reports, filming required extreme caution.
12. Notting Hill
The fictional bookstore in the film Notting Hill was inspired by Travel Book Co., a genuine bookstore.
It is still accessible and can be found at 13 Blenheim Crescent.
And the original storefront and interior, which Notting Hill aficionados are so familiar with, are still present.
Let’s hope Hugh Grant admirers who visit a bookstore discover their very own Hugh Grant…
13. Ghost Hunters
After 11 seasons of horrifying and enthralling viewers, the show introduced them to the world of genuine paranormal investigation.
The location is reportedly one of the most haunted hospitals in the United States.
Offering overnight paranormal investigation activities and Halloween-themed guided excursions, the Waverly Hills Sanatorium is a destination for horror aficionados.
Additionally, they offer both private and group excursions of the ‘Most Haunted Place in America’.
14. Sleepless in Seattle
Some of the most famous scenes of Sleepless in Seattle were filmed in Seattle, Washington, at Pike Place Market.
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan played a couple who defies the odds to get together in the romantic comedy.
And some of the film’s most recognizable scenes were shot at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington.
This public market opened in 1907 and is one of the earliest continuously operating farmer’s markets in the United States.
15. Home Alone
You can visit the Home Alone home in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, Illinois, and attempt to recreate Kevin’s startled expression.
Who hasn’t watched this film?
It is a Christmas classic, and we anticipate that nearly everyone will want to visit the McCallister residence.
If you are ever in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, Illinois, visit the residence.
Even nearly 30 years after the film’s release, travelers continue to visit the home to recreate Kevin’s astonished expression outside.
16. 12 Monkeys
The disquieting dystopian film depicts the near extinction of human civilization as a result of a virus.
When the film’s prison was constructed more than 180 years ago, it was the most famous and expensive prison in the world.
Today, admirers can tour the building and listen to Steve Buscemi’s audio tour.
17. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
This rather horrifying children’s film that was remade as an action-adventure film was a hit with horror aficionados and performed reasonably well at the box office.
The location is in Germany, just outside of Berlin, and is a popular tourist destination for cult horror film enthusiasts.
The set from the 2013 film can still be found, replete with a false well and town square.
18. Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
The comedy film Pee Wee’s Big Adventure starred Paul Reubens as Pee Wee Herman.
Tim Burton was the director of the family-friendly film.
The automobile journey of Pee Wee was filmed in Cabazon, California.
And one of the locations he visits is Cabazon Dinosaurs, a roadside attraction featuring Mr. Rex and Dinny, two colossal steel and concrete dinosaurs.
19. The Sound of Music
The actual Trapp family once resided in idyllic Salzburg, Austria.
The Sound of Music was filmed in and around the city, making it an absolute must-see for aficionados.
More than 300,000 tourists reportedly travel to Salzburg annually to follow in the footsteps of Maria von Trapp and Julie Andrews.
20. Men in Black II
Men in Black II features Grand Central Station after an entire extraterrestrial colony operates a container.
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones filmed sequences at the famous station, despite the possibility that aliens aren’t real.
Whether or not you have seen the movie, the spectacular station is unquestionably worth a visit.