Among all the states, Arizona deserves special attention from fans of American cinema. It has repeatedly become the filming location for legendary films that are still popular with viewers of all ages. Today, various Arizona locations featured in films are among the most visited places in the United States. They attract thousands of tourists to the state who dream of being transported from their favorite films to reality. In our article, we will tell you about the most famous Arizona locations you have seen in movies and explain how you can visit them today.
The Grand Canyon
Many people associate Arizona with the Grand Canyon. This natural site occupies a huge part of the state’s territory and is one of the most attractive for tourists. The Colorado River flowing through it only adds beauty to the landscapes and makes the Grand Canyon the best place for filming movies of various genres. Over the years, such masterpieces as “Thelma and Louise,” “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” and “Grand Canyon” were created here.
Movie lovers can visit the Grand Canyon at any time of the year. There, you can find locations from the films and shoot your videos. Also, everyone will have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful landscapes and feel the canyon’s grandeur. The easiest way to get to this place is from Phoenix, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. For this, you can use a rented car or public transport. The trip to the Grand Canyon will take only a few hours from the listed cities. The best way to move around the canyon itself is on foot. During the day, this can be done without any additional equipment, but at night, it is essential to use thermal monoculars and other optics.
Desert Dunes in Yuma
In the south of Arizona, the famous Yuma Desert is located. It is known for its very high temperatures and almost complete lack of vegetation. Also characteristic of Yuma are dunes, which form a unique landscape. This feature attracts the attention of directors, who often use the desert terrain and dunes as a location for filming movies about space, other planets and fictional civilizations. The first movie in Yuma was filmed back in the 30s of the last century. Since then, the desert and its dunes have regularly appeared on screens. The most famous movie filmed in Yuma was “Star Wars”.
Every movie lover can visit Yuma and see its dunes. You must first get to Phoenix, Los Angeles or San Diego to do this. Then you can get to your destination by car or public transport. Since most of the movies were filmed in the exact desert location, you won’t have to travel from one location to another and spend much time doing it.
Monument Valley
Monument Valley is a famous movie location. This place, located on the border of Arizona and Utah, attracts attention with a cluster of sandstone hills, which many call unique creations of nature. The highest of these objects reaches 300 m, so looking at it, everyone experiences incredible emotions and gets excellent visual pleasure. Due to its appearance, Monument Valley is ideal for filming movies about the Wild West. This feature has been repeatedly used by famous directors who created memorable scenes from “Forrest Gump”, “How the West Was Won”, and “And Back to the Future III” in these places.
Those who love the listed films should visit Monument Valley in person. The easiest way to get there is from Phoenix, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. A car trip from these cities will take quite a while, but you will forget about this drawback immediately upon arrival at your destination. Finding the locations where famous films were filmed will be easy. It is enough to see the highest sandstone hill on the horizon and move towards it. It was against this background that most of the scenes were filmed.
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam is located in the north of Arizona. This object is more than 220 meters high and is a barrier to the Colorado River. The vast size and stunning landscapes around make this location suitable for cinema. For many years, action and adventure scenes were mainly filmed here. They always turned out perfect and became a natural decoration of any movie. Among the most famous works that were released on the screens of all cinemas in the world, Hoover Dam can be seen in “San Andreas”, “Transformers”, “And Superman”.
The famous Arizona dam is located near the state border with Nevada. In this regard, it would be advisable for all movie lovers to get to the renowned location from Los Angeles or Las Vegas. In the second case, you will have to cover only 48 km by car or bicycle, allowing you to save much time and explore popular attractions.
Old Tucson Studios
Arizona is home to one of the most famous American film studios. It was built in 1939 and was used for its intended purpose for many decades. Old Tucson was especially popular in the 40s and 50s. During this time, dozens of films were shot on its territory, receiving prestigious awards and viewers’ recognition. The most famous of them are “Arizona”, “Little House on the Prairie”, and “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral”. Today, Old Tucson is a place for filming less prestigious films and various TV shows, and its territory is used as a theme park.
Fans of old films have the opportunity to visit a cult place. To do this, you must go to Phoenix, where you can quickly get to Old Tucson. Alternatively, you should take a flight to San Diego or Los Angeles and then take a car trip to your destination. For visitors to the film studio, excursions are regularly held, during which you will learn the history of American cinema and see with your own eyes the places where cult films of the past were filmed.
University of Arizona
The main educational institution of the state is the University of Arizona. More than 50,000 students attend, and they receive knowledge in various fields of science. The university is the real pride of Arizona and all of America. Its campus has always looked perfect, which once attracted the attention of directors who made films about students and their lives. Currently, this location appears in several films, the most famous of which is “Revenge of the Nerds.”
The University of Arizona is located in Tucson and is easily accessible from anywhere in the state. The best option would be a private or public transport trip from Phoenix. You can also quickly get to the popular movie locations from San Diego and Los Angeles. Once on campus, you will see familiar places that have appeared in many famous films. Today, many of them look different, but still have a lot in common with the locations of the past.
Arizona can safely be called one of the most cinematic states. Its various places and objects have repeatedly appeared on screens and helped directors create a unique atmosphere for each film. If you are a fan of movies shot in Arizona, then do not miss the opportunity to visit famous locations. In reality, they are no worse than in the films, so positive emotions from the trip are guaranteed.
