© Copyright 2007 VISIT FLORIDA® • VF/82K-0707
and today.
many movie attractions and entertainment from yesterday
commercials. Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando offers
4 - In It To Win It – television shows, music videos and
Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector and Bring It On
locations. Productions include feature movies – recently
state-of-the-art sound stages and more than 100 backlot
opened in Orlando in 1988 and is a premier facility with
the film legacy alive in Florida, Universal Studios Florida®
flourish in motion pictures and then into television. Keeping
Throughout the 20th century, production continued to
By the late 1920s “talkies” had taken over the film industry.
numerous feature films to challenge racism.
Ace (1926). He was committed to racial equality and created
shorts, including The Bull-Dogger (1921) and The Flying
six films and hundreds of
and respect. He created
were portrayed with dignity
the films of Richard Norman
black characters featured in
with negative stereotypes,
portrayed African-Americans
At a time when most films
for African-Americans.
to create empowering films
of the first white filmmakers
stand today. Norman was one
buildings, most of which still
a sprawling complex of five
Jacksonville in 1920. He had
his silent movie studio in
Richard Norman began
MGM, first opened its doors there in 1915.
including Jacksonville in the 1920s. Metro Pictures, later
Sidney Lubin, had silent film studios across the country,
to make with Stan Laurel. The Lubin Company, run by
Helper, was very much like the other films he was destined
Lubin Company in 1913. His first film, The Paperhanger’s
Oliver Hardy got his start in Jacksonville by joining the
film companies turned out thousands of films.
dubbed “Tinseltown of the East,” and the many local silent
Sunshine State. Jacksonville was a moviemaking center,
estate and labor, motion picture production flourished in the
mild winters, established rail lines, and inexpensive real
brought Florida to the silver screen. With Florida’s sunny,
white images of the Spanish-American War in 1898 first
Florida had an active film industry. Flickering black and
From the turn of the century to the time of the first “talkies,”
Florida’s Movie Legacy
Some Well Known Florida Movies...
NORTHWEST FLORIDA
The Truman Show Edward Scissorhands
1998—Seaside, Panama City
Jim Carrey stars in this film as an
unknowing star of a reality TV show.
Seaside doubles for “Seahaven,” a
Utopian village that is a television
studio in which Truman lives. Enjoy
your own oceanfront fantasy at Seaside, off US 98 between Destin and
Panama City Beach. (888)-SEASIDE, www.seasidefl.com
Ulee’s Gold
1997—Wewahitchka, Tallahassee, Orlando
For this poignant drama, filmmaker Victor Nunez
enlisted the Lanier family of Wewahitchka
known for their Tupelo honey to provide location
shots and beekeeping expertise. Peter Fonda stars
as Ulee Jackson, a reclusive widower struggling
with his children and his beekeeping business.
(800) 482-GULF, www.visitgulf.com
NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA
Cross Creek
1983—Cross Creek
The Sunshine State’s literary heart beats proudly at the home of Pulitzer
prize-winning author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Mostly filmed at a
nearby lakeside orange grove, this movie memoir details rural life in
Cross Creek and the joys and tribulations of the Rawlings farmstead
bought in 1928. Visit Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park
to see life on her farm. (352) 466-3672, www.floridastateparks.org/
marjoriekinnanrawlings
Creature from the Black Lagoon
1954—Wakulla Springs, Silver Springs
Some of the world’s clearest waters bubble
from Florida’s springs, so it’s no surprise
that underwater filmmaking began here.
In Creature from the Black Lagoon,
professional diver and Florida native Ricou
Browning played the Gill-Man. Crucial underwater scenes were filmed
at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs. The 1955 sequel Revenge of the
Creature, partially shot at Marineland, shows Clint Eastwood in his first
movie role—a lab technician. The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)
opens on the Edison Bridge into Fort Myers and features an expedition
into the Everglades. South of Tallahassee, Wakulla Springs hosts
CreatureFest each October. (850) 224-5950,
www.floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings
Tarzan
1930s-1940s—Wakulla Springs, Silver Springs
At two of the largest springs in the world,
moviemakers found perfect substitutes for the
African jungle—Florida’s river forests. Adding
elephants and chimpanzees, these Florida locales
made a convincing backdrop for Tarzan, Jane,
and Boy in the six Tarzan films made at Wakulla
Springs and Silver Springs.
Cartoon illustrations and map by Robert Smith, Jr., Brochure design by Gelhardt Graphics. and visitor information statewide.
Movie posters courtesy of the Collection of the Museum of Florida History, Florida Department of State,
locations, film festivals, current productions underway, movie trivia
life in Northwest Florida to Movies.VISITFLORIDA.com Check out Movies.VISITFLORIDA.com for information on more movie
stars through the Sunshine State.
Ulee’s Gold ranges from rural Movies.VISITFLORIDA.com
and follow the footsteps of the been more than sand and surf.
a part of your Florida exploration
Florida’s film locations have
theatre near you. Make the movies Rental at Madeira Beach. But
Sunshine State - coming soon to a
to John’s Pass for a Summer
not-yet-famous locales around the Candy took his fictional family
the most famous, infamous and
Lauderdale Beach, and John Charlie Crist
continues to highlight some of Where the Boys Are on Fort
in Florida
© BODY HEAT,The Ladd Company, Licensed by Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
George Hamilton frolicked in
production think. Annette Funicello and
Film are more common than you’d Sincerely,
cinematography, location shots
(Answers: 1. 3; 2. Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom; 3. Jackie Gleason; 4. Frogs;
5. Space Camp, Apollo 13, Armageddon, From the Earth to the Moon, Space Cowboys;
Florida and across all genres of Sunshine State.
6. Jerry Lewis; 7. Follow That Dream; 8. In Her Shoes; 9. Bad Boys II; 10. Striptease)
Winn Dixie.
Citizen Kane to Because of well be yes. Throughout many wonderful activities and attractions in the
tree? The answer might very Best wishes for an enjoyable trip as you discover all the
aren’t always shot here, from
Did Tarzan swing from that cane fields as one of the pivitol scenes?
congressman used western Palm Beach County sugar
Like It Hot. Films about Florida action, drama, horror or suspense, it is all here.
Monroe really on this street?
night club dancer and Burt Reynolds as a corrupt
beach, California-style, in Some Whether your silver screen interests are comedy, romance,
stand right here? Was Marilyn
Marilyn Monroe on their Florida
Did Arnold Schwarzenegger 10. What 1996 movie starring Demi Moore as a I encourage you to take some time to explore the state.
BAD BOYS II © 2003 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
or Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and
mountains in the background, be a silver screen flashback. Delray Beach mansion in a huge explosion? Show, G.I. Jane, The Birdcage, Miami Vice and Hoot.
Today your déjà vu might Lawrence, shot in southeast Florida, destroyed a
the A-Team in Miami with 9. What movie starring Will Smith and Martin
production in recent films such as Apollo 13, The Truman
magic mixes it up—think continues to be a popular backdrop in motion picture
retirement community?
and a movie-goers dream.
Hollywood’s movie towns, historic landmarks and natural beauty. Florida
Is it Florida…or not?
countless motion pictures, a moviemakers paradise starred in what movie that was shot in a Delray Beach showcasing our famous beaches, downtowns and small
a century, Florida has been the set and subject of 8. Cameron Diaz, Shirley MacLaine and Toni Collette
production was just beginning. Spanning more than films, secured Florida’s place in cinematic history by
Cause, and Speed 2. after an Elvis movie? including Where The Boys Are and numerous Tarzan
7. What is the name of the road near Inglis that is named
movies like Bad Boys, Just was the hub of silent film studios and movie
starts with the silent movie era, when Jacksonville film studios called Florida home. Many movie classics,
hurtles down our highways with
Florida’s cinematic history at the Fontainebleau Hotel in this 1960 film? of America’s film industry and soon more than 30 silent
Lagoon series. Action-adventure 6. What comedian spent an entire movie wreaking havoc In the early 1900s, Florida was the winter headquarters
Tarzan and Creature from the Black
finest films set in Florida. 5. Name two movies made at the Kennedy Space Center. generations with our warm weather and tropical locations.
substitutes for wilder areas in the to some of Hollywood’s Florida has been captivating movie makers for
roles in films like The Yearling, and made in Wewahitchka?
4. What amphibian is the title of this 1972 horror movie
visual impacts giving shape
Florida’s natural beauty takes starring the horizon, are a collage of invite you to experience a cinematic tour of Florida.
Weapon 3. over water stretching into Miami Beach? (Hint: And awaaaaaaaay we go!) On behalf of the State of Florida, it is my pleasure to
of Lethal character, and long bridges 3. What entertainer had his TV variety program filmed in
the beginning Gatorland? Dear Florida Traveler:
old City Hall in Orlando at centers, small towns with 2. Which Indiana Jones movie used alligators from
Black Lagoon’?
“accidentally” implode the contrast with sleek urban
Lights, Camera, Action...
and Danny Glover perfect shot. Sultry tropics 1. How many movies featured the ‘Creature from the
Malice. And Mel Gibson filmmakers looking for the
web in Absence of Trivia Questions:
siren calls to
Newman, finds himself caught in a big city newspaper’s springs – these are
urban activity in Orlando. A Miami businessman, Paul
un, sand, shimmering
Lights, Camera, Action... S
Beneath the 12 Mile Reef Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Out of Time
1953—Tarpon Springs 1984—Orlando 2003—Boca Grande, Cortez, Miami Beach
Sponge diving has been a Greek tradition in Tarpon Springs since 1882. In need of alligators to film, the crew of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Denzel Washington plays Matthias Lee Whitlock, a small-town chief of police
This Robert Wagner film tells the story of the divers, with scenes of Tarpon Doom visited one of Florida’s oldest attractions, Gatorland. The menacing investigating a double homicide. Also starring Florida native Eva Mendes, this
Springs looking not all that much different than it does today. This ‘gators beneath the rickety swinging wooden bridge where Jones and the crime thriller incorporates memorable shots in downtown Boca Grande.
distinctly Greek village is off US 19 north of Clearwater. bad guys battle are footage from Gatorland. (941) 964-0568, www.bocagrandechamber.com,
(727) 937-6109, www.tarponsprings.com (800) 393-JAWS, www.gatorland.com www.charlotteharbortravel.com
NORTHEAST FLORIDA
Great Expectations
G.I. Jane 1990—Dade City, Lutz, Lakeland, Wesley Chapel CENTRAL EAST FLORIDA 1998—Sarasota, Cortez
1997—Jacksonville, Green Cove Springs Filmed entirely in Florida, this unusual tale starring Johnny Depp was mostly In this romantic re-telling of the Charles Dickens classic, the crumbling
Demi Moore stars as the first woman ever to try out for Navy SEAL training in filmed in a housing development in Lutz painted in pastel hues for the Apollo 13 (1995), Armageddon (1998), mansion is the opulent home of John Ringling of Ringling Brothers and
G.I. Jane. Ships at Mayport Naval Station at the mouth of the St. Johns River
movie. The Southgate Shopping Center on S. Florida Avenue in Lakeland is From the Earth to the Moon (1998), Barnum and Bailey Circus fame. Completed in 1926, Ca d’Zan was the
in Jacksonville provided a scenic backdrop for the film. Green Cove Springs a landmark location—the mighty swoop of the giant arch is a sight to behold. Space Cowboys (2000) center of Sarasota’s cultural life, drastically altered to weather it for the film.
and Camp Blanding were also used as locations. The Camp Blanding Museum (863) 298-7576, www.visitcentralflorida.org Cape Canaveral, Merritt Island, Titusville This historic landmark shares the grounds with the John and Mabel Ringling
on SR 16 commemorates the efforts of soldiers trained here for World War II. Directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, Museum of Art in Sarasota, known worldwide for its collections.
(904) 533-3196, www.30thinfantry.org/blanding.shtml Apollo 13 tells the gripping story of astronauts in (941) 359-5700, www.ringling.org
CENTRAL trouble in space. True-to-life scenes unfold at the
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking Kennedy Space Center at Launch Complex 34 The Greatest Show on Earth
1988—Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach Rebel Without a Cause 1952— Sarasota Flipper
1955—Silver Springs (Apollo 1 Memorial), Launch Complex 39A, and
When director Ken Annakin needed to create the magical “Rocksby Town,” with the real “Crawler” in action, which brings Charlton Heston stars in this film version of life 1964-68—Miami
where red-headed Pippilotta Longstocking (Tami Erin) lives, he found Florida had a cameo role in this James Dean classic about a rebellious in the circus, filmed entirely in Sarasota, home of Most of this classic show’s 88 episodes were shot on location or at a
young man with a troubled past. Some of the outdoor scenes were filmed at the rockets out for launch. Armageddon, directed
everything he needed on Amelia Island. The authentic Victorian village of by Michael Bay and starring Bruce Willis, uses circus magnate John Ringling. Betty Hutton, Dorothy soundstage—the former Ivan Tors Studios, now Greenwich Studios in
Fernandina Beach provided outdoor scenes, while Pippi’s home was the 1870 Silver Springs, east of Ocala. (888) FL-OCALA, www.ocalamarion.com Lamour and Cornel Wilde led a circus parade down North Miami. Opened in 1955, the Miami Seaquarium once featured
the same locations to different effect, spinning a
Italianate Victorian Bell House. Walk Centre Street in Fernandina Beach to Rosewood sci-fi yarn. The television mini-series From the Main Street in downtown Sarasota. Stroll in their Flipper swimming in a lagoon along Biscayne Bay.
step into Pippi’s world. (800)-2AMELIA, www.ameliaisland.org 1997—Near Eustis, Cedar Key Earth to the Moon traces Apollo missions from footsteps and see some of the buildings today as (305) 361-5705, www.miamiseaquarium.com
As recounted in this John Singleton film, Rosewood was destroyed by 1961 to 1972. This series was shot at the Kennedy they were during the film. (941) 957-1877,
racially-motivated events on New Years’ Day, 1923. Shot near the Seminole Space Center and Orlando’s Naval Training www.sarasotafl.org Where the Boys Are
CENTRAL WEST FLORIDA 1960—Fort Lauderdale
State Forest off SR 44, some 30 homes were brought in to reflect the feel Center, now Baldwin Park. Florida’s Space Coast is the only place to see a In this trend-setting comedy, four college women on spring break look
Follow That Dream of the real Rosewood. For the actual Rosewood area, following SR 24 west space shuttle up-close on a tour of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
1962—Crystal River, Inglis, Inverness, Ocala, Yankeetown towards Cedar Key, you will find a historic marker recalling the historic, (321) 449-4444, www.kennedyspacecenter.com
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA for love at the beach. Featured prominently in the film, The Elbo Room,
This Elvis Presley classic pays cinematic homage to the region. Truckloads yet tragic, location. (877) 387-5673, www.visitnaturecoast.com, Scarface established in 1938, is just across from the beach in the heart of Las Olas
of sand temporarily created a peninsula near Yankeetown where Elvis sets up Days of Thunder Boulevard’s entertainment district. (954) 463-4615, www.elboroom.com
www.rosewoodflorida.com 1983—Miami
a homestead. Drive “Follow That Dream Boulevard” from US 19 in Inglis 1990—Daytona Beach Set in Miami, this re-make of the gangster prohibition classic involves the Goldfinger
to find the causeway. During filming, the cast stayed at the Port Paradise Sea Hunt As hot-shot NASCAR stock car driver
violent world of crime and cocaine circa 1980. Important Miami Beach 1964—Miami
Hotel, now a launch point for divers viewing manatees in Crystal River. The 1958— Silver Springs Cole Trickle, Tom Cruise stars in this locations include the Fontainebleau Hotel and the fictitious Sun Ray Goldfinger opens with a spectacular panoramic shot of the Fontainebleau
legal showdown occurs in the 1912 Citrus County courthouse in downtown From 1958 to 1961, Lloyd Bridges starred in this half-hour underwater action-packed flick at the Daytona
Apartments, where the famous chainsaw scene was filmed on an upper floor. Hotel. The character of Goldfinger was based on tycoon Charles Englehard
Inverness that was recently renovated based on footage from the movie and is series. More than 100 episodes featured footage from Silver Springs. Since International Speedway. Along The ground floor is now home to a Johnny Rockets on Ocean Drive. of Englehard Metals, who frequented Boca Grande and died there in 1971.
now a museum. (800) 587-6667, www.visitcitrus.com 1916, when the silent movie The Seven Swans was filmed, Silver Springs Speedway Boulevard east of Interstate
(800) 933-8448, www.gmcvb.com
has been a popular destination for filmmakers. James Bond battled villains 95, Daytona 500 Experience feeds the The Bellboy
Cocoon beneath these waters during Thunderball (1965) and Moonraker (1979). need for speed with race car simulators Caddyshack 1960—Miami Beach
1985—St. Petersburg Take a ride on Silver Springs’ famous glass bottomed boats to see the statues and the Richard Petty Driving 1980—Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Davie Jerry Lewis cuts loose in this tour-de-farce throughout the entire
St. Petersburg and Pinellas County provide a from Thunderball and the springs from which the Creature from the Black Experience, where you hurtle around the same track as NASCAR legends at In this perennial golfer’s comedy, the one and only Rodney Dangerfield sank Fontainebleau Hotel, in Miami Beach. The film is a permanent log of the
sense of place for Ron Howard’s uplifting tale Lagoon emerged. On the Lost River Voyage, you depart adjacent to the Sea up to 160 miles per hour. (386) 947-6530, www.daytona500experience.com Judge Smails (Ted Knight) on Lake Boca Raton at the posh Boca Raton Resort art deco look of the original hotel. (305) 538-2000,
of a group of seniors finding their fountain Hunt cottage, now the captains’ quarters. and Club, just a par 5 from the Atlantic Ocean. www.fontainebleau.com
of youth. The dance scene with Don Ameche (352) 236-2121, www.silversprings.com (561) 447-3000, www.bocaresort.com
and Gwen Vernon took place inside St. SOUTHWEST FLORIDA True Lies
Petersburg’s Coliseum (535 4th Ave N). Built Easy to Love It’s just a short jaunt down Interstate 95 to where Ty Webb (Chevy Chase)
Adaptation 1994—Florida Keys & Key West, Miami
in 1924, it hosts special events and is worth 1953—Cypress Gardens practiced night putting and Carl Spackler (Bill Murray) “blew up” the gopher Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in one of
Dick Pope built a pool in the shape of Florida at Cypress 2002—Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Homestead at the members-only Grande Oaks Golf Club in Davie.
the trip just to peek inside. (727) 892-5202, Adaptation is just that. Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman won an Academy the most spectacular action sequences
www.stpete.org/coliseum. The “world’s largest,” the St. Petersburg Gardens to coax amazing swimmer and actress Esther (954) 916-2900, www.grandeoaks.com shot in Florida. A dramatic chase climaxes
Williams to make this Florida film. The pool and water- Award for his fictional spin on Susan Orlean’s non-fiction book The Orchid
Shuffleboard Club (559 Mirror Lake Dr. N) appears in key scenes. It houses Thief, which details the theft of one of the world’s rarest flowers. Visit Miami Vice & CSI: Miami with an explosion on the old Seven Mile
more than 110 playing courts and hosts tournaments year round. ski shows started by Dick Pope in the 1930s are just a 1984-1989; 2002-present—Miami Bridge, built nearly a century before to
fraction of the fun at this attraction near Winter Haven. Fakahatchee Strand State Park to seek out the elusive ghost orchid.
(727) 822-2083, www.shuffleboardclub.org (239) 695-4593, www.floridastateparks.org/fakahatcheestrand Sporting pastel-colored suits and five o’clock shadows, Don Johnson and speed Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railroad
(863) 324-2111, www.cypressgardens.com Philip Michael Thomas tooled around Miami Beach in a Ferrari in the police to Key West. (800) 648-5510,
The Punisher
Parenthood Hoot drama Miami Vice, a show credited with generating support to preserve www.fla-keys.com
2004—Tampa, Dunedin 2006—Boca Grande, Fort Lauderdale
Marvel comic book character The Punisher (Thomas Jane) battles bad guy 1989—Orlando Miami’s Art Deco architecture at South Beach. (305) 673-7400, Licence to Kill
From the Delaney Park Little League field in Al Three children attempt to stop a developer from building a pancake house www.miamibeachfl.gov
Howard Saint (John Travolta) who has destroyed Castle’s life. Much of the where endangered burrowing owls live, based on Florida native Carl 1989—Florida Keys & Key West
action happens in downtown Tampa and the Port of Tampa. During a family Coith Park (at Gore Street and Delaney) to Pine Castle Elementary and In 2002, another side of crime heated up Miami. CSI: Miami shows crime Former Governor Bob Martinez had a cameo as a security guard in this
the Beardall Center, director Ron Howard made use of Orlando for this Hiassen’s award-winning children’s book. Journey’s End is one of Boca
gathering at the beginning of the film – set in Puerto Rico – the shots are Grande’s oldest cottages, and was used as the house of Roy Eberhardt scene investigators solving grisly murders. Popular locations for the series British film, which features a running travelogue of the Florida Keys.
actually at Honeymoon Island in Dunedin, with public restrooms dressed Steve Martin movie. On a drive around the city, you’ll encounter scenes include the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Bicentennial Park, and Everglades There are scenes on the Seven Mile Bridge, aerial shots, and one moment
remembered from Problem Child 2, Ernest Saves Christmas, Lethal Weapon (Logan Lerman). The cast and crew stayed and shot around the Gasparilla
up as the Castle family home. (727) 469-5942, www.floridastateparks.org/ Inn, a landmark since 1913. (800) 996-1913, www.the-gasparilla-inn.com National Park in south Miami-Dade County. (305) 242-7700, where James Bond (Timothy Dalton) is stripped of his ‘Licence’ at the
honeymoonisland or (800) 826-8353, www.visittampabay.com 3 and the Superboy TV series. (800) 972-3304, www.orlandoinfo.com www.nps.gov/ever Hemingway Home in Key West. (305) 294-1136,
Fort Lauderdale’s opulent Bonnet House also played a part in the filming.
(954) 563-5393, www.bonnethouse.org www.hemingwayhome.com

and today.
many movie attractions and entertainment from yesterday
commercials. Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando offers
4 - In It To Win It – television shows, music videos and
Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector and Bring It On
locations. Productions include feature movies – recently
state-of-the-art sound stages and more than 100 backlot
opened in Orlando in 1988 and is a premier facility with
the film legacy alive in Florida, Universal Studios Florida®
flourish in motion pictures and then into television. Keeping
Throughout the 20th century, production continued to
By the late 1920s “talkies” had taken over the film industry.
numerous feature films to challenge racism.
Ace (1926). He was committed to racial equality and created
shorts, including The Bull-Dogger (1921) and The Flying
six films and hundreds of
and respect. He created
were portrayed with dignity
the films of Richard Norman
black characters featured in
with negative stereotypes,
portrayed African-Americans
At a time when most films
for African-Americans.
to create empowering films
of the first white filmmakers
stand today. Norman was one
buildings, most of which still
a sprawling complex of five
Jacksonville in 1920. He had
his silent movie studio in
Richard Norman began
MGM, first opened its doors there in 1915.
including Jacksonville in the 1920s. Metro Pictures, later
Sidney Lubin, had silent film studios across the country,
to make with Stan Laurel. The Lubin Company, run by
Helper, was very much like the other films he was destined
Lubin Company in 1913. His first film, The Paperhanger’s
Oliver Hardy got his start in Jacksonville by joining the
film companies turned out thousands of films.
dubbed “Tinseltown of the East,” and the many local silent
Sunshine State. Jacksonville was a moviemaking center,
estate and labor, motion picture production flourished in the
mild winters, established rail lines, and inexpensive real
brought Florida to the silver screen. With Florida’s sunny,
white images of the Spanish-American War in 1898 first
Florida had an active film industry. Flickering black and
From the turn of the century to the time of the first “talkies,”
Florida’s Movie Legacy
Some Well Known Florida Movies...
NORTHWEST FLORIDA
The Truman Show Edward Scissorhands
1998—Seaside, Panama City
Jim Carrey stars in this film as an
unknowing star of a reality TV show.
Seaside doubles for “Seahaven,” a
Utopian village that is a television
studio in which Truman lives. Enjoy
your own oceanfront fantasy at Seaside, off US 98 between Destin and
Panama City Beach. (888)-SEASIDE, www.seasidefl.com
Ulee’s Gold
1997—Wewahitchka, Tallahassee, Orlando
For this poignant drama, filmmaker Victor Nunez
enlisted the Lanier family of Wewahitchka
known for their Tupelo honey to provide location
shots and beekeeping expertise. Peter Fonda stars
as Ulee Jackson, a reclusive widower struggling
with his children and his beekeeping business.
(800) 482-GULF, www.visitgulf.com
NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA
Cross Creek
1983—Cross Creek
The Sunshine State’s literary heart beats proudly at the home of Pulitzer
prize-winning author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Mostly filmed at a
nearby lakeside orange grove, this movie memoir details rural life in
Cross Creek and the joys and tribulations of the Rawlings farmstead
bought in 1928. Visit Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park
to see life on her farm. (352) 466-3672, www.floridastateparks.org/
marjoriekinnanrawlings
Creature from the Black Lagoon
1954—Wakulla Springs, Silver Springs
Some of the world’s clearest waters bubble
from Florida’s springs, so it’s no surprise
that underwater filmmaking began here.
In Creature from the Black Lagoon,
professional diver and Florida native Ricou
Browning played the Gill-Man. Crucial underwater scenes were filmed
at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs. The 1955 sequel Revenge of the
Creature, partially shot at Marineland, shows Clint Eastwood in his first
movie role—a lab technician. The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)
opens on the Edison Bridge into Fort Myers and features an expedition
into the Everglades. South of Tallahassee, Wakulla Springs hosts
CreatureFest each October. (850) 224-5950,
www.floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings
Tarzan
1930s-1940s—Wakulla Springs, Silver Springs
At two of the largest springs in the world,
moviemakers found perfect substitutes for the
African jungle—Florida’s river forests. Adding
elephants and chimpanzees, these Florida locales
made a convincing backdrop for Tarzan, Jane,
and Boy in the six Tarzan films made at Wakulla
Springs and Silver Springs.
© Copyright 2007 VISIT FLORIDA® • VF/82K-0707
Cartoon illustrations and map by Robert Smith, Jr., Brochure design by Gelhardt Graphics. and visitor information statewide.
Movie posters courtesy of the Collection of the Museum of Florida History, Florida Department of State,
locations, film festivals, current productions underway, movie trivia
life in Northwest Florida to Movies.VISITFLORIDA.com Check out Movies.VISITFLORIDA.com for information on more movie
stars through the Sunshine State.
Ulee’s Gold ranges from rural Movies.VISITFLORIDA.com
and follow the footsteps of the been more than sand and surf.
a part of your Florida exploration
Florida’s film locations have
theatre near you. Make the movies Rental at Madeira Beach. But
Sunshine State - coming soon to a
to John’s Pass for a Summer
not-yet-famous locales around the Candy took his fictional family
the most famous, infamous and
Lauderdale Beach, and John Charlie Crist
continues to highlight some of Where the Boys Are on Fort
in Florida
© BODY HEAT,The Ladd Company, Licensed by Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
George Hamilton frolicked in
production think. Annette Funicello and
Film are more common than you’d Sincerely,
cinematography, location shots
(Answers: 1. 3; 2. Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom; 3. Jackie Gleason; 4. Frogs;
5. Space Camp, Apollo 13, Armageddon, From the Earth to the Moon, Space Cowboys;
Florida and across all genres of Sunshine State.
6. Jerry Lewis; 7. Follow That Dream; 8. In Her Shoes; 9. Bad Boys II; 10. Striptease)
Winn Dixie.
Citizen Kane to Because of well be yes. Throughout many wonderful activities and attractions in the
tree? The answer might very Best wishes for an enjoyable trip as you discover all the
aren’t always shot here, from
Did Tarzan swing from that cane fields as one of the pivitol scenes?
congressman used western Palm Beach County sugar
Like It Hot. Films about Florida action, drama, horror or suspense, it is all here.
Monroe really on this street?
night club dancer and Burt Reynolds as a corrupt
beach, California-style, in Some Whether your silver screen interests are comedy, romance,
stand right here? Was Marilyn
Marilyn Monroe on their Florida
Did Arnold Schwarzenegger 10. What 1996 movie starring Demi Moore as a I encourage you to take some time to explore the state.
BAD BOYS II © 2003 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
or Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and
mountains in the background, be a silver screen flashback. Delray Beach mansion in a huge explosion? Show, G.I. Jane, The Birdcage, Miami Vice and Hoot.
Today your déjà vu might Lawrence, shot in southeast Florida, destroyed a
the A-Team in Miami with 9. What movie starring Will Smith and Martin
production in recent films such as Apollo 13, The Truman
magic mixes it up—think continues to be a popular backdrop in motion picture
retirement community?
and a movie-goers dream.
Hollywood’s movie towns, historic landmarks and natural beauty. Florida
Is it Florida…or not?
countless motion pictures, a moviemakers paradise starred in what movie that was shot in a Delray Beach showcasing our famous beaches, downtowns and small
a century, Florida has been the set and subject of 8. Cameron Diaz, Shirley MacLaine and Toni Collette
production was just beginning. Spanning more than films, secured Florida’s place in cinematic history by
Cause, and Speed 2. after an Elvis movie? including Where The Boys Are and numerous Tarzan
7. What is the name of the road near Inglis that is named
movies like Bad Boys, Just was the hub of silent film studios and movie
starts with the silent movie era, when Jacksonville film studios called Florida home. Many movie classics,
hurtles down our highways with
Florida’s cinematic history at the Fontainebleau Hotel in this 1960 film? of America’s film industry and soon more than 30 silent
Lagoon series. Action-adventure 6. What comedian spent an entire movie wreaking havoc In the early 1900s, Florida was the winter headquarters
Tarzan and Creature from the Black
finest films set in Florida. 5. Name two movies made at the Kennedy Space Center. generations with our warm weather and tropical locations.
substitutes for wilder areas in the to some of Hollywood’s Florida has been captivating movie makers for
roles in films like The Yearling, and made in Wewahitchka?
4. What amphibian is the title of this 1972 horror movie
visual impacts giving shape
Florida’s natural beauty takes starring the horizon, are a collage of invite you to experience a cinematic tour of Florida.
Weapon 3. over water stretching into Miami Beach? (Hint: And awaaaaaaaay we go!) On behalf of the State of Florida, it is my pleasure to
of Lethal character, and long bridges 3. What entertainer had his TV variety program filmed in
the beginning Gatorland? Dear Florida Traveler:
old City Hall in Orlando at centers, small towns with 2. Which Indiana Jones movie used alligators from
Black Lagoon’?
“accidentally” implode the contrast with sleek urban
Lights, Camera, Action...
and Danny Glover perfect shot. Sultry tropics 1. How many movies featured the ‘Creature from the
Malice. And Mel Gibson filmmakers looking for the
web in Absence of Trivia Questions:
siren calls to
Newman, finds himself caught in a big city newspaper’s springs – these are
urban activity in Orlando. A Miami businessman, Paul
un, sand, shimmering
Lights, Camera, Action... S
Beneath the 12 Mile Reef Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Out of Time
1953—Tarpon Springs 1984—Orlando 2003—Boca Grande, Cortez, Miami Beach
Sponge diving has been a Greek tradition in Tarpon Springs since 1882. In need of alligators to film, the crew of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Denzel Washington plays Matthias Lee Whitlock, a small-town chief of police
This Robert Wagner film tells the story of the divers, with scenes of Tarpon Doom visited one of Florida’s oldest attractions, Gatorland. The menacing investigating a double homicide. Also starring Florida native Eva Mendes, this
Springs looking not all that much different than it does today. This ‘gators beneath the rickety swinging wooden bridge where Jones and the crime thriller incorporates memorable shots in downtown Boca Grande.
distinctly Greek village is off US 19 north of Clearwater. bad guys battle are footage from Gatorland. (941) 964-0568, www.bocagrandechamber.com,
(727) 937-6109, www.tarponsprings.com (800) 393-JAWS, www.gatorland.com www.charlotteharbortravel.com
NORTHEAST FLORIDA
Great Expectations
G.I. Jane 1990—Dade City, Lutz, Lakeland, Wesley Chapel CENTRAL EAST FLORIDA 1998—Sarasota, Cortez
1997—Jacksonville, Green Cove Springs Filmed entirely in Florida, this unusual tale starring Johnny Depp was mostly In this romantic re-telling of the Charles Dickens classic, the crumbling
Demi Moore stars as the first woman ever to try out for Navy SEAL training in filmed in a housing development in Lutz painted in pastel hues for the Apollo 13 (1995), Armageddon (1998), mansion is the opulent home of John Ringling of Ringling Brothers and
G.I. Jane. Ships at Mayport Naval Station at the mouth of the St. Johns River
movie. The Southgate Shopping Center on S. Florida Avenue in Lakeland is From the Earth to the Moon (1998), Barnum and Bailey Circus fame. Completed in 1926, Ca d’Zan was the
in Jacksonville provided a scenic backdrop for the film. Green Cove Springs a landmark location—the mighty swoop of the giant arch is a sight to behold. Space Cowboys (2000) center of Sarasota’s cultural life, drastically altered to weather it for the film.
and Camp Blanding were also used as locations. The Camp Blanding Museum (863) 298-7576, www.visitcentralflorida.org Cape Canaveral, Merritt Island, Titusville This historic landmark shares the grounds with the John and Mabel Ringling
on SR 16 commemorates the efforts of soldiers trained here for World War II. Directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, Museum of Art in Sarasota, known worldwide for its collections.
(904) 533-3196, www.30thinfantry.org/blanding.shtml Apollo 13 tells the gripping story of astronauts in (941) 359-5700, www.ringling.org
CENTRAL trouble in space. True-to-life scenes unfold at the
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking Kennedy Space Center at Launch Complex 34 The Greatest Show on Earth
1988—Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach Rebel Without a Cause 1952— Sarasota Flipper
1955—Silver Springs (Apollo 1 Memorial), Launch Complex 39A, and
When director Ken Annakin needed to create the magical “Rocksby Town,” with the real “Crawler” in action, which brings Charlton Heston stars in this film version of life 1964-68—Miami
where red-headed Pippilotta Longstocking (Tami Erin) lives, he found Florida had a cameo role in this James Dean classic about a rebellious in the circus, filmed entirely in Sarasota, home of Most of this classic show’s 88 episodes were shot on location or at a
young man with a troubled past. Some of the outdoor scenes were filmed at the rockets out for launch. Armageddon, directed
everything he needed on Amelia Island. The authentic Victorian village of by Michael Bay and starring Bruce Willis, uses circus magnate John Ringling. Betty Hutton, Dorothy soundstage—the former Ivan Tors Studios, now Greenwich Studios in
Fernandina Beach provided outdoor scenes, while Pippi’s home was the 1870 Silver Springs, east of Ocala. (888) FL-OCALA, www.ocalamarion.com Lamour and Cornel Wilde led a circus parade down North Miami. Opened in 1955, the Miami Seaquarium once featured
the same locations to different effect, spinning a
Italianate Victorian Bell House. Walk Centre Street in Fernandina Beach to Rosewood sci-fi yarn. The television mini-series From the Main Street in downtown Sarasota. Stroll in their Flipper swimming in a lagoon along Biscayne Bay.
step into Pippi’s world. (800)-2AMELIA, www.ameliaisland.org 1997—Near Eustis, Cedar Key Earth to the Moon traces Apollo missions from footsteps and see some of the buildings today as (305) 361-5705, www.miamiseaquarium.com
As recounted in this John Singleton film, Rosewood was destroyed by 1961 to 1972. This series was shot at the Kennedy they were during the film. (941) 957-1877,
racially-motivated events on New Years’ Day, 1923. Shot near the Seminole Space Center and Orlando’s Naval Training www.sarasotafl.org Where the Boys Are
CENTRAL WEST FLORIDA 1960—Fort Lauderdale
State Forest off SR 44, some 30 homes were brought in to reflect the feel Center, now Baldwin Park. Florida’s Space Coast is the only place to see a In this trend-setting comedy, four college women on spring break look
Follow That Dream of the real Rosewood. For the actual Rosewood area, following SR 24 west space shuttle up-close on a tour of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
1962—Crystal River, Inglis, Inverness, Ocala, Yankeetown towards Cedar Key, you will find a historic marker recalling the historic, (321) 449-4444, www.kennedyspacecenter.com
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA for love at the beach. Featured prominently in the film, The Elbo Room,
This Elvis Presley classic pays cinematic homage to the region. Truckloads yet tragic, location. (877) 387-5673, www.visitnaturecoast.com, Scarface established in 1938, is just across from the beach in the heart of Las Olas
of sand temporarily created a peninsula near Yankeetown where Elvis sets up Days of Thunder Boulevard’s entertainment district. (954) 463-4615, www.elboroom.com
www.rosewoodflorida.com 1983—Miami
a homestead. Drive “Follow That Dream Boulevard” from US 19 in Inglis 1990—Daytona Beach Set in Miami, this re-make of the gangster prohibition classic involves the Goldfinger
to find the causeway. During filming, the cast stayed at the Port Paradise Sea Hunt As hot-shot NASCAR stock car driver
violent world of crime and cocaine circa 1980. Important Miami Beach 1964—Miami
Hotel, now a launch point for divers viewing manatees in Crystal River. The 1958— Silver Springs Cole Trickle, Tom Cruise stars in this locations include the Fontainebleau Hotel and the fictitious Sun Ray Goldfinger opens with a spectacular panoramic shot of the Fontainebleau
legal showdown occurs in the 1912 Citrus County courthouse in downtown From 1958 to 1961, Lloyd Bridges starred in this half-hour underwater action-packed flick at the Daytona
Apartments, where the famous chainsaw scene was filmed on an upper floor. Hotel. The character of Goldfinger was based on tycoon Charles Englehard
Inverness that was recently renovated based on footage from the movie and is series. More than 100 episodes featured footage from Silver Springs. Since International Speedway. Along The ground floor is now home to a Johnny Rockets on Ocean Drive. of Englehard Metals, who frequented Boca Grande and died there in 1971.
now a museum. (800) 587-6667, www.visitcitrus.com 1916, when the silent movie The Seven Swans was filmed, Silver Springs Speedway Boulevard east of Interstate
(800) 933-8448, www.gmcvb.com
has been a popular destination for filmmakers. James Bond battled villains 95, Daytona 500 Experience feeds the The Bellboy
Cocoon beneath these waters during Thunderball (1965) and Moonraker (1979). need for speed with race car simulators Caddyshack 1960—Miami Beach
1985—St. Petersburg Take a ride on Silver Springs’ famous glass bottomed boats to see the statues and the Richard Petty Driving 1980—Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Davie Jerry Lewis cuts loose in this tour-de-farce throughout the entire
St. Petersburg and Pinellas County provide a from Thunderball and the springs from which the Creature from the Black Experience, where you hurtle around the same track as NASCAR legends at In this perennial golfer’s comedy, the one and only Rodney Dangerfield sank Fontainebleau Hotel, in Miami Beach. The film is a permanent log of the
sense of place for Ron Howard’s uplifting tale Lagoon emerged. On the Lost River Voyage, you depart adjacent to the Sea up to 160 miles per hour. (386) 947-6530, www.daytona500experience.com Judge Smails (Ted Knight) on Lake Boca Raton at the posh Boca Raton Resort art deco look of the original hotel. (305) 538-2000,
of a group of seniors finding their fountain Hunt cottage, now the captains’ quarters. and Club, just a par 5 from the Atlantic Ocean. www.fontainebleau.com
of youth. The dance scene with Don Ameche (352) 236-2121, www.silversprings.com (561) 447-3000, www.bocaresort.com
and Gwen Vernon took place inside St. SOUTHWEST FLORIDA True Lies
Petersburg’s Coliseum (535 4th Ave N). Built Easy to Love It’s just a short jaunt down Interstate 95 to where Ty Webb (Chevy Chase)
Adaptation 1994—Florida Keys & Key West, Miami
in 1924, it hosts special events and is worth 1953—Cypress Gardens practiced night putting and Carl Spackler (Bill Murray) “blew up” the gopher Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in one of
Dick Pope built a pool in the shape of Florida at Cypress 2002—Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Homestead at the members-only Grande Oaks Golf Club in Davie.
the trip just to peek inside. (727) 892-5202, Adaptation is just that. Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman won an Academy the most spectacular action sequences
www.stpete.org/coliseum. The “world’s largest,” the St. Petersburg Gardens to coax amazing swimmer and actress Esther (954) 916-2900, www.grandeoaks.com shot in Florida. A dramatic chase climaxes
Williams to make this Florida film. The pool and water- Award for his fictional spin on Susan Orlean’s non-fiction book The Orchid
Shuffleboard Club (559 Mirror Lake Dr. N) appears in key scenes. It houses Thief, which details the theft of one of the world’s rarest flowers. Visit Miami Vice & CSI: Miami with an explosion on the old Seven Mile
more than 110 playing courts and hosts tournaments year round. ski shows started by Dick Pope in the 1930s are just a 1984-1989; 2002-present—Miami Bridge, built nearly a century before to
fraction of the fun at this attraction near Winter Haven. Fakahatchee Strand State Park to seek out the elusive ghost orchid.
(727) 822-2083, www.shuffleboardclub.org (239) 695-4593, www.floridastateparks.org/fakahatcheestrand Sporting pastel-colored suits and five o’clock shadows, Don Johnson and speed Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railroad
(863) 324-2111, www.cypressgardens.com Philip Michael Thomas tooled around Miami Beach in a Ferrari in the police to Key West. (800) 648-5510,
The Punisher
Parenthood Hoot drama Miami Vice, a show credited with generating support to preserve www.fla-keys.com
2004—Tampa, Dunedin 2006—Boca Grande, Fort Lauderdale
Marvel comic book character The Punisher (Thomas Jane) battles bad guy 1989—Orlando Miami’s Art Deco architecture at South Beach. (305) 673-7400, Licence to Kill
From the Delaney Park Little League field in Al Three children attempt to stop a developer from building a pancake house www.miamibeachfl.gov
Howard Saint (John Travolta) who has destroyed Castle’s life. Much of the where endangered burrowing owls live, based on Florida native Carl 1989—Florida Keys & Key West
action happens in downtown Tampa and the Port of Tampa. During a family Coith Park (at Gore Street and Delaney) to Pine Castle Elementary and In 2002, another side of crime heated up Miami. CSI: Miami shows crime Former Governor Bob Martinez had a cameo as a security guard in this
the Beardall Center, director Ron Howard made use of Orlando for this Hiassen’s award-winning children’s book. Journey’s End is one of Boca
gathering at the beginning of the film – set in Puerto Rico – the shots are Grande’s oldest cottages, and was used as the house of Roy Eberhardt scene investigators solving grisly murders. Popular locations for the series British film, which features a running travelogue of the Florida Keys.
actually at Honeymoon Island in Dunedin, with public restrooms dressed Steve Martin movie. On a drive around the city, you’ll encounter scenes include the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Bicentennial Park, and Everglades There are scenes on the Seven Mile Bridge, aerial shots, and one moment
remembered from Problem Child 2, Ernest Saves Christmas, Lethal Weapon (Logan Lerman). The cast and crew stayed and shot around the Gasparilla
up as the Castle family home. (727) 469-5942, www.floridastateparks.org/ Inn, a landmark since 1913. (800) 996-1913, www.the-gasparilla-inn.com National Park in south Miami-Dade County. (305) 242-7700, where James Bond (Timothy Dalton) is stripped of his ‘Licence’ at the
honeymoonisland or (800) 826-8353, www.visittampabay.com 3 and the Superboy TV series. (800) 972-3304, www.orlandoinfo.com www.nps.gov/ever Hemingway Home in Key West. (305) 294-1136,
Fort Lauderdale’s opulent Bonnet House also played a part in the filming.
(954) 563-5393, www.bonnethouse.org www.hemingwayhome.com

and today.
many movie attractions and entertainment from yesterday
commercials. Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando offers
4 - In It To Win It – television shows, music videos and
Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector and Bring It On
locations. Productions include feature movies – recently
state-of-the-art sound stages and more than 100 backlot
opened in Orlando in 1988 and is a premier facility with
the film legacy alive in Florida, Universal Studios Florida®
flourish in motion pictures and then into television. Keeping
Throughout the 20th century, production continued to
By the late 1920s “talkies” had taken over the film industry.
numerous feature films to challenge racism.
Ace (1926). He was committed to racial equality and created
shorts, including The Bull-Dogger (1921) and The Flying
six films and hundreds of
and respect. He created
were portrayed with dignity
the films of Richard Norman
black characters featured in
with negative stereotypes,
portrayed African-Americans
At a time when most films
for African-Americans.
to create empowering films
of the first white filmmakers
stand today. Norman was one
buildings, most of which still
a sprawling complex of five
Jacksonville in 1920. He had
his silent movie studio in
Richard Norman began
MGM, first opened its doors there in 1915.
including Jacksonville in the 1920s. Metro Pictures, later
Sidney Lubin, had silent film studios across the country,
to make with Stan Laurel. The Lubin Company, run by
Helper, was very much like the other films he was destined
Lubin Company in 1913. His first film, The Paperhanger’s
Oliver Hardy got his start in Jacksonville by joining the
film companies turned out thousands of films.
dubbed “Tinseltown of the East,” and the many local silent
Sunshine State. Jacksonville was a moviemaking center,
estate and labor, motion picture production flourished in the
mild winters, established rail lines, and inexpensive real
brought Florida to the silver screen. With Florida’s sunny,
white images of the Spanish-American War in 1898 first
Florida had an active film industry. Flickering black and
From the turn of the century to the time of the first “talkies,”
Florida’s Movie Legacy
Some Well Known Florida Movies...
NORTHWEST FLORIDA
The Truman Show Edward Scissorhands
1998—Seaside, Panama City
Jim Carrey stars in this film as an
unknowing star of a reality TV show.
Seaside doubles for “Seahaven,” a
Utopian village that is a television
studio in which Truman lives. Enjoy
your own oceanfront fantasy at Seaside, off US 98 between Destin and
Panama City Beach. (888)-SEASIDE, www.seasidefl.com
Ulee’s Gold
1997—Wewahitchka, Tallahassee, Orlando
For this poignant drama, filmmaker Victor Nunez
enlisted the Lanier family of Wewahitchka
known for their Tupelo honey to provide location
shots and beekeeping expertise. Peter Fonda stars
as Ulee Jackson, a reclusive widower struggling
with his children and his beekeeping business.
(800) 482-GULF, www.visitgulf.com
NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA
Cross Creek
1983—Cross Creek
The Sunshine State’s literary heart beats proudly at the home of Pulitzer
prize-winning author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Mostly filmed at a
nearby lakeside orange grove, this movie memoir details rural life in
Cross Creek and the joys and tribulations of the Rawlings farmstead
bought in 1928. Visit Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park
to see life on her farm. (352) 466-3672, www.floridastateparks.org/
marjoriekinnanrawlings
Creature from the Black Lagoon
1954—Wakulla Springs, Silver Springs
Some of the world’s clearest waters bubble
from Florida’s springs, so it’s no surprise
that underwater filmmaking began here.
In Creature from the Black Lagoon,
professional diver and Florida native Ricou
Browning played the Gill-Man. Crucial underwater scenes were filmed
at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs. The 1955 sequel Revenge of the
Creature, partially shot at Marineland, shows Clint Eastwood in his first
movie role—a lab technician. The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)
opens on the Edison Bridge into Fort Myers and features an expedition
into the Everglades. South of Tallahassee, Wakulla Springs hosts
CreatureFest each October. (850) 224-5950,
www.floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings
Tarzan
1930s-1940s—Wakulla Springs, Silver Springs
At two of the largest springs in the world,
moviemakers found perfect substitutes for the
African jungle—Florida’s river forests. Adding
elephants and chimpanzees, these Florida locales
made a convincing backdrop for Tarzan, Jane,
and Boy in the six Tarzan films made at Wakulla
Springs and Silver Springs.
© Copyright 2007 VISIT FLORIDA® • VF/82K-0707
Cartoon illustrations and map by Robert Smith, Jr., Brochure design by Gelhardt Graphics. and visitor information statewide.
Movie posters courtesy of the Collection of the Museum of Florida History, Florida Department of State,
locations, film festivals, current productions underway, movie trivia
life in Northwest Florida to Movies.VISITFLORIDA.com Check out Movies.VISITFLORIDA.com for information on more movie
stars through the Sunshine State.
Ulee’s Gold ranges from rural Movies.VISITFLORIDA.com
and follow the footsteps of the been more than sand and surf.
a part of your Florida exploration
Florida’s film locations have
theatre near you. Make the movies Rental at Madeira Beach. But
Sunshine State - coming soon to a
to John’s Pass for a Summer
not-yet-famous locales around the Candy took his fictional family
the most famous, infamous and
Lauderdale Beach, and John Charlie Crist
continues to highlight some of Where the Boys Are on Fort
in Florida
© BODY HEAT,The Ladd Company, Licensed by Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
George Hamilton frolicked in
production think. Annette Funicello and
Film are more common than you’d Sincerely,
cinematography, location shots
(Answers: 1. 3; 2. Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom; 3. Jackie Gleason; 4. Frogs;
5. Space Camp, Apollo 13, Armageddon, From the Earth to the Moon, Space Cowboys;
Florida and across all genres of Sunshine State.
6. Jerry Lewis; 7. Follow That Dream; 8. In Her Shoes; 9. Bad Boys II; 10. Striptease)
Winn Dixie.
Citizen Kane to Because of well be yes. Throughout many wonderful activities and attractions in the
tree? The answer might very Best wishes for an enjoyable trip as you discover all the
aren’t always shot here, from
Did Tarzan swing from that cane fields as one of the pivitol scenes?
congressman used western Palm Beach County sugar
Like It Hot. Films about Florida action, drama, horror or suspense, it is all here.
Monroe really on this street?
night club dancer and Burt Reynolds as a corrupt
beach, California-style, in Some Whether your silver screen interests are comedy, romance,
stand right here? Was Marilyn
Marilyn Monroe on their Florida
Did Arnold Schwarzenegger 10. What 1996 movie starring Demi Moore as a I encourage you to take some time to explore the state.
BAD BOYS II © 2003 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
or Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and
mountains in the background, be a silver screen flashback. Delray Beach mansion in a huge explosion? Show, G.I. Jane, The Birdcage, Miami Vice and Hoot.
Today your déjà vu might Lawrence, shot in southeast Florida, destroyed a
the A-Team in Miami with 9. What movie starring Will Smith and Martin
production in recent films such as Apollo 13, The Truman
magic mixes it up—think continues to be a popular backdrop in motion picture
retirement community?
and a movie-goers dream.
Hollywood’s movie towns, historic landmarks and natural beauty. Florida
Is it Florida…or not?
countless motion pictures, a moviemakers paradise starred in what movie that was shot in a Delray Beach showcasing our famous beaches, downtowns and small
a century, Florida has been the set and subject of 8. Cameron Diaz, Shirley MacLaine and Toni Collette
production was just beginning. Spanning more than films, secured Florida’s place in cinematic history by
Cause, and Speed 2. after an Elvis movie? including Where The Boys Are and numerous Tarzan
7. What is the name of the road near Inglis that is named
movies like Bad Boys, Just was the hub of silent film studios and movie
starts with the silent movie era, when Jacksonville film studios called Florida home. Many movie classics,
hurtles down our highways with
Florida’s cinematic history at the Fontainebleau Hotel in this 1960 film? of America’s film industry and soon more than 30 silent
Lagoon series. Action-adventure 6. What comedian spent an entire movie wreaking havoc In the early 1900s, Florida was the winter headquarters
Tarzan and Creature from the Black
finest films set in Florida. 5. Name two movies made at the Kennedy Space Center. generations with our warm weather and tropical locations.
substitutes for wilder areas in the to some of Hollywood’s Florida has been captivating movie makers for
roles in films like The Yearling, and made in Wewahitchka?
4. What amphibian is the title of this 1972 horror movie
visual impacts giving shape
Florida’s natural beauty takes starring the horizon, are a collage of invite you to experience a cinematic tour of Florida.
Weapon 3. over water stretching into Miami Beach? (Hint: And awaaaaaaaay we go!) On behalf of the State of Florida, it is my pleasure to
of Lethal character, and long bridges 3. What entertainer had his TV variety program filmed in
the beginning Gatorland? Dear Florida Traveler:
old City Hall in Orlando at centers, small towns with 2. Which Indiana Jones movie used alligators from
Black Lagoon’?
“accidentally” implode the contrast with sleek urban
Lights, Camera, Action...
and Danny Glover perfect shot. Sultry tropics 1. How many movies featured the ‘Creature from the
Malice. And Mel Gibson filmmakers looking for the
web in Absence of Trivia Questions:
siren calls to
Newman, finds himself caught in a big city newspaper’s springs – these are
urban activity in Orlando. A Miami businessman, Paul
un, sand, shimmering
Lights, Camera, Action... S
Beneath the 12 Mile Reef Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Out of Time
1953—Tarpon Springs 1984—Orlando 2003—Boca Grande, Cortez, Miami Beach
Sponge diving has been a Greek tradition in Tarpon Springs since 1882. In need of alligators to film, the crew of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Denzel Washington plays Matthias Lee Whitlock, a small-town chief of police
This Robert Wagner film tells the story of the divers, with scenes of Tarpon Doom visited one of Florida’s oldest attractions, Gatorland. The menacing investigating a double homicide. Also starring Florida native Eva Mendes, this
Springs looking not all that much different than it does today. This ‘gators beneath the rickety swinging wooden bridge where Jones and the crime thriller incorporates memorable shots in downtown Boca Grande.
distinctly Greek village is off US 19 north of Clearwater. bad guys battle are footage from Gatorland. (941) 964-0568, www.bocagrandechamber.com,
(727) 937-6109, www.tarponsprings.com (800) 393-JAWS, www.gatorland.com www.charlotteharbortravel.com
NORTHEAST FLORIDA
Great Expectations
G.I. Jane 1990—Dade City, Lutz, Lakeland, Wesley Chapel CENTRAL EAST FLORIDA 1998—Sarasota, Cortez
1997—Jacksonville, Green Cove Springs Filmed entirely in Florida, this unusual tale starring Johnny Depp was mostly In this romantic re-telling of the Charles Dickens classic, the crumbling
Demi Moore stars as the first woman ever to try out for Navy SEAL training in filmed in a housing development in Lutz painted in pastel hues for the Apollo 13 (1995), Armageddon (1998), mansion is the opulent home of John Ringling of Ringling Brothers and
G.I. Jane. Ships at Mayport Naval Station at the mouth of the St. Johns River
movie. The Southgate Shopping Center on S. Florida Avenue in Lakeland is From the Earth to the Moon (1998), Barnum and Bailey Circus fame. Completed in 1926, Ca d’Zan was the
in Jacksonville provided a scenic backdrop for the film. Green Cove Springs a landmark location—the mighty swoop of the giant arch is a sight to behold. Space Cowboys (2000) center of Sarasota’s cultural life, drastically altered to weather it for the film.
and Camp Blanding were also used as locations. The Camp Blanding Museum (863) 298-7576, www.visitcentralflorida.org Cape Canaveral, Merritt Island, Titusville This historic landmark shares the grounds with the John and Mabel Ringling
on SR 16 commemorates the efforts of soldiers trained here for World War II. Directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, Museum of Art in Sarasota, known worldwide for its collections.
(904) 533-3196, www.30thinfantry.org/blanding.shtml Apollo 13 tells the gripping story of astronauts in (941) 359-5700, www.ringling.org
CENTRAL trouble in space. True-to-life scenes unfold at the
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking Kennedy Space Center at Launch Complex 34 The Greatest Show on Earth
1988—Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach Rebel Without a Cause 1952— Sarasota Flipper
1955—Silver Springs (Apollo 1 Memorial), Launch Complex 39A, and
When director Ken Annakin needed to create the magical “Rocksby Town,” with the real “Crawler” in action, which brings Charlton Heston stars in this film version of life 1964-68—Miami
where red-headed Pippilotta Longstocking (Tami Erin) lives, he found Florida had a cameo role in this James Dean classic about a rebellious in the circus, filmed entirely in Sarasota, home of Most of this classic show’s 88 episodes were shot on location or at a
young man with a troubled past. Some of the outdoor scenes were filmed at the rockets out for launch. Armageddon, directed
everything he needed on Amelia Island. The authentic Victorian village of by Michael Bay and starring Bruce Willis, uses circus magnate John Ringling. Betty Hutton, Dorothy soundstage—the former Ivan Tors Studios, now Greenwich Studios in
Fernandina Beach provided outdoor scenes, while Pippi’s home was the 1870 Silver Springs, east of Ocala. (888) FL-OCALA, www.ocalamarion.com Lamour and Cornel Wilde led a circus parade down North Miami. Opened in 1955, the Miami Seaquarium once featured
the same locations to different effect, spinning a
Italianate Victorian Bell House. Walk Centre Street in Fernandina Beach to Rosewood sci-fi yarn. The television mini-series From the Main Street in downtown Sarasota. Stroll in their Flipper swimming in a lagoon along Biscayne Bay.
step into Pippi’s world. (800)-2AMELIA, www.ameliaisland.org 1997—Near Eustis, Cedar Key Earth to the Moon traces Apollo missions from footsteps and see some of the buildings today as (305) 361-5705, www.miamiseaquarium.com
As recounted in this John Singleton film, Rosewood was destroyed by 1961 to 1972. This series was shot at the Kennedy they were during the film. (941) 957-1877,
racially-motivated events on New Years’ Day, 1923. Shot near the Seminole Space Center and Orlando’s Naval Training www.sarasotafl.org Where the Boys Are
CENTRAL WEST FLORIDA 1960—Fort Lauderdale
State Forest off SR 44, some 30 homes were brought in to reflect the feel Center, now Baldwin Park. Florida’s Space Coast is the only place to see a In this trend-setting comedy, four college women on spring break look
Follow That Dream of the real Rosewood. For the actual Rosewood area, following SR 24 west space shuttle up-close on a tour of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
1962—Crystal River, Inglis, Inverness, Ocala, Yankeetown towards Cedar Key, you will find a historic marker recalling the historic, (321) 449-4444, www.kennedyspacecenter.com
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA for love at the beach. Featured prominently in the film, The Elbo Room,
This Elvis Presley classic pays cinematic homage to the region. Truckloads yet tragic, location. (877) 387-5673, www.visitnaturecoast.com, Scarface established in 1938, is just across from the beach in the heart of Las Olas
of sand temporarily created a peninsula near Yankeetown where Elvis sets up Days of Thunder Boulevard’s entertainment district. (954) 463-4615, www.elboroom.com
www.rosewoodflorida.com 1983—Miami
a homestead. Drive “Follow That Dream Boulevard” from US 19 in Inglis 1990—Daytona Beach Set in Miami, this re-make of the gangster prohibition classic involves the Goldfinger
to find the causeway. During filming, the cast stayed at the Port Paradise Sea Hunt As hot-shot NASCAR stock car driver
violent world of crime and cocaine circa 1980. Important Miami Beach 1964—Miami
Hotel, now a launch point for divers viewing manatees in Crystal River. The 1958— Silver Springs Cole Trickle, Tom Cruise stars in this locations include the Fontainebleau Hotel and the fictitious Sun Ray Goldfinger opens with a spectacular panoramic shot of the Fontainebleau
legal showdown occurs in the 1912 Citrus County courthouse in downtown From 1958 to 1961, Lloyd Bridges starred in this half-hour underwater action-packed flick at the Daytona
Apartments, where the famous chainsaw scene was filmed on an upper floor. Hotel. The character of Goldfinger was based on tycoon Charles Englehard
Inverness that was recently renovated based on footage from the movie and is series. More than 100 episodes featured footage from Silver Springs. Since International Speedway. Along The ground floor is now home to a Johnny Rockets on Ocean Drive. of Englehard Metals, who frequented Boca Grande and died there in 1971.
now a museum. (800) 587-6667, www.visitcitrus.com 1916, when the silent movie The Seven Swans was filmed, Silver Springs Speedway Boulevard east of Interstate
(800) 933-8448, www.gmcvb.com
has been a popular destination for filmmakers. James Bond battled villains 95, Daytona 500 Experience feeds the The Bellboy
Cocoon beneath these waters during Thunderball (1965) and Moonraker (1979). need for speed with race car simulators Caddyshack 1960—Miami Beach
1985—St. Petersburg Take a ride on Silver Springs’ famous glass bottomed boats to see the statues and the Richard Petty Driving 1980—Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Davie Jerry Lewis cuts loose in this tour-de-farce throughout the entire
St. Petersburg and Pinellas County provide a from Thunderball and the springs from which the Creature from the Black Experience, where you hurtle around the same track as NASCAR legends at In this perennial golfer’s comedy, the one and only Rodney Dangerfield sank Fontainebleau Hotel, in Miami Beach. The film is a permanent log of the
sense of place for Ron Howard’s uplifting tale Lagoon emerged. On the Lost River Voyage, you depart adjacent to the Sea up to 160 miles per hour. (386) 947-6530, www.daytona500experience.com Judge Smails (Ted Knight) on Lake Boca Raton at the posh Boca Raton Resort art deco look of the original hotel. (305) 538-2000,
of a group of seniors finding their fountain Hunt cottage, now the captains’ quarters. and Club, just a par 5 from the Atlantic Ocean. www.fontainebleau.com
of youth. The dance scene with Don Ameche (352) 236-2121, www.silversprings.com (561) 447-3000, www.bocaresort.com
and Gwen Vernon took place inside St. SOUTHWEST FLORIDA True Lies
Petersburg’s Coliseum (535 4th Ave N). Built Easy to Love It’s just a short jaunt down Interstate 95 to where Ty Webb (Chevy Chase)
Adaptation 1994—Florida Keys & Key West, Miami
in 1924, it hosts special events and is worth 1953—Cypress Gardens practiced night putting and Carl Spackler (Bill Murray) “blew up” the gopher Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in one of
Dick Pope built a pool in the shape of Florida at Cypress 2002—Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Homestead at the members-only Grande Oaks Golf Club in Davie.
the trip just to peek inside. (727) 892-5202, Adaptation is just that. Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman won an Academy the most spectacular action sequences
www.stpete.org/coliseum. The “world’s largest,” the St. Petersburg Gardens to coax amazing swimmer and actress Esther (954) 916-2900, www.grandeoaks.com shot in Florida. A dramatic chase climaxes
Williams to make this Florida film. The pool and water- Award for his fictional spin on Susan Orlean’s non-fiction book The Orchid
Shuffleboard Club (559 Mirror Lake Dr. N) appears in key scenes. It houses Thief, which details the theft of one of the world’s rarest flowers. Visit Miami Vice & CSI: Miami with an explosion on the old Seven Mile
more than 110 playing courts and hosts tournaments year round. ski shows started by Dick Pope in the 1930s are just a 1984-1989; 2002-present—Miami Bridge, built nearly a century before to
fraction of the fun at this attraction near Winter Haven. Fakahatchee Strand State Park to seek out the elusive ghost orchid.
(727) 822-2083, www.shuffleboardclub.org (239) 695-4593, www.floridastateparks.org/fakahatcheestrand Sporting pastel-colored suits and five o’clock shadows, Don Johnson and speed Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railroad
(863) 324-2111, www.cypressgardens.com Philip Michael Thomas tooled around Miami Beach in a Ferrari in the police to Key West. (800) 648-5510,
The Punisher
Parenthood Hoot drama Miami Vice, a show credited with generating support to preserve www.fla-keys.com
2004—Tampa, Dunedin 2006—Boca Grande, Fort Lauderdale
Marvel comic book character The Punisher (Thomas Jane) battles bad guy 1989—Orlando Miami’s Art Deco architecture at South Beach. (305) 673-7400, Licence to Kill
From the Delaney Park Little League field in Al Three children attempt to stop a developer from building a pancake house www.miamibeachfl.gov
Howard Saint (John Travolta) who has destroyed Castle’s life. Much of the where endangered burrowing owls live, based on Florida native Carl 1989—Florida Keys & Key West
action happens in downtown Tampa and the Port of Tampa. During a family Coith Park (at Gore Street and Delaney) to Pine Castle Elementary and In 2002, another side of crime heated up Miami. CSI: Miami shows crime Former Governor Bob Martinez had a cameo as a security guard in this
the Beardall Center, director Ron Howard made use of Orlando for this Hiassen’s award-winning children’s book. Journey’s End is one of Boca
gathering at the beginning of the film – set in Puerto Rico – the shots are Grande’s oldest cottages, and was used as the house of Roy Eberhardt scene investigators solving grisly murders. Popular locations for the series British film, which features a running travelogue of the Florida Keys.
actually at Honeymoon Island in Dunedin, with public restrooms dressed Steve Martin movie. On a drive around the city, you’ll encounter scenes include the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Bicentennial Park, and Everglades There are scenes on the Seven Mile Bridge, aerial shots, and one moment
remembered from Problem Child 2, Ernest Saves Christmas, Lethal Weapon (Logan Lerman). The cast and crew stayed and shot around the Gasparilla
up as the Castle family home. (727) 469-5942, www.floridastateparks.org/ Inn, a landmark since 1913. (800) 996-1913, www.the-gasparilla-inn.com National Park in south Miami-Dade County. (305) 242-7700, where James Bond (Timothy Dalton) is stripped of his ‘Licence’ at the
honeymoonisland or (800) 826-8353, www.visittampabay.com 3 and the Superboy TV series. (800) 972-3304, www.orlandoinfo.com www.nps.gov/ever Hemingway Home in Key West. (305) 294-1136,
Fort Lauderdale’s opulent Bonnet House also played a part in the filming.
(954) 563-5393, www.bonnethouse.org www.hemingwayhome.com
Some Well Known Florida Movies...
NORTHWEST FLORIDA
The Truman Show Edward Scissorhands
1998—Seaside, Panama City
Jim Carrey stars in this film as an
unknowing star of a reality TV show.
Seaside doubles for “Seahaven,” a
Utopian village that is a television
studio in which Truman lives. Enjoy
your own oceanfront fantasy at Seaside, off US 98 between Destin and
Panama City Beach. (888)-SEASIDE, www.seasidefl.com
Ulee’s Gold
1997—Wewahitchka, Tallahassee, Orlando
For this poignant drama, filmmaker Victor Nunez
enlisted the Lanier family of Wewahitchka
known for their Tupelo honey to provide location
shots and beekeeping expertise. Peter Fonda stars
as Ulee Jackson, a reclusive widower struggling
with his children and his beekeeping business.
(800) 482-GULF, www.visitgulf.com
NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA
Cross Creek
1983—Cross Creek
The Sunshine State’s literary heart beats proudly at the home of Pulitzer
prize-winning author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Mostly filmed at a
nearby lakeside orange grove, this movie memoir details rural life in
Cross Creek and the joys and tribulations of the Rawlings farmstead
bought in 1928. Visit Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park
to see life on her farm. (352) 466-3672, www.floridastateparks.org/
marjoriekinnanrawlings
Creature from the Black Lagoon
1954—Wakulla Springs, Silver Springs
Some of the world’s clearest waters bubble
from Florida’s springs, so it’s no surprise
that underwater filmmaking began here.
In Creature from the Black Lagoon,
professional diver and Florida native Ricou
Browning played the Gill-Man. Crucial underwater scenes were filmed
at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs. The 1955 sequel Revenge of the
Creature, partially shot at Marineland, shows Clint Eastwood in his first
movie role—a lab technician. The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)
opens on the Edison Bridge into Fort Myers and features an expedition
into the Everglades. South of Tallahassee, Wakulla Springs hosts
CreatureFest each October. (850) 224-5950,
www.floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings
Tarzan
1930s-1940s—Wakulla Springs, Silver Springs
At two of the largest springs in the world,
moviemakers found perfect substitutes for the
African jungle—Florida’s river forests. Adding
elephants and chimpanzees, these Florida locales
made a convincing backdrop for Tarzan, Jane,
and Boy in the six Tarzan films made at Wakulla
Springs and Silver Springs.
NORTHEAST FLORIDA
G.I. Jane
1997—Jacksonville, Green Cove Springs
Demi Moore stars as the first woman ever to try out for Navy SEAL training in filmed in a housing development in Lutz painted in pastel hues for the
G.I. Jane. Ships at Mayport Naval Station at the mouth of the St. Johns River movie. The Southgate Shopping Center on S. Florida Avenue in Lakeland is
in Jacksonville provided a scenic backdrop for the film. Green Cove Springs
and Camp Blanding were also used as locations. The Camp Blanding Museum (863) 298-7576, www.visitcentralflorida.org
on SR 16 commemorates the efforts of soldiers trained here for World War II.
(904) 533-3196, www.30thinfantry.org/blanding.shtml
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
1988—Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach
When director Ken Annakin needed to create the magical “Rocksby Town,”
where red-headed Pippilotta Longstocking (Tami Erin) lives, he found
everything he needed on Amelia Island. The authentic Victorian village of
Fernandina Beach provided outdoor scenes, while Pippi’s home was the 1870
Italianate Victorian Bell House. Walk Centre Street in Fernandina Beach to
step into Pippi’s world. (800)-2AMELIA, www.ameliaisland.org
CENTRAL WEST FLORIDA
Follow That Dream
1962—Crystal River, Inglis, Inverness, Ocala, Yankeetown
This Elvis Presley classic pays cinematic homage to the region. Truckloads
of sand temporarily created a peninsula near Yankeetown where Elvis sets up
a homestead. Drive “Follow That Dream Boulevard” from US 19 in Inglis
to find the causeway. During filming, the cast stayed at the Port Paradise
Hotel, now a launch point for divers viewing manatees in Crystal River. The
legal showdown occurs in the 1912 Citrus County courthouse in downtown
Inverness that was recently renovated based on footage from the movie and is
now a museum. (800) 587-6667, www.visitcitrus.com
Cocoon
1985—St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg and Pinellas County provide a
sense of place for Ron Howard’s uplifting tale
of a group of seniors finding their fountain
of youth. The dance scene with Don Ameche
and Gwen Vernon took place inside St.
Petersburg’s Coliseum (535 4th Ave N). Built
in 1924, it hosts special events and is worth
the trip just to peek inside. (727) 892-5202,
www.stpete.org/coliseum. The “world’s largest,” the St. Petersburg
Shuffleboard Club (559 Mirror Lake Dr. N) appears in key scenes. It houses
more than 110 playing courts and hosts tournaments year round.
(727) 822-2083, www.shuffleboardclub.org
The Punisher
2004—Tampa, Dunedin
Marvel comic book character The Punisher (Thomas Jane) battles bad guy
Howard Saint (John Travolta) who has destroyed Castle’s life. Much of the
action happens in downtown Tampa and the Port of Tampa. During a family
gathering at the beginning of the film – set in Puerto Rico – the shots are
actually at Honeymoon Island in Dunedin, with public restrooms dressed
up as the Castle family home. (727) 469-5942, www.floridastateparks.org/
honeymoonisland or (800) 826-8353, www.visittampabay.com
Beneath the 12 Mile Reef
1953—Tarpon Springs
Sponge diving has been a Greek tradition in Tarpon Springs since 1882.
This Robert Wagner film tells the story of the divers, with scenes of Tarpon
Springs looking not all that much different than it does today. This
distinctly Greek village is off US 19 north of Clearwater.
(727) 937-6109, www.tarponsprings.com
1990—Dade City, Lutz, Lakeland, Wesley Chapel
Filmed entirely in Florida, this unusual tale starring Johnny Depp was mostly
a landmark location—the mighty swoop of the giant arch is a sight to behold.
CENTRAL
Rebel Without a Cause
1955—Silver Springs
Florida had a cameo role in this James Dean classic about a rebellious
young man with a troubled past. Some of the outdoor scenes were filmed at
Silver Springs, east of Ocala. (888) FL-OCALA, www.ocalamarion.com
Rosewood
1997—Near Eustis, Cedar Key
As recounted in this John Singleton film, Rosewood was destroyed by
racially-motivated events on New Years’ Day, 1923. Shot near the Seminole
State Forest off SR 44, some 30 homes were brought in to reflect the feel
of the real Rosewood. For the actual Rosewood area, following SR 24 west
towards Cedar Key, you will find a historic marker recalling the historic,
yet tragic, location. (877) 387-5673, www.visitnaturecoast.com,
www.rosewoodflorida.com
Sea Hunt
1958— Silver Springs
From 1958 to 1961, Lloyd Bridges starred in this half-hour underwater
series. More than 100 episodes featured footage from Silver Springs. Since
1916, when the silent movie The Seven Swans was filmed, Silver Springs
has been a popular destination for filmmakers. James Bond battled villains
beneath these waters during Thunderball (1965) and Moonraker (1979).
Take a ride on Silver Springs’ famous glass bottomed boats to see the statues
from Thunderball and the springs from which the Creature from the Black
Lagoon emerged. On the Lost River Voyage, you depart adjacent to the Sea
Hunt cottage, now the captains’ quarters.
(352) 236-2121, www.silversprings.com
Easy to Love
1953—Cypress Gardens
Dick Pope built a pool in the shape of Florida at Cypress
Gardens to coax amazing swimmer and actress Esther
Williams to make this Florida film. The pool and water-
ski shows started by Dick Pope in the 1930s are just a
fraction of the fun at this attraction near Winter Haven.
(863) 324-2111, www.cypressgardens.com
Parenthood
1989—Orlando
From the Delaney Park Little League field in Al
Coith Park (at Gore Street and Delaney) to Pine Castle Elementary and
the Beardall Center, director Ron Howard made use of Orlando for this
Steve Martin movie. On a drive around the city, you’ll encounter scenes
remembered from Problem Child 2, Ernest Saves Christmas, Lethal Weapon
3 and the Superboy TV series. (800) 972-3304, www.orlandoinfo.com
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
1984—Orlando
In need of alligators to film, the crew of Indiana Jones and the Temple of
Doom visited one of Florida’s oldest attractions, Gatorland. The menacing
‘gators beneath the rickety swinging wooden bridge where Jones and the
bad guys battle are footage from Gatorland.
(800) 393-JAWS, www.gatorland.com
CENTRAL EAST FLORIDA
Apollo 13 (1995), Armageddon (1998),
From the Earth to the Moon (1998),
Space Cowboys (2000)
Cape Canaveral, Merritt Island, Titusville
Directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks,
Apollo 13 tells the gripping story of astronauts in
trouble in space. True-to-life scenes unfold at the
Kennedy Space Center at Launch Complex 34
(Apollo 1 Memorial), Launch Complex 39A, and
with the real “Crawler” in action, which brings
the rockets out for launch. Armageddon, directed
by Michael Bay and starring Bruce Willis, uses
the same locations to different effect, spinning a
sci-fi yarn. The television mini-series From the
Earth to the Moon traces Apollo missions from
1961 to 1972. This series was shot at the Kennedy
Space Center and Orlando’s Naval Training
Center, now Baldwin Park. Florida’s Space Coast is the only place to see a
space shuttle up-close on a tour of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
(321) 449-4444, www.kennedyspacecenter.com
Days of Thunder
1990—Daytona Beach
As hot-shot NASCAR stock car driver
Cole Trickle, Tom Cruise stars in this
action-packed flick at the Daytona
International Speedway. Along
Speedway Boulevard east of Interstate
95, Daytona 500 Experience feeds the
need for speed with race car simulators
and the Richard Petty Driving
Experience, where you hurtle around the same track as NASCAR legends at
up to 160 miles per hour. (386) 947-6530, www.daytona500experience.com
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Adaptation
2002—Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Homestead
Adaptation is just that. Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman won an Academy
Award for his fictional spin on Susan Orlean’s non-fiction book The Orchid
Thief, which details the theft of one of the world’s rarest flowers. Visit
Fakahatchee Strand State Park to seek out the elusive ghost orchid.
(239) 695-4593, www.floridastateparks.org/fakahatcheestrand
Hoot
2006—Boca Grande, Fort Lauderdale
Three children attempt to stop a developer from building a pancake house
where endangered burrowing owls live, based on Florida native Carl
Hiassen’s award-winning children’s book. Journey’s End is one of Boca
Grande’s oldest cottages, and was used as the house of Roy Eberhardt
(Logan Lerman). The cast and crew stayed and shot around the Gasparilla
Inn, a landmark since 1913. (800) 996-1913, www.the-gasparilla-inn.com
Fort Lauderdale’s opulent Bonnet House also played a part in the filming.
(954) 563-5393, www.bonnethouse.org
Out of Time
2003—Boca Grande, Cortez, Miami Beach
Denzel Washington plays Matthias Lee Whitlock, a small-town chief of police
investigating a double homicide. Also starring Florida native Eva Mendes, this
crime thriller incorporates memorable shots in downtown Boca Grande.
(941) 964-0568, www.bocagrandechamber.com,
www.charlotteharbortravel.com
Great Expectations
1998—Sarasota, Cortez
In this romantic re-telling of the Charles Dickens classic, the crumbling
mansion is the opulent home of John Ringling of Ringling Brothers and
Barnum and Bailey Circus fame. Completed in 1926, Ca d’Zan was the
center of Sarasota’s cultural life, drastically altered to weather it for the film.
This historic landmark shares the grounds with the John and Mabel Ringling
Museum of Art in Sarasota, known worldwide for its collections.
(941) 359-5700, www.ringling.org
The Greatest Show on Earth
1952— Sarasota Flipper
Charlton Heston stars in this film version of life 1964-68—Miami
in the circus, filmed entirely in Sarasota, home of Most of this classic show’s 88 episodes were shot on location or at a
circus magnate John Ringling. Betty Hutton, Dorothy soundstage—the former Ivan Tors Studios, now Greenwich Studios in
Lamour and Cornel Wilde led a circus parade down North Miami. Opened in 1955, the Miami Seaquarium once featured
Main Street in downtown Sarasota. Stroll in their Flipper swimming in a lagoon along Biscayne Bay.
footsteps and see some of the buildings today as (305) 361-5705, www.miamiseaquarium.com
they were during the film. (941) 957-1877,
www.sarasotafl.org Where the Boys Are
1960—Fort Lauderdale
In this trend-setting comedy, four college women on spring break look
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
for love at the beach. Featured prominently in the film, The Elbo Room,
Scarface established in 1938, is just across from the beach in the heart of Las Olas
Boulevard’s entertainment district. (954) 463-4615, www.elboroom.com
1983—Miami
Set in Miami, this re-make of the gangster prohibition classic involves the Goldfinger
violent world of crime and cocaine circa 1980. Important Miami Beach 1964—Miami
locations include the Fontainebleau Hotel and the fictitious Sun Ray Goldfinger opens with a spectacular panoramic shot of the Fontainebleau
Apartments, where the famous chainsaw scene was filmed on an upper floor. Hotel. The character of Goldfinger was based on tycoon Charles Englehard
The ground floor is now home to a Johnny Rockets on Ocean Drive. of Englehard Metals, who frequented Boca Grande and died there in 1971.
(800) 933-8448, www.gmcvb.com
The Bellboy
Caddyshack 1960—Miami Beach
1980—Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Davie Jerry Lewis cuts loose in this tour-de-farce throughout the entire
In this perennial golfer’s comedy, the one and only Rodney Dangerfield sank Fontainebleau Hotel, in Miami Beach. The film is a permanent log of the
Judge Smails (Ted Knight) on Lake Boca Raton at the posh Boca Raton Resort art deco look of the original hotel. (305) 538-2000,
and Club, just a par 5 from the Atlantic Ocean. www.fontainebleau.com
(561) 447-3000, www.bocaresort.com
True Lies
It’s just a short jaunt down Interstate 95 to where Ty Webb (Chevy Chase)
1994—Florida Keys & Key West, Miami
practiced night putting and Carl Spackler (Bill Murray) “blew up” the gopher Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in one of
at the members-only Grande Oaks Golf Club in Davie.
the most spectacular action sequences
(954) 916-2900, www.grandeoaks.com shot in Florida. A dramatic chase climaxes
Miami Vice & CSI: Miami with an explosion on the old Seven Mile
1984-1989; 2002-present—Miami Bridge, built nearly a century before to
Sporting pastel-colored suits and five o’clock shadows, Don Johnson and speed Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railroad
Philip Michael Thomas tooled around Miami Beach in a Ferrari in the police to Key West. (800) 648-5510,
drama Miami Vice, a show credited with generating support to preserve www.fla-keys.com
Miami’s Art Deco architecture at South Beach. (305) 673-7400, Licence to Kill
www.miamibeachfl.gov
1989—Florida Keys & Key West
In 2002, another side of crime heated up Miami. CSI: Miami shows crime Former Governor Bob Martinez had a cameo as a security guard in this
scene investigators solving grisly murders. Popular locations for the series British film, which features a running travelogue of the Florida Keys.
include the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Bicentennial Park, and Everglades There are scenes on the Seven Mile Bridge, aerial shots, and one moment
National Park in south Miami-Dade County. (305) 242-7700, where James Bond (Timothy Dalton) is stripped of his ‘Licence’ at the
www.nps.gov/ever Hemingway Home in Key West. (305) 294-1136,
www.hemingwayhome.com

and today.
many movie attractions and entertainment from yesterday
commercials. Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando offers
4 - In It To Win It – television shows, music videos and
Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector and Bring It On
locations. Productions include feature movies – recently
state-of-the-art sound stages and more than 100 backlot
opened in Orlando in 1988 and is a premier facility with
the film legacy alive in Florida, Universal Studios Florida®
flourish in motion pictures and then into television. Keeping
Throughout the 20th century, production continued to
By the late 1920s “talkies” had taken over the film industry.
numerous feature films to challenge racism.
Ace (1926). He was committed to racial equality and created
shorts, including The Bull-Dogger (1921) and The Flying
six films and hundreds of
and respect. He created
were portrayed with dignity
the films of Richard Norman
black characters featured in
with negative stereotypes,
portrayed African-Americans
At a time when most films
for African-Americans.
to create empowering films
of the first white filmmakers
stand today. Norman was one
buildings, most of which still
a sprawling complex of five
Jacksonville in 1920. He had
his silent movie studio in
Richard Norman began
MGM, first opened its doors there in 1915.
including Jacksonville in the 1920s. Metro Pictures, later
Sidney Lubin, had silent film studios across the country,
to make with Stan Laurel. The Lubin Company, run by
Helper, was very much like the other films he was destined
Lubin Company in 1913. His first film, The Paperhanger’s
Oliver Hardy got his start in Jacksonville by joining the
film companies turned out thousands of films.
dubbed “Tinseltown of the East,” and the many local silent
Sunshine State. Jacksonville was a moviemaking center,
estate and labor, motion picture production flourished in the
mild winters, established rail lines, and inexpensive real
brought Florida to the silver screen. With Florida’s sunny,
white images of the Spanish-American War in 1898 first
Florida had an active film industry. Flickering black and
From the turn of the century to the time of the first “talkies,”
Florida’s Movie Legacy
Some Well Known Florida Movies...
NORTHWEST FLORIDA
The Truman Show Edward Scissorhands
1998—Seaside, Panama City
Jim Carrey stars in this film as an
unknowing star of a reality TV show.
Seaside doubles for “Seahaven,” a
Utopian village that is a television
studio in which Truman lives. Enjoy
your own oceanfront fantasy at Seaside, off US 98 between Destin and
Panama City Beach. (888)-SEASIDE, www.seasidefl.com
Ulee’s Gold
1997—Wewahitchka, Tallahassee, Orlando
For this poignant drama, filmmaker Victor Nunez
enlisted the Lanier family of Wewahitchka
known for their Tupelo honey to provide location
shots and beekeeping expertise. Peter Fonda stars
as Ulee Jackson, a reclusive widower struggling
with his children and his beekeeping business.
(800) 482-GULF, www.visitgulf.com
NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA
Cross Creek
1983—Cross Creek
The Sunshine State’s literary heart beats proudly at the home of Pulitzer
prize-winning author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Mostly filmed at a
nearby lakeside orange grove, this movie memoir details rural life in
Cross Creek and the joys and tribulations of the Rawlings farmstead
bought in 1928. Visit Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park
to see life on her farm. (352) 466-3672, www.floridastateparks.org/
marjoriekinnanrawlings
Creature from the Black Lagoon
1954—Wakulla Springs, Silver Springs
Some of the world’s clearest waters bubble
from Florida’s springs, so it’s no surprise
that underwater filmmaking began here.
In Creature from the Black Lagoon,
professional diver and Florida native Ricou
Browning played the Gill-Man. Crucial underwater scenes were filmed
at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs. The 1955 sequel Revenge of the
Creature, partially shot at Marineland, shows Clint Eastwood in his first
movie role—a lab technician. The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)
opens on the Edison Bridge into Fort Myers and features an expedition
into the Everglades. South of Tallahassee, Wakulla Springs hosts
CreatureFest each October. (850) 224-5950,
www.floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings
Tarzan
1930s-1940s—Wakulla Springs, Silver Springs
At two of the largest springs in the world,
moviemakers found perfect substitutes for the
African jungle—Florida’s river forests. Adding
elephants and chimpanzees, these Florida locales
made a convincing backdrop for Tarzan, Jane,
and Boy in the six Tarzan films made at Wakulla
Springs and Silver Springs.
© Copyright 2007 VISIT FLORIDA® • VF/82K-0707
Cartoon illustrations and map by Robert Smith, Jr., Brochure design by Gelhardt Graphics. and visitor information statewide.
Movie posters courtesy of the Collection of the Museum of Florida History, Florida Department of State,
locations, film festivals, current productions underway, movie trivia
life in Northwest Florida to Movies.VISITFLORIDA.com Check out Movies.VISITFLORIDA.com for information on more movie
stars through the Sunshine State.
Ulee’s Gold ranges from rural Movies.VISITFLORIDA.com
and follow the footsteps of the been more than sand and surf.
a part of your Florida exploration
Florida’s film locations have
theatre near you. Make the movies Rental at Madeira Beach. But
Sunshine State - coming soon to a
to John’s Pass for a Summer
not-yet-famous locales around the Candy took his fictional family
the most famous, infamous and
Lauderdale Beach, and John Charlie Crist
continues to highlight some of Where the Boys Are on Fort
in Florida
© BODY HEAT,The Ladd Company, Licensed by Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
George Hamilton frolicked in
production think. Annette Funicello and
Film are more common than you’d Sincerely,
cinematography, location shots
(Answers: 1. 3; 2. Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom; 3. Jackie Gleason; 4. Frogs;
5. Space Camp, Apollo 13, Armageddon, From the Earth to the Moon, Space Cowboys;
Florida and across all genres of Sunshine State.
6. Jerry Lewis; 7. Follow That Dream; 8. In Her Shoes; 9. Bad Boys II; 10. Striptease)
Winn Dixie.
Citizen Kane to Because of well be yes. Throughout many wonderful activities and attractions in the
tree? The answer might very Best wishes for an enjoyable trip as you discover all the
aren’t always shot here, from
Did Tarzan swing from that cane fields as one of the pivitol scenes?
congressman used western Palm Beach County sugar
Like It Hot. Films about Florida action, drama, horror or suspense, it is all here.
Monroe really on this street?
night club dancer and Burt Reynolds as a corrupt
beach, California-style, in Some Whether your silver screen interests are comedy, romance,
stand right here? Was Marilyn
Marilyn Monroe on their Florida
Did Arnold Schwarzenegger 10. What 1996 movie starring Demi Moore as a I encourage you to take some time to explore the state.
BAD BOYS II © 2003 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
or Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and
mountains in the background, be a silver screen flashback. Delray Beach mansion in a huge explosion? Show, G.I. Jane, The Birdcage, Miami Vice and Hoot.
Today your déjà vu might Lawrence, shot in southeast Florida, destroyed a
the A-Team in Miami with 9. What movie starring Will Smith and Martin
production in recent films such as Apollo 13, The Truman
magic mixes it up—think continues to be a popular backdrop in motion picture
retirement community?
and a movie-goers dream.
Hollywood’s movie towns, historic landmarks and natural beauty. Florida
Is it Florida…or not?
countless motion pictures, a moviemakers paradise starred in what movie that was shot in a Delray Beach showcasing our famous beaches, downtowns and small
a century, Florida has been the set and subject of 8. Cameron Diaz, Shirley MacLaine and Toni Collette
production was just beginning. Spanning more than films, secured Florida’s place in cinematic history by
Cause, and Speed 2. after an Elvis movie? including Where The Boys Are and numerous Tarzan
7. What is the name of the road near Inglis that is named
movies like Bad Boys, Just was the hub of silent film studios and movie
starts with the silent movie era, when Jacksonville film studios called Florida home. Many movie classics,
hurtles down our highways with
Florida’s cinematic history at the Fontainebleau Hotel in this 1960 film? of America’s film industry and soon more than 30 silent
Lagoon series. Action-adventure 6. What comedian spent an entire movie wreaking havoc In the early 1900s, Florida was the winter headquarters
Tarzan and Creature from the Black
finest films set in Florida. 5. Name two movies made at the Kennedy Space Center. generations with our warm weather and tropical locations.
substitutes for wilder areas in the to some of Hollywood’s Florida has been captivating movie makers for
roles in films like The Yearling, and made in Wewahitchka?
4. What amphibian is the title of this 1972 horror movie
visual impacts giving shape
Florida’s natural beauty takes starring the horizon, are a collage of invite you to experience a cinematic tour of Florida.
Weapon 3. over water stretching into Miami Beach? (Hint: And awaaaaaaaay we go!) On behalf of the State of Florida, it is my pleasure to
of Lethal character, and long bridges 3. What entertainer had his TV variety program filmed in
the beginning Gatorland? Dear Florida Traveler:
old City Hall in Orlando at centers, small towns with 2. Which Indiana Jones movie used alligators from
Black Lagoon’?
“accidentally” implode the contrast with sleek urban
Lights, Camera, Action...
and Danny Glover perfect shot. Sultry tropics 1. How many movies featured the ‘Creature from the
Malice. And Mel Gibson filmmakers looking for the
web in Absence of Trivia Questions:
siren calls to
Newman, finds himself caught in a big city newspaper’s springs – these are
urban activity in Orlando. A Miami businessman, Paul
un, sand, shimmering
Lights, Camera, Action... S
Beneath the 12 Mile Reef Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Out of Time
1953—Tarpon Springs 1984—Orlando 2003—Boca Grande, Cortez, Miami Beach
Sponge diving has been a Greek tradition in Tarpon Springs since 1882. In need of alligators to film, the crew of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Denzel Washington plays Matthias Lee Whitlock, a small-town chief of police
This Robert Wagner film tells the story of the divers, with scenes of Tarpon Doom visited one of Florida’s oldest attractions, Gatorland. The menacing investigating a double homicide. Also starring Florida native Eva Mendes, this
Springs looking not all that much different than it does today. This ‘gators beneath the rickety swinging wooden bridge where Jones and the crime thriller incorporates memorable shots in downtown Boca Grande.
distinctly Greek village is off US 19 north of Clearwater. bad guys battle are footage from Gatorland. (941) 964-0568, www.bocagrandechamber.com,
(727) 937-6109, www.tarponsprings.com (800) 393-JAWS, www.gatorland.com www.charlotteharbortravel.com
NORTHEAST FLORIDA
Great Expectations
G.I. Jane 1990—Dade City, Lutz, Lakeland, Wesley Chapel CENTRAL EAST FLORIDA 1998—Sarasota, Cortez
1997—Jacksonville, Green Cove Springs Filmed entirely in Florida, this unusual tale starring Johnny Depp was mostly In this romantic re-telling of the Charles Dickens classic, the crumbling
Demi Moore stars as the first woman ever to try out for Navy SEAL training in filmed in a housing development in Lutz painted in pastel hues for the Apollo 13 (1995), Armageddon (1998), mansion is the opulent home of John Ringling of Ringling Brothers and
G.I. Jane. Ships at Mayport Naval Station at the mouth of the St. Johns River
movie. The Southgate Shopping Center on S. Florida Avenue in Lakeland is From the Earth to the Moon (1998), Barnum and Bailey Circus fame. Completed in 1926, Ca d’Zan was the
in Jacksonville provided a scenic backdrop for the film. Green Cove Springs a landmark location—the mighty swoop of the giant arch is a sight to behold. Space Cowboys (2000) center of Sarasota’s cultural life, drastically altered to weather it for the film.
and Camp Blanding were also used as locations. The Camp Blanding Museum (863) 298-7576, www.visitcentralflorida.org Cape Canaveral, Merritt Island, Titusville This historic landmark shares the grounds with the John and Mabel Ringling
on SR 16 commemorates the efforts of soldiers trained here for World War II. Directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, Museum of Art in Sarasota, known worldwide for its collections.
(904) 533-3196, www.30thinfantry.org/blanding.shtml Apollo 13 tells the gripping story of astronauts in (941) 359-5700, www.ringling.org
CENTRAL trouble in space. True-to-life scenes unfold at the
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking Kennedy Space Center at Launch Complex 34 The Greatest Show on Earth
1988—Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach Rebel Without a Cause 1952— Sarasota Flipper
1955—Silver Springs (Apollo 1 Memorial), Launch Complex 39A, and
When director Ken Annakin needed to create the magical “Rocksby Town,” with the real “Crawler” in action, which brings Charlton Heston stars in this film version of life 1964-68—Miami
where red-headed Pippilotta Longstocking (Tami Erin) lives, he found Florida had a cameo role in this James Dean classic about a rebellious in the circus, filmed entirely in Sarasota, home of Most of this classic show’s 88 episodes were shot on location or at a
young man with a troubled past. Some of the outdoor scenes were filmed at the rockets out for launch. Armageddon, directed
everything he needed on Amelia Island. The authentic Victorian village of by Michael Bay and starring Bruce Willis, uses circus magnate John Ringling. Betty Hutton, Dorothy soundstage—the former Ivan Tors Studios, now Greenwich Studios in
Fernandina Beach provided outdoor scenes, while Pippi’s home was the 1870 Silver Springs, east of Ocala. (888) FL-OCALA, www.ocalamarion.com Lamour and Cornel Wilde led a circus parade down North Miami. Opened in 1955, the Miami Seaquarium once featured
the same locations to different effect, spinning a
Italianate Victorian Bell House. Walk Centre Street in Fernandina Beach to Rosewood sci-fi yarn. The television mini-series From the Main Street in downtown Sarasota. Stroll in their Flipper swimming in a lagoon along Biscayne Bay.
step into Pippi’s world. (800)-2AMELIA, www.ameliaisland.org 1997—Near Eustis, Cedar Key Earth to the Moon traces Apollo missions from footsteps and see some of the buildings today as (305) 361-5705, www.miamiseaquarium.com
As recounted in this John Singleton film, Rosewood was destroyed by 1961 to 1972. This series was shot at the Kennedy they were during the film. (941) 957-1877,
racially-motivated events on New Years’ Day, 1923. Shot near the Seminole Space Center and Orlando’s Naval Training www.sarasotafl.org Where the Boys Are
CENTRAL WEST FLORIDA 1960—Fort Lauderdale
State Forest off SR 44, some 30 homes were brought in to reflect the feel Center, now Baldwin Park. Florida’s Space Coast is the only place to see a In this trend-setting comedy, four college women on spring break look
Follow That Dream of the real Rosewood. For the actual Rosewood area, following SR 24 west space shuttle up-close on a tour of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
1962—Crystal River, Inglis, Inverness, Ocala, Yankeetown towards Cedar Key, you will find a historic marker recalling the historic, (321) 449-4444, www.kennedyspacecenter.com
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA for love at the beach. Featured prominently in the film, The Elbo Room,
This Elvis Presley classic pays cinematic homage to the region. Truckloads yet tragic, location. (877) 387-5673, www.visitnaturecoast.com, Scarface established in 1938, is just across from the beach in the heart of Las Olas
of sand temporarily created a peninsula near Yankeetown where Elvis sets up Days of Thunder Boulevard’s entertainment district. (954) 463-4615, www.elboroom.com
www.rosewoodflorida.com 1983—Miami
a homestead. Drive “Follow That Dream Boulevard” from US 19 in Inglis 1990—Daytona Beach Set in Miami, this re-make of the gangster prohibition classic involves the Goldfinger
to find the causeway. During filming, the cast stayed at the Port Paradise Sea Hunt As hot-shot NASCAR stock car driver
violent world of crime and cocaine circa 1980. Important Miami Beach 1964—Miami
Hotel, now a launch point for divers viewing manatees in Crystal River. The 1958— Silver Springs Cole Trickle, Tom Cruise stars in this locations include the Fontainebleau Hotel and the fictitious Sun Ray Goldfinger opens with a spectacular panoramic shot of the Fontainebleau
legal showdown occurs in the 1912 Citrus County courthouse in downtown From 1958 to 1961, Lloyd Bridges starred in this half-hour underwater action-packed flick at the Daytona
Apartments, where the famous chainsaw scene was filmed on an upper floor. Hotel. The character of Goldfinger was based on tycoon Charles Englehard
Inverness that was recently renovated based on footage from the movie and is series. More than 100 episodes featured footage from Silver Springs. Since International Speedway. Along The ground floor is now home to a Johnny Rockets on Ocean Drive. of Englehard Metals, who frequented Boca Grande and died there in 1971.
now a museum. (800) 587-6667, www.visitcitrus.com 1916, when the silent movie The Seven Swans was filmed, Silver Springs Speedway Boulevard east of Interstate
(800) 933-8448, www.gmcvb.com
has been a popular destination for filmmakers. James Bond battled villains 95, Daytona 500 Experience feeds the The Bellboy
Cocoon beneath these waters during Thunderball (1965) and Moonraker (1979). need for speed with race car simulators Caddyshack 1960—Miami Beach
1985—St. Petersburg Take a ride on Silver Springs’ famous glass bottomed boats to see the statues and the Richard Petty Driving 1980—Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Davie Jerry Lewis cuts loose in this tour-de-farce throughout the entire
St. Petersburg and Pinellas County provide a from Thunderball and the springs from which the Creature from the Black Experience, where you hurtle around the same track as NASCAR legends at In this perennial golfer’s comedy, the one and only Rodney Dangerfield sank Fontainebleau Hotel, in Miami Beach. The film is a permanent log of the
sense of place for Ron Howard’s uplifting tale Lagoon emerged. On the Lost River Voyage, you depart adjacent to the Sea up to 160 miles per hour. (386) 947-6530, www.daytona500experience.com Judge Smails (Ted Knight) on Lake Boca Raton at the posh Boca Raton Resort art deco look of the original hotel. (305) 538-2000,
of a group of seniors finding their fountain Hunt cottage, now the captains’ quarters. and Club, just a par 5 from the Atlantic Ocean. www.fontainebleau.com
of youth. The dance scene with Don Ameche (352) 236-2121, www.silversprings.com (561) 447-3000, www.bocaresort.com
and Gwen Vernon took place inside St. SOUTHWEST FLORIDA True Lies
Petersburg’s Coliseum (535 4th Ave N). Built Easy to Love It’s just a short jaunt down Interstate 95 to where Ty Webb (Chevy Chase)
Adaptation 1994—Florida Keys & Key West, Miami
in 1924, it hosts special events and is worth 1953—Cypress Gardens practiced night putting and Carl Spackler (Bill Murray) “blew up” the gopher Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in one of
Dick Pope built a pool in the shape of Florida at Cypress 2002—Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Homestead at the members-only Grande Oaks Golf Club in Davie.
the trip just to peek inside. (727) 892-5202, Adaptation is just that. Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman won an Academy the most spectacular action sequences
www.stpete.org/coliseum. The “world’s largest,” the St. Petersburg Gardens to coax amazing swimmer and actress Esther (954) 916-2900, www.grandeoaks.com shot in Florida. A dramatic chase climaxes
Williams to make this Florida film. The pool and water- Award for his fictional spin on Susan Orlean’s non-fiction book The Orchid
Shuffleboard Club (559 Mirror Lake Dr. N) appears in key scenes. It houses Thief, which details the theft of one of the world’s rarest flowers. Visit Miami Vice & CSI: Miami with an explosion on the old Seven Mile
more than 110 playing courts and hosts tournaments year round. ski shows started by Dick Pope in the 1930s are just a 1984-1989; 2002-present—Miami Bridge, built nearly a century before to
fraction of the fun at this attraction near Winter Haven. Fakahatchee Strand State Park to seek out the elusive ghost orchid.
(727) 822-2083, www.shuffleboardclub.org (239) 695-4593, www.floridastateparks.org/fakahatcheestrand Sporting pastel-colored suits and five o’clock shadows, Don Johnson and speed Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railroad
(863) 324-2111, www.cypressgardens.com Philip Michael Thomas tooled around Miami Beach in a Ferrari in the police to Key West. (800) 648-5510,
The Punisher
Parenthood Hoot drama Miami Vice, a show credited with generating support to preserve www.fla-keys.com
2004—Tampa, Dunedin 2006—Boca Grande, Fort Lauderdale
Marvel comic book character The Punisher (Thomas Jane) battles bad guy 1989—Orlando Miami’s Art Deco architecture at South Beach. (305) 673-7400, Licence to Kill
From the Delaney Park Little League field in Al Three children attempt to stop a developer from building a pancake house www.miamibeachfl.gov
Howard Saint (John Travolta) who has destroyed Castle’s life. Much of the where endangered burrowing owls live, based on Florida native Carl 1989—Florida Keys & Key West
action happens in downtown Tampa and the Port of Tampa. During a family Coith Park (at Gore Street and Delaney) to Pine Castle Elementary and In 2002, another side of crime heated up Miami. CSI: Miami shows crime Former Governor Bob Martinez had a cameo as a security guard in this
the Beardall Center, director Ron Howard made use of Orlando for this Hiassen’s award-winning children’s book. Journey’s End is one of Boca
gathering at the beginning of the film – set in Puerto Rico – the shots are Grande’s oldest cottages, and was used as the house of Roy Eberhardt scene investigators solving grisly murders. Popular locations for the series British film, which features a running travelogue of the Florida Keys.
actually at Honeymoon Island in Dunedin, with public restrooms dressed Steve Martin movie. On a drive around the city, you’ll encounter scenes include the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Bicentennial Park, and Everglades There are scenes on the Seven Mile Bridge, aerial shots, and one moment
remembered from Problem Child 2, Ernest Saves Christmas, Lethal Weapon (Logan Lerman). The cast and crew stayed and shot around the Gasparilla
up as the Castle family home. (727) 469-5942, www.floridastateparks.org/ Inn, a landmark since 1913. (800) 996-1913, www.the-gasparilla-inn.com National Park in south Miami-Dade County. (305) 242-7700, where James Bond (Timothy Dalton) is stripped of his ‘Licence’ at the
honeymoonisland or (800) 826-8353, www.visittampabay.com 3 and the Superboy TV series. (800) 972-3304, www.orlandoinfo.com www.nps.gov/ever Hemingway Home in Key West. (305) 294-1136,
Fort Lauderdale’s opulent Bonnet House also played a part in the filming.
(954) 563-5393, www.bonnethouse.org www.hemingwayhome.com