Today we will share with you some of the iconic movie sets to visit in NYC! If you love NYC or if you’re a cinephile…come take a look!
New York City is easily one of the most common tourist spots in the United States, with the city seeing 66.6 million visitors which generated $47.4 billion in spending in 2019 alone, as the Office of State Comptroller reported.
It’s also a hot spot for movie filming – it’s believed a whopping 300 movies were filmed in NYC in both 2015 and 2016, for example.
That comes as no surprise, as the city is the perfect backdrop for nearly every genre out there.
While we’re not about to list hundreds of movies, let’s take a look at some of the most iconic movie sets you should visit if you find yourself in The Big Apple.
Ghostbusters (1984) and the New York Library
After getting a call and their first job from the library administrator, the Ghostbusters arrived at the New York Library to take care of a ghost that apparently had an affinity for books during her life.
The library also shows up in Ghostbusters: The Video Game and brings the characters back between the shelves to battle Book Bats and a Book Golem.
In the game, the library had at least 12 bodies beneath the structure and a sub-basement along with a few secret rooms. While these rooms (and the bodies underneath!) don’t actually exist, you can visit the library itself.
CNN mentions that you might even be able to get a free book!
King Kong (2005) and Gapstow Bridge in Central Park
Few films did for NYC what the original King Kong did, and the subsequent exposure in pop culture cements the locations.
It even spawned the 2005 game Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, released on Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PS2, and PC, which shows plenty of the iconic places in NYC.
The giant ape also features in some of the Ladbrokes online slot games, including Kong the 8th Wonder of the World and Kong’s Temple.
Both have his image featured heavily, with the first title also seeing him sit atop the Empire State Building. The Empire State Building also shows up in other games, including SimCity. So, of course, it’s quite a well-known location thanks to movies and games.
The Gapstow Bridge is another location that quite a few filmmakers have used.
In King Kong, the bridge is used as a backdrop for a heartwarming scene between Kong and Ann as they skate over the frozen lake before tragedy strikes.
If you want to see the bridge for yourself (frozen lake or not), head over to the southeast corner of Central Park.
Night at the Museum (2006) and the American Museum of Natural History
Of course, the movie Night at the Museum was not filmed in the museum itself but was based on the museum and its exhibits.
The external shots, however, were of the museum itself with permission.
If you go, you can see the very same exhibits including the T-Rex (although it probably won’t want to play fetch with a giant bone. Sorry!).
Of course, there are some new exhibits as well, including the Sharks Exhibition where you can learn about these marine terrors and even buy some souvenir fossils to take home.
New York City has plenty to offer – from great food to museums dedicated to nearly everything! It’s hard to be bored here.
If you’re a movie buff who wants to see some of the most iconic movie sets from your favorite movies, come on down!
You can check out 25 Most Iconic And Instagrammable Movie Locations In NYC, have fun at a super cool NYC TV & Movie Tour or even enjoy 45 Films Set In New York City from the comfort of your home!
Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay
