Pittsburgh has played host to zombies, action heroes, Mafiosi — even God.
They’re just a few of the characters in films that have shot here, beginning with “The Perils of Pauline” in 1914. Since then, according to the Pittsburgh Film Office website, 127 film and television productions have been shot here. The trend has continued over the summer, with at least three films — “I Am Number Four,” “One for the Money” and “Abduction” — shooting in the region.
Last year, crews shot scenes in Squirrel Hill, Downtown, South Side (Station Square), Bloomfield, the Hill District, Troy Hill, Mt. Washington, Highland Park, the North Side’s Mexican War Streets, Regent Square, Oakland and the Strip District. The latest tribute to our city comes in “The Next Three Days.” Set in Pittsburgh, the film features views of the Point, PPG Place and the Monongahela Incline. Oh yeah — it stars Russell Crowe as a teacher and father who plots to break his wife out of prison after she is wrongly accused of murder.
Half the fun of seeing these films at a theater is spotting familiar locations. Some are obvious — the Civic Arena was the site of fictitious Stanley Cup final in the 1995 movie “Sudden Death,” in which Jean-Claude Van Damme battled terrorists who had taken the vice president hostage. Others may require more vigilant viewing, such as the 1992 film “Hoffa,” starring Jack Nicholson and directed by Danny DeVito. A scene depicting a labor riot was shot near the Terminal Building on Smallman Street in the Strip District.
Consider a day spent poking around the site of famous film shoots in the ‘Burgh.
11 a.m.Begin at Soldiers & Sailors Military Museum and Memorial in Oakland. Its soaring marble columns and gracious front lawn suggest dignity and repose. But it wore quite a different face in the grim and grisly “Silence of the Lambs,” filmed here in 1990. The upstairs ballroom was used in the infamous “cage” scene in which serial killer Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lechter, played by Anthony Hopkins, slips out of his handcuffs and murders two policeman. The lobby also was used in the film, as was the Bigelow Boulevard facade of the building. The film won five Oscars, including for best actor for Hopkins, best actress for Jodie Foster and best director for Jonathan Demme. Hopkins only appears onscreen for 16 minutes total, making his the shortest ever performance to win a Best Actor Oscar. Make sure to tour the museum while you’re there. Soldiers & Sailors, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary Oct. 9, commemorates the sacrifice of our men and women though photos, letters, uniforms, weapons and other artifacts from the country’s conflicts. The Gettysburg Room is dedicated to the Civil War. Exhibits include “The Woman’s Role” and “Everyone Pitches In,” a collection of wartime propaganda from comic books to war bond advertisements to recruitment posters.
Soldiers & Sailors Military Museum and Memorial, 4141 Fifth Ave., Oakland. Admission: $8; $5 for seniors and ages 5-13. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Details: 412-621-4253.
12:30 p.m.Fortify yourself with lunch at Enrico’s Biscotti in the Strip District. The boutique bakery and cafe served as the setting for the 2001 independent film “The Bread, My Sweet.” The romance, written and directed by Mt. Lebanon playwright Melissa Martin, stars Scott Baio as a bakery worker who attempts to fulfill his elderly neighbor’s dying wish by finding and marrying the woman’s daughter. It’s easy to see why this local sentimental favorite was filmed here — from the screen door to the brick patio, Enrico’s radiates a homey, embracing warmth. Owner Larry Lagattuta carries on the traditions of Italian baking that were practiced by his father, who hailed from the Calabria province of Italy. He buys only fresh local ingredients for his scones, macaroons, cookies, cakes and pies. Enrico’s also serves quiches and pizzas made in woodburning brick ovens. Their loaves of biscotti are still made by hand; flavors include chocolate, anise and almond, white chocolate or black pepper-walnut.
Enrico’s Biscotti, 2022 Penn Ave., Strip District. Hours: 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Details: 412-823-7158 .
1:30 p.m.It wouldn’t be a Pittsburgh film date without a visit to at least one location from the 1983 film “Flashdance.” Set in Pittsburgh, it starred doe-eyed Jennifer Beals as Alex, a female welder and exotic dancer who aspires to get into ballet school. The movie’s style-over-substance aesthetic makes it more a period snapshot than an immortal piece of cinematic art. The ”80s can be said to have started here, with a soundtrack that included Irene Cara’s “What A Feeling” and the synth-heavy “Maniac.” And who knew that Beals would accidentally start a fashion craze because her sweatshirt had shrunk in the wash⢠She cut off the collar to get it over her head, resulting in an off-the-shoulder look that would soon find its way onto MTV and into misses’ departments in shops the world over. The movie’s opening scene, in which Alex rides her bike down a hill was filmed atop the North Side above Allegheny General Hospital, which is visible in one shot. Retrace her steps — or wheels. The route, according to Fast-Rewind.com , starts at Warren and Cotoma streets. Alex rides down Warren Street and makes a left onto Henderson Street and another very sharp left onto Fountain Street. She turns onto James Street and continues down the hill. We recommend you drive the route, unless you’re an experienced cyclist. If you do bike it, wear a helmet.
3 p.m.Drop in at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin The amusement park was the setting for the romantic comedy “Adventureland,” filmed here in 2007. It stars Jesse Eisenberg as a newly minted college graduate who is forced to take a minimum-wage job running the games at a dingy arcade. It turns out to be a blessing in disguise as he meets the beautiful Emily Lewin (Kristen Stewart) and, of course, learns valuable life lessons. The normally pristine Kennywood had to be aged in order to resemble the decrepit and slightly disreputable Long Island amusement park in the movie’s title. Kennywood’s black wrought iron fences were covered with a replica of a rickety wooden fence, while the park’s signs were smudged with dirt and grease. The real games here aren’t rigged, as they were in the movie. The rings on the ring toss actually fit over the tops of the milk bottles, and the rim on the basketball game is regulation. And don’t forget to ride the famed Thunderbolt roller coaster. During the movie shoot, the film’s producers reportedly asked the park’s owners if they could start the coaster midway through its circuit whenever somebody yelled “Action!”
Kennywood Park is open today and Sept. 11, 12, 18 and 19. Gates open at 10:30 a.m. and rides start at 11 a.m. Closing time is determined each night by crowd size and weather. A FunDay pass is $35.99; $17.49 for those 55 and over. NightRider passes, purchased after 5 p.m., are $20.99. On Sept. 26 Kennywood is open from noon to 7 p.m. in limited operation with discounted FunDay passes for $15 ($5 for those 55 and over). Details: 412-461-0500 or website .
7 p.m.Enjoy the sunset on the bridge over Lake Elizabeth in West Park. The bridge in the North Side park is lovingly photographed in a scene from the movie “She’s Out of My League,” which shot here in 2008. The film’s unprepossessing protagonist, played by Jay Baruchel, frets that his relationship with the comely Alice Eve is too good to be true. But all’s well that end’s well. In addition to West Park, other locations in “League” include Pittsburgh International Airport, the Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, PNC Park and Market Square.
Copyright ©2026— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)