Looking Back at the Future Filming Locations

California, a western U.S. state, stretches from the Mexican border along the Pacific for nearly 900 miles. Its terrain includes cliff-lined beaches, redwood forest, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Central Valley farmland and the Mojave Desert. The city of Los Angeles is the seat of the Hollywood entertainment industry. Hilly San Francisco is known for the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and cable cars.

Carmel-by-the-Sea is a small beach city on California's Monterey Peninsula. It's known for the museums and library of the historic Carmel Mission, and the fairytale cottages and galleries of its village-like center. The Scenic Bluff Path runs from surf spot Carmel Beach to bird-rich Carmel River State Beach, with a scuba entry point. South lie the sea animals and whaling museum of Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.

Culver City, soaked in moviemaking history, features a buzzing dining and nightlife scene, which includes globally inspired eateries, gastropubs and cozy cocktail bars. Occupying the MGM lot, which dates back to 1924, Sony Pictures Studios offers behind-the-scenes tours of its legendary soundstages. Other cultural highlights include spare but sophisticated art galleries, playhouses and the storied Culver Hotel.

Encino is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California.

Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Downtown, the Museum of Neon Art showcases light-based, kinetic and electric art, plus vintage neon signs. Brand Park has trails and the 19th-century Doctor’s House Museum and Gazebo. The Verdugo Mountains offer equestrian routes and hilltop lookouts. Northeast, trails run through rugged Deukmejian Wilderness Park in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

A larger-than-life symbol of the entertainment business, Hollywood beckons tourists with landmarks like TCL Chinese Theatre and star-studded Walk of Fame. Highlights include Paramount Pictures, historic music venues like the Hollywood Bowl, and Dolby Theatre, home of the Oscars. Scenesters can choose from improv comedy clubs, retro-cool bars and velvet-roped nightclubs. Locals frequent eateries in nearby Thai Town.

Los Angeles is a sprawling Southern California city and the center of the nation’s film and television industry. Near its iconic Hollywood sign, studios such as Paramount Pictures, Universal and Warner Brothers offer behind-the-scenes tours. On Hollywood Boulevard, TCL Chinese Theatre displays celebrities’ hand- and footprints, the Walk of Fame honors thousands of luminaries and vendors sell maps to stars’ homes.

New York City comprises 5 boroughs sitting where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean. At its core is Manhattan, a densely populated borough that’s among the world’s major commercial, financial and cultural centers. Its iconic sites include skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building and sprawling Central Park. Broadway theater is staged in neon-lit Times Square.

Pasadena is a city in California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. In the center, Old Pasadena is a shopping and dining district known for its Victorian and art deco buildings. The strikingly modern Norton Simon Museum houses notable European and Asian art, plus a sculpture garden. The Rose Bowl is a sports stadium known for hosting the Rose Bowl Game, an annual college football clash usually held on January 1.

San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, financial, and cultural center in Northern California. With a population of 808,437 residents as of 2022, San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of California behind Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose.

Santa Barbara is a city on the central California coast, with the Santa Ynez Mountains as dramatic backdrop. Downtown, Mediterranean-style white stucco buildings with red-tile roofs reflect the city’s Spanish colonial heritage. Upscale boutiques and restaurants offering local wines and seasonal fare line State Street. On a nearby hill, Mission Santa Barbara, founded in 1786, houses Franciscan friars and a museum.

Sherman Oaks is a San Fernando Valley neighborhood that’s popular with families seeking suburban comforts. Bordered by busy freeways, it features a pair of slick shopping malls, including the open-air Sherman Oaks Galleria. On Ventura Boulevard, the area’s main commercial strip, gastropubs, wine bars and bright brunch cafes mix it up with old-school Mexican and burger joints.

St. Charles is a city in DuPage and Kane counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It lies roughly 40 miles west of Chicago on Illinois Route 64. Per the 2020 census, the population was 33,081. The official city slogan is "Pride of the Fox", after the Fox River that runs through the center of town.

St. Louis is a major city in Missouri along the Mississippi River. Its iconic, 630-ft. Gateway Arch, built in the 1960s, honors the early 19th-century explorations of Lewis and Clark and America's westward expansion in general. Replica paddlewheelers ply the river, offering views of the arch. The Soulard district is home to barbecue restaurants and clubs playing blues music.

Universal City or Universal Studios Complex is an unincorporated area within the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States.

Whittier is a city in Southern California in Los Angeles County, part of the Gateway Cities. The 14.7-square-mile city had 87,306 residents as of the 2020 United States census, an increase of 1,975 from the 2010 census figure. Whittier was incorporated in February 1898 and became a charter city in 1955.