Fast Links
It’s no secret that Las Vegas is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. A report listed on Insider.com even found that an average of 993 visitors for every 100 residents enters the city every year. This figure amounted to roughly 42 million visitors pre-pandemic. And while tourism has slowed these past few months, Las Vegas was still able to welcome nearly half that number.
But aside from an evening in a luxurious hotel or a whole day in Fremont, there’s one thing tourists like to do while they’re in the area: visit famous filming locations. After all, a lot of popular movies like Dreamgirls (2006), The Hangover (2009), and Ocean’s Eleven (1960) have key shots filmed in Las Vegas. If you’re looking to see some of them, here are a couple you can’t miss out on:
Caesars Palace
You can’t make a list like this and not pay homage to the long-running “You probably get this a lot. This isn’t the real Caesar’s Palace, is it?” joke from The Hangover. Though it was modernized over the years, a featured post on Las Vegas Magazine highlights how Caesars Palace was built in 1996, making it one of the city’s oldest resorts. Aside from accommodations, this Roman-themed building also has two shopping galleries and a high-end dining area that anybody (including non-guests) can enter. As the resort for the rich, countless scenes from Dreamgirls (2006) and Iron Man (2008) were shot here as well.
The Bellagio
The Bellagio is one of the biggest luxury hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. It’s locally renowned for its verdigris-framed Parisian-like gardens and blown-glass ceilings. The Bellagio Fountain, which hosts free fountain shows every night, is also located here.
If all these descriptions don’t jog your memory, then the name “Danny Ocean” might. Ocean Eleven’s (2001) producer Jerry Weintraub signed an agreement with the hotel to be able to close certain areas when it was time to film them. This included the Bellagio Fountain, which they needed for that final scene where Ocean and his team admired a Bellagio fountain show after a successful heist.
Red Rock Canyon
Not everything in Las Vegas comes with the glitz and glam as a tourist destination. There are many scenic locations, too, like the Red Rock Canyon. According to Poker.org’s guide to Las Vegas, this conservation area is only a short drive away from The Strip, making it the perfect stop for people who want to step away from the city’s vibrancy. It’s heralded for its red-banded stone peaks and long country roads. This was where Raoul Duke drove his red convertible through in Fear and Loathing (1998). In fact, if you want to experience a part of Duke’s journey, World Class Driving offers a 30-mile driving tour through the area.
The Neon Museum
Back when it was still called the Neon Boneyard, the Neon Museum became one of the primary filming locations for Tim Burton’s parody sci-fi film Mars Attacks! (1996). This movie even inspired the writing of Independence Day (1996), even though it came out months before. One of the screenwriters, Roland Emmerich, mentioned that they “had to beat [Burton] to it” or it’ll be taken as a joke. The Neon Museum itself is a treasure trove of old signs, making it the ideal location for any movie that needed an old school backdrop.
There’s plenty to see in Las Vegas, but plenty more for movie enthusiasts for tourist destinations. Whether you’re a fan of billionaires, aliens, or the average man struggling with himself, you can relive all those experiences in Las Vegas.
For more Sin City entertainment news and posts plus more filming locations, check some other articles on Las Vegas.