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Movies Filmed in Houston: The Real Locations You Can Visit

Date Published

Movies filmed in Houston illustration: film reel and clapperboard against the city skyline at night

Houston has served as the backdrop for some of the most American movies ever made: a mechanical bull ride at the world's largest honky-tonk, an astronaut crew racing home from the moon, and a slow twelve-year portrait of growing up in Texas. The city gets cast for the same reason it always has — scale, heat, and a mix of industrial skyline and residential neighborhoods that can be almost anything a director needs.

Nine films are listed below with specific filming locations, most of which you can stand on today.

The quick list

  • Rushmore (1998): St. John's School in the River Oaks area — Wes Anderson used his own Houston alma mater.
  • Reality Bites (1994): The Montrose fourplex at 409 W. Clay Street, and Tranquility Park downtown.
  • Apollo 13 (1995): Real zero-gravity scenes filmed in a KC-135 aircraft out of Ellington Field; Space Center Houston is the public landmark.
  • Brewster McCloud (1970): The Houston Astrodome, where the film also held its world premiere.
  • Jason's Lyric (1994): Freedmen's Town and the Fourth Ward historic district.
  • Urban Cowboy (1980): Gilley's in Pasadena — the Guinness-record honky-tonk that burned down in 1990.
  • Terms of Endearment (1983): Two next-door houses on Locke Lane in River Oaks.
  • Boyhood (2014): Hermann Park, Minute Maid Park (now Daikin Park), and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.
  • Armageddon (1998): Johnson Space Center and Ellington Field for astronaut training sequences.

How we chose

We included films with at least one specific Houston location documented in production notes, cast interviews, or local journalism. Films that merely claimed to be set in Houston but shot elsewhere do not qualify. Gilley's is the one exception to the "currently visitable" rule — the original club burned down in 1990 — but its story is too central to Houston film history to leave out. Every other location below is standing and accessible as of October 2026.

Rushmore (1998)

St. John's School, 2401 Claremont Lane, River Oaks area

Before Wes Anderson made films about orphans on trains and grand hotels, he was a student at St. John's School in Houston. When he wrote Rushmore, he modeled the fictional prep school on his own — then came home to film it. St. John's became Rushmore Academy. Lamar High School, a few blocks away at 3325 Westheimer Road, stood in for Grover Cleveland High. The production spent more than 50 days in Houston.

What to see: The St. John's campus is an active private school, but the main building and chapel are clearly visible from Claremont Lane. Lamar is a Houston ISD public high school with a landmark 1930s facade at Westheimer and Buffalo Speedway. Cemetery scenes were shot at Hollywood Cemetery, 3506 E. Main Street in East Houston — open to the public.

Reality Bites (1994)

409 W. Clay Street, Montrose + Tranquility Park, Downtown

Ben Stiller shot his directorial debut entirely in Houston. The fourplex apartment where Lelaina (Winona Ryder), Troy (Ethan Hawke), Vickie, and Sammy crash together is a real two-story brick building at 409 W. Clay Street in Montrose. The film's downtown scenes were shot at Tranquility Park — the terraced fountain plaza at 400 Rusk Street near City Hall — which is clearly visible in several scenes.

What to see: The Clay Street building is a residential address; drive past to see where they all lived rent-free. Tranquility Park is a fully public, free green space open every day, a short walk from Discovery Green. The fountains in the film are still there.

I didn't know that: Reality Bites was the first feature Ben Stiller directed. He was 28. He shot it in his cast-mate's home city.

Apollo 13 (1995)

Space Center Houston, 1601 NASA Pkwy, Clear Lake · open daily

Here is the detail most viewers miss: the weightlessness scenes in Apollo 13 were not CGI. Director Ron Howard sent his cast up in a modified Boeing KC-135 aircraft out of Ellington Field, southeast of Houston. The plane flew 612 parabolic arcs over Texas, producing 23-second drops of real zero gravity per pass. That is how Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton actually floated.

The Mission Control scenes in the film were recreated on a California soundstage, but Johnson Space Center is the real campus, and Space Center Houston — the public visitor center adjacent to JSC — is the place to make the connection. The Historic Mission Control (Building 30) on site is a designated National Historic Landmark.

What to see: Space Center Houston is open daily; admission is charged. Check spacecenter.org for current hours and tram-tour times. The tram takes you through the actual JSC campus. If you want the tour, arrive by mid-morning.

Brewster McCloud (1970)

The Astrodome at NRG Park, 8400 Kirby Drive, South Main

Robert Altman's surreal comedy about a boy who lives inside the Astrodome and builds wings to fly is one of the most Houston films ever made — and it was filmed at the Astrodome. MGM secured access to the 8th Wonder of the World; Altman scheduled shoots around the Astros' road trips. Scenes were filmed on the playing field, in the tunnels, and throughout the stands. When the film was finished, MGM held its world premiere inside the Astrodome on December 5, 1970 — the same building where every frame was shot.

What to see: The Astrodome still stands at NRG Park and is visible from the surrounding parking lots. Harris County is developing plans to convert it into a public venue. The Houston Zoo in Hermann Park, where Altman filmed the birdwatching scenes, is open daily. For events at the adjacent NRG Stadium, see the Reliant Stadium guide.

I didn't know that: This was the first feature film ever shot inside the Astrodome.

Jason's Lyric (1994)

Freedmen's Town Historic District, Fourth Ward, Houston

Allen and Albert Hughes shot this urban romance across Houston's historically Black Fourth Ward — one of the oldest African American neighborhoods in the United States, established by freedmen after the Civil War. Jason and his brother's house was in the Tuam and Sauer Streets corridor of the Third Ward. Basketball and bus scenes were filmed along West Dallas Street near Gillette Street in the Fourth Ward.

What to see: Freedmen's Town is a designated historic district and free to walk. The original hand-laid brick streets on Andrews Street date to the 1920s and are still intact. The neighborhood is in the Third Ward and Fourth Ward area. The Freedmen's Town Visitor Center at 1531 West Dallas Street provides context; check hours before visiting.

Urban Cowboy (1980)

Former site of Gilley's, 4500 Spencer Highway, Pasadena

John Travolta and Debra Winger filmed every club scene at the real Gilley's — the club Guinness World Records certified as the world's largest honky-tonk. The film put mechanical bulls in bars from Houston to Boston overnight. Gilley's burned to the ground in 1990, and the Spencer Highway site is now a commercial lot. Nothing of the original building survives at the address.

What to see: The site is at the corner of Spencer Highway and Ripple Road in Pasadena, about 15 miles east of downtown. There is nothing to see at the address itself, but the surrounding Pasadena neighborhood retains the Gulf Coast working-class industrial character that runs all through the film. If Gilley's is why you came to Houston, a drive-by is worth it for the sense of place.

I didn't know that: The mechanical bull at Gilley's was originally a rodeo training device used in Mesquite. The film made it a national pop-culture object.

Terms of Endearment (1983)

3060 Locke Lane, River Oaks + 1148 Heights Boulevard, The Heights

James L. Brooks filmed Aurora Greenway's house at 3060 Locke Lane in River Oaks, and her next-door neighbor Garrett Breedlove's house at 3068 Locke Lane — they are two consecutive addresses on the same block. The houses that are portrayed as neighbors in the film are neighbors in real life. Emma and Flap's apartment was filmed at 1148 Heights Boulevard, at the corner of 12th Street.

What to see: Both Locke Lane addresses are private homes; drive or walk by and you will recognize the exteriors immediately. Heights Boulevard is a parkway-style street with a public walking trail running down the median — a pleasant 20-minute walk before dinner on 19th Street (see things to do in the Heights).

I didn't know that: Terms of Endearment won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress. Shirley MacLaine won playing Aurora in her River Oaks house.

Boyhood (2014)

Hermann Park · Minute Maid Park · Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Richard Linklater filmed Boyhood over 12 years in Texas, and Houston is where Mason grows up. The scene where Mason's father takes him to a baseball game was shot at Minute Maid Park (now Daikin Park). The Houston Museum of Natural Science and Cockrell Butterfly Center appear in the film; so does the Museum of Fine Arts Houston at 1001 Bissonnet Street. The University of Houston campus was used for the college-years sequences.

What to see: All four locations are within a few miles of each other in the Museum District and Hermann Park area. Start at Hermann Park, walk to the HMNS, then drive to the MFAH — that covers most of Mason's Houston childhood in one afternoon.

Armageddon (1998)

Johnson Space Center / Ellington Field area, Clear Lake

Michael Bay used Johnson Space Center and Ellington Field for the astronaut training and launch-prep sequences. The sequences feel authentic because the campus is real. Space Center Houston at 1601 NASA Pkwy is the public visitor counterpart — the same complex, with public access.

What to see: Combine this with the Apollo 13 stop. Both films used the JSC/Ellington corridor, and Space Center Houston's tram tour passes the actual buildings that appeared in both productions. Arrive early; trams fill up on weekends.

Save this: the Houston film fan's route

This takes a full Saturday. Use a car; distances are real Houston distances.

  1. Morning: Space Center Houston — Book the tram tour online; plan 2 hours minimum. Covers Apollo 13 and Armageddon.
  2. NRG / Astrodome exterior — Drive north on I-45, exit at Kirby. Walk the NRG complex and photograph the Astrodome. Brewster McCloud.
  3. Hermann Park and Houston Zoo — Brewster McCloud animal scenes, Boyhood museum visits. Lunch at the Museum District restaurants.
  4. Freedmen's Town, Fourth Ward — Walk the brick streets on Andrews Street. Jason's Lyric.
  5. Montrose: 409 W. Clay Street — Drive-by. Reality Bites.
  6. Tranquility Park, Downtown — Free outdoor space; the Reality Bites fountain is here. Pairs with a walk around Downtown Houston.
  7. Heights: 1148 Heights Blvd — Drive past the Terms of Endearment apartment building.
  8. River Oaks: Locke Lane — The Terms of Endearment houses. End with dinner in River Oaks.
  9. St. John's School, Claremont Lane — Drive past on your way back. Rushmore.

More Houston history you can touch

For more of the city on foot, visit Sam Houston Park in the shadow of Downtown or the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum in the Museum District. The Houston skyline views guide has the best spots to photograph the city that keeps ending up on screen.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What movies were filmed in Houston, Texas?

Confirmed films shot in Houston include Rushmore (1998), Reality Bites (1994), Apollo 13 (1995), Brewster McCloud (1970), Jason's Lyric (1994), Urban Cowboy (1980), Terms of Endearment (1983), Boyhood (2014), and Armageddon (1998). Each used specific Houston locations, from St. John's School to the Astrodome to Freedmen's Town.

Where was Rushmore filmed in Houston?

Wes Anderson filmed Rushmore at St. John's School (2401 Claremont Lane, River Oaks area), which became Rushmore Academy in the film. Lamar High School (3325 Westheimer Rd) doubled as Grover Cleveland High. The production shot over 50 days in Houston, Anderson's hometown.

Where was Urban Cowboy filmed?

Urban Cowboy was filmed primarily at Gilley's Night Club, 4500 Spencer Highway in Pasadena, TX — certified by Guinness as the world's largest honky-tonk at roughly 500,000 square feet. Gilley's burned down in 1990; only the commercial lot remains at the address today.

What parts of Apollo 13 were filmed in Houston?

The film's weightlessness scenes were filmed in real zero gravity aboard a NASA KC-135 aircraft flying parabolic arcs out of Ellington Field, southeast of Houston. The cast flew 612 parabolas to capture 3.5 minutes of footage. The Mission Control scenes were built on a California soundstage, not at Johnson Space Center.

Was Boyhood filmed in Houston?

Yes. Richard Linklater filmed scenes in Houston over the course of the 12-year production, including at Minute Maid Park (now Daikin Park), the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and the University of Houston campus.

Can you visit the Astrodome from Brewster McCloud?

The Astrodome still stands at NRG Park (8400 Kirby Drive) and is visible from the surrounding parking area. It no longer hosts games or events but Harris County has renovation plans for it. The Houston Zoo in Hermann Park, also used in the film for birdwatching scenes, is open daily.