Where was Independence Day filmed

Locations

• Basketball Court

  In movie

  Scene where A group of kids playing basketball under the bridge when they see the spaceship emerging from the clouds.

  Real

  Basketball Court on the map

  Scene was shot

  New York

• Biking through Streets

  In movie

  Scene where David Levinson bikes through the packed traffic on his way out of town.

  Real

  Biking through Streets on the map

  Scene was shot

  New York

• Compact Cable

  In movie

  Scene where David arrives at work and notices a strange code embedded in their satellite signals.

  Real

  Compact Cable on the map

  Scene was shot Former home of the Hughes H-4 Hercules until it was moved in 1980.

  Los Angeles

• Crash Corner

  In movie

  Scene where A police officer stops in the middle of the intersection to look at the spaceship and causes a traffic accident.

  Real

  Crash Corner on the map

  Scene was shot

  New York

• D.C. Street

  In movie

  Scene where Julius drives David through a deserted downtown Washington D.C. towards the White House.

  Real

  D.C. Street on the map

  Scene was shot

  Washington

• Destroyed Los Angeles

  In movie

  Scene where Jasmine searches through the streets for a way out of the city and gathers a small band of survivors including the First Lady.

  Real

  Destroyed Los Angeles on the map

  Scene was shot Once the largest steel plant on the west coast which employed over 2,500 people at its peak, the plant was mostly shut down in the 80s and much of the site was redeveloped. More information on the site can be found at the Center for Land Use Interpretation.

  Fontana Dam

• Diner

  In movie

  Scene where Russell is drinking at a local diner when the locals start talking about his alien abduction story. Constructed for filming next to one of the hangers.

  Real

  Diner on the map

  Scene was shot

  Wendover

• El Toro (gate)

  In movie

  Scene where Jasmine drives up to the gate of the air base and sees that it has been destroyed.

  Real

  El Toro (gate) on the map

  Scene was shot

  Wendover

• Empire State Building

  In movie

  Scene where The ship stops over the Empire State Building and then destroys it.

  Real

  Empire State Building on the map

  Scene was shot

  New York

• First Lady's Hotel

  In movie

  Scene where The First Lady talks to the President over the phone from her hotel room in Los Angeles. After the aliens arrive she flees the hotel via a helicopter on the roof.

  Real

  First Lady's Hotel on the map

  Scene was shot The grand Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel opened in 1923 as the largest hotel west of the Mississippi. The hotel was designed by Schultze & Weaver in a mixture of styles from around the Mediterranean. The lush interior of the hotel includes murals by artist Giovanni Smeraldi who has also painted works for the Vatican and the White House. In addition to being featured in hundreds of films and TV shows over the years, the hotel was also the location where the Academy Awards were planned in 1927 and hosted the ceremony eight times over the years.

  Los Angeles