4 Kentucky Towns Where Famous Movies Were Filmed
Since the very early days of cinema, beautiful Kentucky has served as a backdrop for some of Hollywood’s best movies. Back in 1938, the filming of Kentucky brought stars Loretta Young and Walter Brennan, along with new color movie-making technology, to Churchill Downs and Keeneland. Known as Technicolor, Kentucky’s famous horse country had never looked so stunning.
Military comedies, Oscar-winning dramas, James Bond movies, and even more racing movies followed, cementing Kentucky’s reputation as a film-friendly destination. And for film fans, the Bluegrass State offers the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of contemporary stars, too. Tobey Maguire, Bill Murray, Dustin Hoffman, and Tom Cruise are just a handful of actors you can learn more about while visiting film locations where movie magic was made.
Lexington: Seabiscuit
Horse racing fans won't need to be told that Kentucky is the home of America's most celebrated thoroughbreds. And it’s this equine heritage that put Lexington on the map for two major racing films. Keeneland Race Course served as the primary filming location for both 2003’s Seabiscuit and, seven years later, Secretariat. The track's historic grandstand, tree-lined paddock, and limestone buildings, all dating from the 1930s, proved the perfect period backdrop for both films, in the process helping Keeneland attain its place as a National Historic Landmark.
The facility's classic architecture also made it an ideal stand-in for Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course during the filming of Seabiscuit, which depicted the pivotal 1938 match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral. Crews spent a month filming in Lexington and nearby Paris, with more than 4,200 unpaid extras dressed in period clothing filling the grandstand to recreate the famous race.
Disney's Secretariat saw movie-making return to Keeneland for the recreation of the legendary horse's 31-length victory at the Belmont Stakes, with the track's grandstand and racing oval doubling for New York's historic venue.
Today, you can experience a little of this movie-magic for yourself with guided tours of the tracks as well as nearby horse farms. One of the best, Thoroughbred Heritage Horse Farm Tours, offers daily guided excursions to Keeneland as well as one or two horse farms.
Louisville: Secretariat
Home of the Kentucky Derby since the late 1800s, Churchill Downs in Louisville played a starring role in Secretariat in 2010 for the recreation of the legendary horse's 1973 Derby victory. The film does a superb job of capturing the grandeur of America's most famous horse race at the actual venue where it took place, adding a touch of authenticity to the story. You’ll see Churchill Downs' distinctive twin spires, one of the most recognizable symbols in American sports, throughout, serving as the perfect backdrop to a blockbuster about Secretariat's track record that still stands more than 50 years later.
Located on the grounds of Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby Museum provides year-round access to the track's history and serves as the starting point for guided tours of the racing facility. Highlights include interactive exhibits, a 30-minute guided historic walking tour of Churchill Downs, and an 18-minute film entitled The Greatest Race. Shown on a 360-degree screen, it even features rotating stools that follow the on-screen action.
Newport: Rain Man
This northern Kentucky city across the Ohio River from Cincinnati has served as a filming location for several major productions, most notably 1988’s Oscar-winning Rain Man. Starring Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman as autistic Raymond Babbitt, and Tom Cruise as his brother Charlie, the star power alone was memorable.
Several key scenes were filmed in and around Newport, including the memorable restaurant sequence at Pompilios Restaurant on Washington Avenue. It was here that Raymond orders pancakes because it’s Tuesday and demonstrates his unique abilities by instantly (and correctly) counting the toothpicks that had spilled onto the floor. Opened in 1933, you can dine here while reminiscing about this now classic movie.
Other Rain Man locations include the Evergreen Cemetery in nearby Southgate, where the funeral scene was filmed, and the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, which Charlie and Raymond cross in a 1949 Buick convertible as they leave Cincinnati. A prototype for the famous Brooklyn Bridge, the bridge provides a stunning backdrop that you can enjoy with a walk along Newport’s waterfront.
Fort Knox: Stripes / Goldfinger
The United States Army installation at Fort Knox has made two big-screen appearances: the classic James Bond thriller, Goldfinger, in 1964, and the military comedy, Stripes, in 1981. In the Bond flick, Sean Connery's 007 battles a villain who plans to detonate a nuclear device inside the United States Bullion Depository, making the gold stored there radioactive, in the process increasing the value of his own holdings.
While interior scenes of Fort Knox were filmed at Pinewood Studios in England, a second crew traveled to Kentucky for exterior shots of the installation, including aerial scenes. The convoy scenes showing Goldfinger's forces driving through the small town of Muldraugh, located within the Fort Knox army base, were filmed on location, with local streets and buildings establishing the Kentucky setting.
Stripes featured far more of Fort Knox, with most of the film shot at the installation during the winter of 1980 when it was still home to the U.S. Army Armor Center and School. Starring Bill Murray and Harold Ramis, the film follows a platoon of misfit recruits through basic training. It was a smart move and added a huge amount of authenticity to the movie, ultimately contributing greatly to its box office success.
Additional Stripes locations in the Louisville area include the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge, where Murray's character throws his car keys into the Ohio River, and West Market Street in downtown Louisville, which served as the army recruiting office. Scenes depicting the platoon's time in Czechoslovakia were filmed at the former Chapeze Distillery in Clermont, now owned by Jim Beam.
The Bottom Line
As they approach the 90th anniversary of the state’s first major motion picture shoot, Kentuckians are rightfully proud of their cinematic legacy. From the early Technicolor horse racing dramas of the 1930s to more recent Oscar-winning productions, the Bluegrass State has proven a great choice for those who make movie magic. Best of all, as you can see from these five Kentucky towns where famous movies were filmed, the magic lives on.
