4 Nevada Towns Where Famous Movies Were Filmed

Various film projects have long used Nevada’s vast desert landscapes, old-timey mining towns, and casino-laden cities to frame anything from action sequences to sweeping establishing shots. Today, we will highlight several communities across this Southwestern state where countless recognizable scenes have been set, and explain just why each spot has appealed to location scouts from past to present.

Along with their screen credits, these destinations also often feature a plethora of other things to see and do, like museums, historic districts, and picturesque outdoor areas that help round out a trip for visiting movie buffs.

Las Vegas

With its bright lights and unmistakable skyline, Las Vegas has been a frequent setting for several major films and TV series, with scenes from Casino, Ocean’s Eleven, The Hangover, Rainman, The Godfather, and many more using the city’s dense cluster of hotels, neon corridors, and recognizable landmarks, to name a few.

The Strip’s sheer visual intensity, history of criminal enterprises, and general air of debauchery have made it a preferred backdrop for heist sequences, wide aerial shots, and character-driven narratives tied to the gambling and entertainment industries. The smaller Fremont Street has also appeared in numerous productions, especially films that lean on the older depictions of Sin City.

Outside of its robust connection to film history, Vegas has a wide range of other attractions, big and small, that you can explore today. For one, the Neon Museum preserves an extensive collection of retired signage from some of the city's most iconic properties and provides interesting historical context behind each piece. Moreover, the Mob Museum documents organized crime in the region and explains how law enforcement shaped the city’s development.

For an outdoor adventure, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area sits just west of the urban area, giving you convenient access to a number of desert trails, scenic viewpoints, and geologic sights that contrast sharply with the main Strip.

Reno

Reno, another renowned gambling hub (this time located on the far northern end of the state), has been featured in several well-known films that required a more subdued casino district and a distinct visual tone from the much busier streets of Las Vegas. Most notably, the 1996 comedy Kingpin shot multiple sequences around downtown, relying on several of the older casino facades for a handful of scenes.

Furthermore, Sister Act used Reno’s various entertainment venues during its opening scenes, and The Misfits (1961) filmed key moments in the area as well, capturing both the urban core and the rugged landscapes surrounding the city. In fact, the variety of terrain within a short distance has kept Reno on the radar for productions that want both city settings and high desert scenery, fueling a healthy movie production industry going on decades.

Visitors interested in additional local attractions will also find several within easy reach. The Nevada Museum of Art presents rotating exhibitions that focus on regional and national themes. The National Automobile Museum, on the other hand, holds a large collection of historic vehicles, including rare models tied to early American motoring.

And for outdoor time, the Truckee River Walk gives an easy-to-navigate path through the center of town, while the nearby Mount Rose area offers accessible wilderness trailheads and wide views of the Sierra Nevada. The incredibly scenic Lake Tahoe is also located just about an hour's drive south of Reno, too.

Nelson

Nelson, located roughly an hour southeast of Las Vegas, is another one of Nevada’s most recognizable (yet lesser known on its own) shooting locations. The abandoned mining structures of the "Nelson Ghost Town" and its desolate desert surroundings have appeared in productions such as Breakdown, 3,000 Miles to Graceland, and numerous music videos and commercials, many of which needed a rustic Wild West vibe. Its weathered buildings, rusted vehicles, and lack of residents give filmmakers a ready-made backdrop that reads immediately as remote, aged, and maybe even haunted!

Photographers also often use the ghost town’s grounds due to the concentration of vintage structures and artifacts, perfect for spooky, urban shots. History buffs, with or without a camera, can tour locales like the Techatticup Mine at any other time, which provides a window into the region’s once-flourishing gold mining past and early settlement.

Just a short drive away, Nelson’s Landing on the Colorado River opens up to a cove suitable for swimming, boating, fishing, and shoreline exploration. The surrounding Eldorado Canyon also boasts a network of quiet hiking routes and viewpoints that preside over the gorge and the broader Mojave landscape beyond.

Boulder City

Boulder City has been an important filming location for productions that need a small-town setting or possibly just one connected to one of the nation’s most recognizable engineering landmarks, the Hoover Dam. Scenes from Into the Wild and Honeymoon in Vegas used the community and nearby desert corridors extensively, while Transformers (2007) incorporated the region around Hoover Dam to underscore large-scale action sequences. The mighty dam has also been seen in flicks like Superman, although in that case, it was depicted using a detailed miniature.

Because Boulder City does not allow gambling and maintains a quieter core area, more focused on residential communities, filmmakers and hydroelectric engineers alike often choose it when they want a calmer environment than Las Vegas without straying far from its bustling metro area.

While in town, be sure to also check out several other points of interest tied to its early history. The Boulder City/Hoover Dam Museum outlines the construction of the dam and how the massive federal project ultimately shaped the community’s layout and workforce forever. The Hoover Dam itself is only minutes away, too, and features tours that detail its power generation systems and unique Art Deco design, as well as boasting a few lofty lookout points high above the Colorado River. Also sitting nearby is Lake Mead National Recreation Area, home to a number of marinas and a web of desert hiking paths along the shoreline.

See What Was Shot in Your Next Nevada Vacation Destination

Nevada’s varied collection of film locations has long served studios looking to capture the state's wonderful range of landscapes up close and personal. Extending far beyond Hollywood's studio backlots, the region's vast deserts and lively city districts now give visitors the chance to experience many real-world places tied to some of the most beloved movies and TV projects.

Pairing these sites with nearby museums, state/national parks, and historic landmarks creates a fun itinerary for all kinds of film enthusiasts interested in both American movie history and the state’s broader cultural offerings.