6 Washington Towns Where Famous Movies Were Filmed
Washington state offers film fans a rich trail of on-screen locations where city skylines, historic architecture, and coastal forts place stories in unmistakable Pacific Northwest settings. In Seattle, the 1993 romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle filmed key scenes at Pike Place Market and the Seattle Center, and visitors can walk the waterfront, stop at market stalls, and attend screenings and Q&A events at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), which has presented year-round cinema programs. In Tacoma, Stadium High School stood in for the movie high school in 10 Things I Hate About You, and campus tours allow visitors to stand on the same staircases and in the same stadium seats used on-screen. Along the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Port Townsend’s Fort Worden and the Point Wilson Lighthouse provided locations for An Officer and a Gentleman, and the town has staged the Port Townsend Film Festival with outdoor screenings on Littlefield Green. Read on to discover how Washington's coastal charm has been the backdrop for some of the most famous and beloved films of all time.
Seattle
The 1993 romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle was filmed on location in and around Seattle, and the film has since acted as a cultural roadmap for visitors who want to stand where Tom Hanks’s character gazed out over the water. Movie crews shot interior and exterior scenes across the city, and the film used the skyline, waterfront vista points, and recognizable public spaces to root the story in a distinctly Pacific Northwest setting. Today, film lovers can begin at Pike Place Market, where steps and storefronts recall market scenes and where local vendors still open up shop each morning.
For community events tied to cinema, Seattle hosts the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), which screens new features and hosts filmmaker Q&A sessions at venues across the city. SIFF has been presenting films and year-round cinema programs for more than 50 years, and SIFF Cinema Uptown is a great spot to catch a new release or arthouse classic. Seattle Center is a must, no matter the season. The downtown attraction is home to such iconic landmarks as the Space Needle and Monorail, as well as the Pacific Science Center and the Museum of Pop Culture. This is also the spot to catch an NHL or WNBA game at Climate Change Arena.
Tacoma
The 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You used Stadium High School in Tacoma for many of its key high school scenes, transforming the brick façade and surrounding grounds into the fictional Padua High School that audiences still recognize. The school’s formal rooms and its bowl-shaped stadium provided backdrops for both romantic and comedic beats, and the building’s architecture continues to draw visitors who book tours of the campus to see the exact staircases, classrooms, and exterior shots used by the production.
When visiting from April through September, drop in on the Tacoma Farmers Market to shop for local produce and hear live setlists from rotating musicians. On Thursday evenings, the Tacoma Art Museum offers free admission from 5-8pm and hosts “Neighborhood Nights,” with programming, artist talks, and studio art-making. For another after-dinner activity, attend the Tacoma Night Market, a monthly gathering of craftspeople, food vendors, and local bands that welcomes families and friends in a street-festival atmosphere, or join a guided walking tour offered by the Museum of Glass for a small-group exploration of public art and waterfront reclamation projects.
Port Townsend
In 1981, film crews arrived in Port Townsend to shoot scenes for An Officer and a Gentleman, and Fort Worden State Park stood in for a naval candidate school on-screen. Visitors can still find Fort Worden locations where principal scenes were filmed, and local guides will point out the Point Wilson Lighthouse and parade-ground settings that appear in the film. For communal experiences, the Port Townsend Film Festival programs daily screenings, outdoor movie nights at Fort Worden’s Littlefield Green, filmmaker parades, and conversation panels during its multi-day event in September. Also in September, the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival is the largest of its kind in North America. The three-day festival features demonstrations, hands-on activities, live music, and plenty of fun for enthusiasts and the curious alike. Meanwhile, the historic Rose Theatre is the place to go throughout the year to see new releases and Hollywood blockbusters in a classic cinema circa 1907.
Forks
The Twilight novels by Stephenie Meyer are set in Forks, and the films brought enormous attention to the area, putting the town on the map and the world stage. Forks has hosted the Forever Twilight in Forks festival each September, an event organized by the Forks Chamber of Commerce that features actor spotlights, panels, and costume contests that draw visitors in droves. Beyond fandom, Olympic National Park’s nearby Hoh Rain Forest hosts ranger-led interpretive walks and programs that are scheduled through the National Park Service, typically during the busier summer months, educating visitors about the regional ecosystems and native flora and fauna. Marymere Falls is a relatively short and easy hike with a big reward through old-growth forest along Barnes Creek. Rialto Beach is another popular spot for exploring tide pools, sea stacks, and other coastal beauty.
Roslyn
Roslyn has long attracted film and television crews. The 1979 movie The Runner Stumbles was shot on location in town, and the 1990s television series Northern Exposure used Roslyn’s streets and storefronts as the onscreen stand-in for a remote Alaskan town. The Roslyn Museum maintains a map of local filming sites and runs seasonal exhibits with memorabilia from the show. The Roslyn Landmark Society also offers seasonal guided tours of the town that point out the brick storefronts and the Immaculate Conception Church, which appear in both film and television productions.
For communal weekend life, the Roslyn Farmers Market meets on Pennsylvania Avenue during summer Sundays and pairs local growers and artisans with live music programming. Roslyn also hosts regular live music and outdoor movie nights at the Roslyn Yard stage, and you can pop into the Brick Saloon for a beer and a burger at the oldest continuously-operating bar in the state.
Spokane
Spokane has hosted a range of film productions, and the 1993 feature Benny & Joon was shot primarily on location in the city, with scenes filmed at Riverfront Park, the Maple Street Bridge, and Ferguson’s Café that viewers may recognize on-screen, as well as in real life. The city celebrates these on-location moments through its Filmed in Spokane self-guided itineraries that point fans to the exact addresses.
In late August, Pig Out in the Park turns Riverfront Park into a five-day food and music festival with vendor booths and free live performances that have been in operation since 1979. Any time of year, however, Spokane is a city worth exploring. The Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture is a Smithsonian affiliate that presents an eclectic mix of permanent and rotating exhibits, including Indigenous pieces and regional artifacts. Meanwhile, the Fox Theater, the Bing Crosby Theater, and the Spokane Civic Theater are all premier venues for live performances that range from local community troupes to Broadway musicals and stage plays.
Reel-to-Real Visits: Where to Start Today
From Seattle to Spokane, Washington’s towns supply both the settings and the social infrastructure to turn movie location sightseeing into communal experiences. Start by checking festival calendars and market dates at official city and festival pages, reserve tours at historic venues like Stadium High School or the Roslyn Museum, and time visits to coincide with annual events such as SIFF in Seattle, the Port Townsend Film Festival, Forever Twilight in Forks, or even simple weekly farmers markets. Whether tracing a single scene, taking a historic walking tour, or timing a trip for a festival, Washington’s towns offer repeated chances to discover its culture and walk the streets where cinema came to life.
