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Lights, Camera, Location!
While enjoying Florida’s beautiful beaches,
exciting theme parks and many other unique attractions,
take a detour to visit locations where hit movies have
come to life. Sunny skies, a warm climate, beautiful natural
scenery and gorgeous buildings make the Sunshine State
an ideal movie location. From classics such as Tarzan
and Scarface to the more recent hits of The Truman
Show and Hoot, featured Florida cities have
provided the perfect setting for great movies. Visitors
can take a tour across Florida to see the locations of
their favorite films and experience first hand where the
action took place.
With a film legacy that includes The Creature
from the Black Lagoon, Rebel Without a Cause
and several James Bond movies, Silver Springs began its
cinematic history with the six Tarzan movies in the 1930s.
Visitors can explore the rich scenery and 80-foot deep
pure water springs that provided the backdrop of this classic
movie with a trip on the Springs’ famous glass-bottomed
boats. While enjoying the original Tarzan setting, experience
the many different themed shows that Silver Springs offers.
Jim Carrey’s successful career received a jump
start in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective as he tracked
down the Miami Dolphins’ kidnapped mascot, Snowflake
the dolphin.
The
movie was filmed throughout Miami, and the Pro Player Stadium used in the movie is the real home of the Miami
Dolphins. Sightseers can also visit the exclusive seafront
villa, Villa Vizcaya, in South Miami, which was featured
in the movie. This Italian Renaissance mansion turned museum
is packed with European artifacts, such as Roman sarcophagi
and Catherine de Medici’s fireplace. Visitors can
tour this well-known historical building and its gorgeous
gardens.
Oliver Stone’s Scarface helped
to cement Al Pacino as a star and became a film classic
with its story of the infamous drug lord, Tony Montana.
Fans of the movie can visit Miami Beach’s unique art
deco district featured in the film, located on Ocean Drive.
The luxury hotel grounds featured in Scarface
are of the famous Fontainebleau Hilton Resort and Spa,
also located in Miami Beach. Guests of the Fontainbleau
may also recognize the resort from Goldfinger and
The Bodyguard.
The 80s classic, Caddyshack, featured such comedic
stars as Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield.
The movie provided great one-liners, as well as beautiful
golf locations, in this film about a prestigious country
club that meets an obnoxious new member. Caddyshack
was filmed on location at the Boca Raton Hotel & Country
Club and The Rolling Hills Golf & Tennis Club in Davie.
The infamous pool scene was filmed at the Plantation Golf
Club in Ft. Lauderdale, and the scene at Judge Schmales’
house was filmed on the golf course at Coral Ridge Country
Club in Ft. Lauderdale. Golf enthusiasts can create their
own Caddyshack golf tour while visiting these southeast
Florida country clubs.
Another hit Jim Carrey movie, The Truman Show,
was filmed at the picturesque location in Seaside, near
Destin. Built along a beautiful stretch of Florida’s
Emerald Coast, Seaside is a community comprised of more
than 300 cottages. The Truman Show is the story
of a man living his life on TV in a perfectly created community,
and the film makers found the ideal setting in this small
beachside town. Visitors can feel as if they are actually
in the movie as they take a tour of this unique community.
The town features its own local post office, art galleries,
antique shops, boutiques, bookstores and restaurants, all
within walking distance of the community. Each storybook
cottage is painted in pastel, featuring a white picket
fence, and all Seaside streets lead to the ocean.
Last year’s hit family film,
Hoot, featured a group of kids attempting to save
endangered owls and their environment from developers.
The film was shot entirely in Florida, in both Ft. Lauderdale
and Boca Grande, located on Gasparilla Island near Ft.
Myers. The owls featured in the movie are called burrowing
owls, one of the smallest species that resides primarily
in Florida. To see the owls in person, visit Cape Coral,
also near Ft. Myers, home of the largest population of
these unique, underground owls.
Create your own movie-themed vacation in Florida
with a statewide tour of favorite movie locations or visit
famous movie spots near your vacation destination. Discover
the memorable scenes that have made the Sunshine State
and its film legacy famous. For more ideas on creative
Florida vacation tours, visit www.visitflorida.com.
For information on travel to Florida or to order a copy
of VISIT FLORIDA's free Vacation Guide visit VISIT FLORIDA's
consumer web site, www.VISITFLORIDA.com, or call VISIT
FLORIDA's toll-free consumer number at 1-888-7-FLAUSA (352872).
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