There's more to come in The Back to the Future Tour! So far, I've only included one entry from Part II (Biff's House), but keep an eye out for these sites from Part II and Part III to be added eventually.
(Allow me to clarify: the following are those I've already located. Please stop sending me e-mail telling me where they are. For the ones I'm looking for, see Sites Wanted below.)
Part II — Principal Strickland's House
Located right near Whittier High School, this house still stands after being attacked in a drive-by shooting.
Part II — The River Road Tunnel
This is where Biff nearly flattens Marty on his hoverboard, but ends up covered in manure for the second time.
Part III — The DeLorean Death Site
Just a block from the coast, this railroad crossing marks the point of destruction for the time machine.
Part III — Hilldale, 1985
Marty turns his life around here in front of his future home by not taking up Needles on a drag-racing dare.
Unfortunately, there are many other sites that I have yet to locate. Listed below are the ones I'm looking for, accompanied by any information I have for them so far.
If you know the whereabouts of any of these locations, or know someone I can contact, please let me know! And if you see any sites from the trilogy that I have neglected to list, please remind me of those, too.
- Hilldale, 2015
- Interestingly enough, this is not the same neighborhood that was used for Hilldale, 1985. I know this block to exist in the city of El
Monte, California, but I do not know the exact location.
- Jennifer's House
- As I mentioned before, I was led to believe that this house resided on Bushnell Ave. in South Pasadena, but it was not to be found. I have a feeling that it stands somewhere near Whittier High School, but again, I have no accurate information. The mystery of this particular location is driving me batty.
- Oak Park Cemetery
- I'm pretty certain that the cemetery itself is fake, but it appears that they filmed the sequence right near a factory or refinery of some sort.
- The Pohatchee Drive-in Theatre
- This was not a real drive-in, but one built specifically for Part III in Monument Valley, Utah. It was demolished after production. The exact location of its construction? I don't know.
- The McFly Farm
- I haven't examined this part of the film very closely, but I recall a fence and a cabin. If you know anything about the farm, let me know.
- Hill Valley, 1885
- This set was built outside of Sonora, California, but was reportedly destroyed by fire when it was ironically struck by lightning. Still, any information on its location (or destruction) is appreciated.
- The Railroad
- According to the Back to the Future Part III production notes, the tracks used were those comprising the Sierra Railroad. From my research, I've surmised that the train scenes were filmed in Jamestown, near or at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park. The locomotive used to push the DeLorean was Engine Number 3, built in 1891 by the Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works. It has been used in several other productions, and resides at the aforementioned park. But, if you have any additional information, send it in.
- Shonash/Clayton/Eastwood Ravine
- Jamestown? Sonora? Monument Valley? The train that went off the cliff was a model built by ILM, but I'd like to know where the life-size ravine is.
- Ravine Bridge
- I know I'm giving something away for a future tour stop, but the bridge seen in the background as Marty rolls through the railroad crossing in 1985 isn't real. It's just a facade in the background. But, when the DeLorean is first seen reappearing in 1985, we get an aerial shot of a bridge. It could just be a matte painting for a special effect (which is what it looks like to me), or it could have been a second-unit shot of an actual bridge somewhere. If you know, please tell me.
I invite you to help me make this tour complete! But, please make sure your contributions are more than just conjecture. Open leads and researchable evidence help — "My uncle's house looks a lot like the one in the movie," doesn't. But, if you think you know something, let me in on the secret! You might just see your name in print.
If you arrived in the middle of this tour, start from the beginning.
If you'd like to link to this tour, check this out.
