These days, more and more movies are being filmed right here in Alabama. In fact, you can visit many of these filming locations. Listed below, we’ve mapped a road trip that’ll take you to eight of Alabama’s most famous filming locations. With a driving distance of 672 miles, and an estimated drive time of 12 hours and 24 minutes, this road trip is perfect for a weekend adventure.
Your next stop will be Cherokee Rock Village in Leesburg. Some of the outdoor scenes from the movie "Failure to Launch," starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker, were filmed at this unique park.
Following a short drive, you'll arrive at Talladega Superspeedway. This famous race track has been featured in several movies, including "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," starring Will Ferrell.
If you've ever seen the 1979 film "Norma Rae," which earned Sally Field an Oscar, you're probably familiar with hotel scenes. These were filmed inside Opelika's Golden Cherry Motel, which will be your next stop. This motel was also mentioned in the 2002 film "Sweet Home Alabama," starring Reese Witherspoon.
Speaking of Reese Witherspoon, your next stop will bring you to the historic Shorter Mansion in Eufaula. At the beginning of the film "Sweet Home Alabama," Reese Witherspoon's character is seen driving past several antebellum homes, including Shorter Mansion.
Following a scenic drive, you'll arrive in Selma. This town's historic Edmund Pettus Bridge was a main feature in the 2014 film "Selma," which is based on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1965 Selma to Montgomery March.
Your next stop will be the fictional town of Spectre, which was used as the setting in Tim Burton's incredible film "Big Fish." Since its release in 2003, this film set, which is located on Jackson Lake Island in Elmore County, has been left abandoned.
Following a scenic drive north, your final stop will be Rickwood Field in Birmingham. This historic baseball field was used in the film "42," starring Chad Boseman. It's also the oldest baseball field in America (1910).
Have you been to any of these eight filming locations? If so, what did you think? Please share your experience(s) with us in the comments below.
