Filming Locations: The Terminator Trilogy (1984, 1991, 2003)

The Terminator is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd and William Wisher Jr. and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los Angeles. Schwarzenegger plays the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from the year 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, played by Hamilton. Biehn plays Kyle Reese, a soldier from the future sent back in time to protect Sarah (Wikipedia).

The filming locations for The Terminator were already found from the following sites which include the other LA locations. This post only focuses on SFV locations. I suggest visiting the other sites to learn about the other locations:

1. Herve Attia's On The Set Terminator (definitely recommend visiting this site)
2. Filming Locations of Chicago and Los Angeles
3. 80's Fast Rewind
4. The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations
5. IMDB

The Terminator visits the Alamo Gun Shop at 14329 Victory Blvd Van Nuys 91401 which is now a used car lot known as KL Auto Center. The last three pictures are from the same location which shows Cupids Hot Dogs at the corner of Victory and Tyrone which has since been demolished and replaced by a strip mall.

The Terminator visits the wrong Sarah Conner home at 14239 Gilmore Street Van Nuys 91401 which has since been demolished and replaced by an apartment building. 

And here is the movie trailer:

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film, the second installment of the Terminator franchise and the sequel to The Terminator (1984). Directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher, Jr., it stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong. Terminator 2 follows Sarah Connor (Hamilton) and her son John (Furlong) as they are pursued by a new, more advanced Terminator, the liquid metal, shapeshifting T-1000 (Patrick), sent back in time to kill John and prevent him from becoming the leader of the human Resistance against the machines. An older, less advanced Terminator (Schwarzenegger) is also sent back in time to protect John.

The filming locations for The Terminator 2: Judgment Day were already found from the following sites which include the other LA locations. This post only focuses on SFV locations. I suggest visiting the other sites to learn about the other locations:

1. Film in America
2. IMDB
3. Movie Maps
4. James Cameron Online

The opening scene at the Corral Bar is located at 12002 Osborne St Sylmar 91342 which has since been demolished and replaced with The Lake View Terrace Library. 

John Connor's foster parents home is located at 19828 Valerio St Winnetka 91306. The first screen shot below is of a police computer terminal that displayed the same number address but a fictitious street name and with Reseda partially cutoff. The film mentions Reseda as the location where John Connor lives and is spotted but I dont think the film actually was shot in Reseda. Also, IMDB mentions the Sherman Oaks Galleria as another filming location but I wasnt able to see it in the film. 

The Pescadero State Hospital is for the criminally insane where Sarah Connor has been remanded for attempting to bomb a computer factory. This is located at 11600 Eldridge Ave Sylmar 91342 which is currently a Phoenix Academy. 

John Connor and friend steal cash from an ATM at 14400 Roscoe Blvd Panorama City 91402 which is now the Valley View Family Medical Clinic. This is not located in Reseda as IMDB mentions.

The infamouse chase was filmed at the Northridge Fashion Center down Shirley Ave. near Prairie St. in Northridge.

The infamous chase scene continues into the LA River's Bull Creek Debris Basin takes place near Plummer St and Hayvenhurst Ave in North Hills. Another film to use the LA River discussed here is the 2011 film, Drive. 

I believe this location is approximately at 9572 Wilbur Ave Northridge where the Aliso Canyon and  Wilbur Washes meet which is not part of the Bull Creek Debris Basin.

This location is approximately at 2037 Morgan Ave Burbank near the 5 Freeway in the Burbank Western Channel which is not part of the  Bull Creek Debris Basin

The chat in the alley between John Connor and the Terminator at the end of the chase occurs in the alley on Wakefield Ave inbetween Burton St and Roscoe Blvd in Panorama City which is like a block down from the ATM scene discussed above.

John Connor makes a phone call at a payphone near a liquor store which is actually located at 11844 Foothill Blvd in Sylmar 91342 which is known today as the Lakeview Terrace Liquor Store. This location is actually across the street from the former Corral Bar which is now the Lake View Terrace Library discussed above. 

And here is the trailer:

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (commonly abbreviated as T3) is a 2003 science fiction action film directed by Jonathan Mostowand starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken. It is the second sequel to The Terminator (1984).

After Skynet fails to kill Sarah Connor before her son is born and to kill John himself as a child, it sends back another Terminator, theT-X, in an attempt to wipe out as many Resistance officers as possible. This includes John's future wife, but not John himself as his whereabouts are unknown to Skynet. John's life is placed in danger when the T-X accidentally finds him (Wikipedia).

There  is only one scene filmed in the SFV in this movie which is the Animal Hospital and United Rentals business  Those buildings were constructed for the movie on a vacant lot which subsequently gets destroyed. This location is at Foothill Blvd and Mount Gleason Ave in Tujunga. The Seeing-Stars.com site has all the filming locations and screenshots posted so I recommend visiting that site. 

Here is the trailer:

I did not include the fourth film, Terminator Salvation (2009) starring Christian Bale since there are no scenes filmed in the SFV according to IMDB and the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger didnt star in it just makes watching this film weird. 

Here is the trailer just for the heck of it:

You can view more SFV Filming Locations here. 

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Write by: Unknown - Thursday, March 21, 2013