South Pasadena, California: Filming Location of Back to the Future

South Pasadena is a small city in Los Angeles County, California, located about 8 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Known as the City of Trees, it is bordered by Pasadena to the north, Los Angeles to the south and west, Alhambra to the southeast, and San Marino to the east. The city lies within the San Gabriel Valley and was officially incorporated on March 2, 1888. Long before that, the area was originally inhabited by the Hahamog'na, a tribe of the Tongva Nation of California.

South Pasadena is especially well known for its long-standing role as a filming location. Numerous films have been shot in the city, including Back to the Future (1985), Liar, Liar (1997), La La Land (2016), and Lady Bird (2017).

The city offers several parks and recreational areas, such as South Pasadena Nature Park, Arroyo Seco Golf Course, and Orange Grove Park. It is also home to a number of iconic movie locations, including the Lorraine House and the Biff Tannen House from Back to the Future, the Newton House from Beethoven, the Michael Myers House, and the Pee-wee Herman movie house. One of the city’s most notable landmarks is the Rialto Theatre, now known as Mosaic at the Rialto Theatre, located at 1023 Fair Oaks Avenue. Designed by Lewis Arthur Smith in the Moorish Revival style and completed in 1925, the theater has a seating capacity of 1,200. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on May 24, 1978, and has appeared in several productions, including Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1983), La La Land (2016), and Scream 2 (1997).

South Pasadena is accessible via State Route 110 and is served by the South Pasadena Light Rail Station, providing easy access to the surrounding areas.