National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) - The Filming Locations
All clips used are for entertainment and educational purposes only.
I set out on an adventure to document every location from the 1983 comedy classic National Lampoon's Vacation. This consisted of Flying to Chicago , renting a car and driving cross country along the same route that Clark Griswold and his family did in hopes of making it to Walley World in California . This was an undertaking that I've wanted to do for a very long time and am proud to say that now it is a reality . Enjoy !
This video adventure was made possible in part by support of crowd funding and T shirt sales at the two links below :
https://www.patreon.com/adamthewoo
https://shop.spreadshirt.com/AdamTheWoo
If you enjoyed the parody song of Holiday Road check out and download the full version at
http://www.jamesrtramontana.com/products/606295-adam-the-woo-parody-song
Transcript
0:04
welcome everyone Adam if you woo here
0:04
I'm inviting you on a journey a quest a
0:07
quest for fun if you will one that
0:11
involves boarding a plane in Southern
0:13
California and flying more than halfway
0:15
across the country in hopes of arriving
0:19
safely in Chicago renting a car probably
0:24
gonna have to hit the car wash before
0:27
returning this and going through seven
0:28
states starting with Illinois Missouri
0:31
Kansas Colorado Utah Arizona and back to
0:38
the Golden State's the filming locations
0:39
of the 1983 comedy classic directed by
0:44
Harold Ramis
0:45
starring Chevy Chase national lampoon's
0:48
vacation as the credit sequence ends you
0:53
see the skyline of a postcard of Chicago
0:56
and then the real Chicago which just so
1:00
happens to be right there the same angle
1:05
the same shot the movie begins as does
1:10
this
1:12
adventure let's go in a clever twist of
1:17
coincidence the first real scene of the
1:20
film takes place about a block away from
1:25
this particular road right
1:35
and that car dealership parking lots
1:35
nobody tries harder to please you
1:38
then loo glutes motors the paint has
1:44
been changed just a little bit but that
1:47
stairwell is still there and the office
1:53
where the salesman was terrified when he
1:57
saw them pull up because he realized the
2:00
car they were looking for did not come
2:03
in if you're driving the whole tribe
2:05
cross country this is your automobile
2:09
but in the end the dealership one out
2:11
because their old car was flattened like
2:15
a pancake West we're wimps we're
2:21
begrudgingly the car was driven home the
2:25
starting point of the road trip down
2:28
this one-way road in fact they passed
2:30
that tree and that pole that still
2:33
exists thankfully there was not oncoming
2:38
traffic like there is currently or there
2:41
would have been a head-on collision as
2:42
they pulled in the far side of that
2:44
driveway where this wall now stands
2:48
Audrey riding her bike directly along
2:51
this path and then Ellen steps out of
2:56
that door and the family first
3:00
experiences the glory of the family
3:03
truckster right there even the garage
3:07
still looks exactly the same
3:11
by pulling out knocking all the luggage
3:13
on the ground this trips not off to us
3:16
not off to a very good start as the
3:19
family drives past the skyline it passes
3:22
that famous fountain the interesting
3:26
thing is the actual cast family was not
3:30
here in Chicago as they passed this it
3:34
was just a crew the rest of them didn't
3:36
meet up until Colorado movie magic
3:41
it's a beautiful thing
4:10
at this truck stop you can stop for fuel
4:10
just like they did in fact right here he
4:15
was having a little trouble finding the
4:17
gas tank and ended up ripping the tag
4:21
off looks considerably different they
4:24
have remodeled quite a big lady over
4:27
here in the car with her child
4:29
did not realize the license plate was
4:31
going to get that close to her head
4:34
pretty funny stuff hey hey hey see that
4:37
kids
4:38
that's the st. Louis Arch the Gateway to
4:41
the west over 600 feet tall there's an
4:44
elevator goes all the way to the top
4:46
that's 60 stories do you and me Wow dad
4:50
we go up on it no and there's one thing
4:53
I learned from the movie if you fear off
4:56
to the right up here you will become
5:00
lost the inner city took place here and
5:06
Warner Brothers Studios the first angle
5:09
when they pull into town
5:13
we can't hide our eyes to the plight of
5:15
the city kids he's seeing all of his
5:18
plates now Warner Brothers frowns upon
5:21
filming on the back lock thankfully
5:24
Google Street View came in handy to the
5:27
spot where Clark and the pimp had their
5:30
interaction below the hotel sign and
5:33
when they turned the corner and their
5:35
hubcaps were magically stolen during a
5:38
conversation just trying to find
5:42
directions back to the interstate he
5:45
just he just wants to find the freeway
5:48
if you happened to fall asleep in the
5:50
middle of the night going down an
5:52
off-ramp this is an appropriate one to
5:56
do so on fact
5:59
this is the exact one stunt-double pulls
6:04
behind the 7-eleven
6:06
to end the shop the small motel that
6:09
once sat at this address has been
6:10
replaced by this new structure but right
6:15
here at this street corner the stunt
6:18
driver did a heck of a job as he spun
6:22
around twice in the vehicle once backing
6:27
into this particular driveway and
6:30
another as it neared a parking spot
6:33
located where that wall is situated now
6:37
well up and Adam we're here kids this is
6:42
the very street Wyatt Earp used to keep
6:44
law and order on well kinda
6:47
just a few feet away once again had
6:51
Warner Brothers Studios and behind these
6:55
buildings used to be an area called
6:58
Laramie Street old western sound and
7:03
that's where Dodge City Kansas took
7:06
place and where Audrey almost lost her
7:09
hearing as they cruised along here he
7:12
was trying to explain to his family why
7:15
they needed to stop off at the house of
7:18
mud but they weren't interested and if
7:21
you pay attention out his driver's side
7:23
window as he's trying to convince them
7:25
you'll notice these dirt mounds off in
7:28
the background they're still there at
7:31
first I thought there were real
7:32
mountains but they're just little humps
7:34
of dirt I pretty much made a mountain
7:37
out of a molehill as he looks in his
7:39
side mirror we have the first appearance
7:41
of Christie Brinkley who is driving
7:43
directly towards where I'm currently
7:45
standing now if you look across the
7:47
street you will notice an electrical box
7:49
on the far right of the screen and a
7:51
tree on the left and if you match it up
7:54
to the still from the movie you can see
7:57
they have omitted and they have removed
7:58
the telephone poles in fact if you look
8:00
closely where the two cars are racing
8:02
down the road look at the structures in
8:04
the buildings behind them it's the same
8:07
spot that I'm sitting currently right
8:10
there they were basically zooming down
8:14
this back road thoroughfare that de la
8:17
building can also be seen once again at
8:20
the very end of that scene as she's
8:24
driving away from the family and from
8:27
Clark but she'll be seen again she'll be
8:30
back
8:31
she'll be back when they arrive in
8:33
Coolidge Kansas to visit cousin Eddie
8:35
and pick up aunt Edna don't be fooled
8:37
because it's basically in the middle of
8:39
nowhere Colorado down this dirt road and
8:43
if you look closely on the right of your
8:45
screen you can see the homestead right
8:49
there when the car pulls in right past
8:52
that tree is a fence line and there used
8:55
to be a driveway and the truckster
8:58
turned and parked right about there on
9:04
the other side of those trees and it
9:07
pretty much looks the same different
9:09
coloration but that's cousin Eddie's
9:12
house around the back was where the
9:14
teeter-totter and the worm farm and the
9:17
old barn has been torn down and there's
9:19
a new one but a lot of scenes filmed
9:21
right here on this property the porch
9:23
swing has been removed but other than
9:26
that kind of get the same vibe as if
9:29
cousin Eddie was starting up a picnic
9:32
they were sitting here and the grill was
9:36
right over there next to the road he
9:38
wasn't grilling hamburgers up he was
9:40
grilling up just the buns did you tell
9:42
him the good news you're driving me to
9:46
Phoenix
10:14
when you're on a cross-country Trek to
10:14
Walley world sometimes you need a little
10:17
break and that's where a rest stop comes
10:21
in handy oh look here's one now in this
10:27
case they decided to grab a bite to eat
10:29
at the picnic table and it just so
10:32
happens that picnic table still exists
10:36
in the same location in fact if you look
10:39
at those hills in the background and
10:41
that tree to the right of the screen
10:44
this was where rusty was quote playing
10:47
with the dog
10:48
come get some lunch stop playing with
10:51
the dog with in reality this tug was
10:54
bowing down on his leg and this little
10:58
weird stump coming out of the tree still
11:02
exists to the angle right there a little
11:06
more foliage than before about that's
11:09
the spot the limb as well as the tree
11:11
itself has been removed that Chevy Chase
11:15
was leaning against shortly before he
11:17
started dancing with the baloney and
11:19
cheese sandwich it would have sat
11:23
basically right about here and he was
11:25
doing his best standing right in here to
11:29
impress Christie Brinkley who was
11:31
standing right over in that area the
11:34
buildings in the background still look
11:36
identical however in which he's calling
11:38
for rusty he's not here right next to
11:39
the table he's way over on the other
11:41
side of the complex movie magic once
11:45
again I have to wonder how many people
11:47
have sat on this now deteriorating bench
11:50
not knowing that the Griswolds once
11:52
shared some sandwiches here before they
11:55
realize that the dog went on a picnic
11:57
basket after the adventures at the rest
11:59
stop they decided they need a good
12:01
night's sleep and pulled over into this
12:03
driveway
12:04
which used to be camp comfort camp
12:11
comfort it's pretty good now a lot has
12:15
changed but a lot remains the same under
12:17
disguise if you will like the painting
12:19
and the wood color on that building in
12:21
the background looks different but they
12:23
pulled up right here and parked
12:27
basically in front of this addition for
12:36
the night the office has been enlarged
12:38
quite a bit to where they walked in was
12:41
through that door they have built that
12:42
counter there to the left and the
12:44
original counter here where they checked
12:47
in just basically where I'm standing but
12:50
as you can see they've expanded the gift
12:52
shop a little so it sounds exactly the
12:56
same the accommodations were built
12:58
specifically for the movie at the top of
13:01
this rocky terrain where they climbed up
13:05
to pack the luggage on the car but look
13:08
down there one of them still remains
13:13
abandoned at the bottom of the hill out
13:15
of all that were assembled this is the
13:18
last remaining one and the bullhorn and
13:22
they have documented it and called it
13:24
Sparky's place which was the nickname
13:27
that he had in the movie you have to
13:32
wonder if right in here was where they
13:36
were in the sleeping bag together safe
13:38
to say I was not expecting to find this
13:41
remaining out here in a golf cart now
13:44
heading down the hill going to see
13:49
Camp comfort signs that are in storage
13:53
there they are
13:55
Wow
14:26
excuse me can you tell me how to get to
14:26
Walley world just keep just keep going
14:29
this way all right appreciate it down
14:34
this desolate road is where they were
14:36
pulled over by the police officer not
14:38
realizing they had tied the dog to their
14:41
back bumper it's a mistake anyone can
14:43
make I suppose but not one I would want
14:46
to now look at the background here this
14:50
pinpoints the spot where the truckster
14:53
would have been pulled over the
14:55
motorcycle of the cop would have been
14:56
parked right here but they use a little
14:58
photographic trickery and they use the
15:01
majestic mountains down that way from
15:05
the front angle and the back angle so
15:09
it's confusing so if you ever make it
15:10
out here you will think why in the heck
15:14
does this shot not match up it's because
15:18
they used those back there on a couple
15:23
of occasions from the front end and the
15:25
back end right there we've got to get
15:29
moving
15:30
I'm on a pilgrimage to see a moose
15:32
praise Marty moose praise party boos
15:37
it's currently a Mexican restaurant but
15:41
at the time the movie came out it was a
15:43
Sonic drive-in in fact right here in
15:46
this very parking spot is where the
15:51
family truckster was parked is this your
15:54
idea of a good restaurant dog killer
15:59
what I like is the fact that there are
16:03
some remnants that still remain like the
16:07
red paint right down there
16:12
a little memento and the pole was right
16:17
down in that hole the waitress walked up
16:21
put the tray well I guess I should say
16:24
handed the tray to Clark and he broke
16:28
his wind-up waitress now it has been
16:31
repainted but as you can tell other than
16:35
that precisely the same this is the spot
16:41
where they were discussing the losing of
16:44
the luggage and their credit cards but
16:47
don't fret Clark always has everything
16:50
completely under control
16:54
don't you trust me as long as you don't
16:57
tie me to the rear bumper who's the
17:00
Moosey as mooss we know large moose
17:03
who's the star of our favorite show
17:05
Marty moose and this for Mary were Mary
17:09
you see o is for oh gosh oh golly oh gee
17:14
s is for super star family glee is for
17:19
everything you want to be ma RT y m OS e
17:30
SS spell Marty moose Marty moose Marty
17:34
moose yep that's me as they're looking
17:38
for the Grand Canyon it states on the
17:40
screen somewhere in Arizona and they
17:43
pass this rock formation appropriately
17:48
named baby rocks they started down there
17:53
moved briskly this way they wouldn't
17:57
quite make it to the Grand Canyon
17:58
without an incident however once they
18:00
continue that way a little bit of an
18:03
accident was going to take place heading
18:09
down into Monument Valley looking for
18:13
the famous spots of the car wreck my
18:18
goodness this road is definitely not
18:21
structurally sound this rental car it's
18:25
going to need a bath
18:34
my best guest says this is the
18:34
approximate location of where it
18:35
happened notice the incline of the road
18:37
to be able to get the vehicle up to
18:39
speed and the rocks in the background
18:41
still match up now it's been well over
18:44
30 years but I'm thinking they built a
18:47
ramp right about here in fact if I was
18:51
to wander way off over there a pretty
18:54
good ways you would get the angle as
18:56
seen of these rocks as the car goes
19:00
flying through the air I'm not allowed
19:02
to pass this sign private property you
19:06
have to use your imagination a little
19:07
bit and pretend were shifted about a
19:09
hundred two hundred yards that way but
19:13
this is it I think he jumped in about 50
19:19
yards that's nothing to be proud of Russ
19:23
steel
19:24
watch out you're going too fast you're
19:27
going to that classic father-and-son
19:31
talk took place right here and then he
19:38
ran off to find help to no avail but at
19:43
least he tried this is also where he was
19:45
going a little stir-crazy in the desert
19:47
heat and the cameras zoomed right down
19:51
there 99 bottles of beer on the wall 99
19:53
bottles of beer I love a parade
20:04
we pass a gas station every hundred
20:04
yards this is no way to run a desert the
20:07
next town over his mechanic shop was
20:09
very helpful with repairs how much is it
20:12
gonna cost you all of it boy he used to
20:16
sit right where this Burger King now
20:18
resides and the pinpointed destination
20:21
can be figured out based on where the
20:25
truckster pulled out those two water
20:28
tanks are still there all these years
20:31
later this road has been completely
20:35
redone and the mechanic shop due to poor
20:38
business practices has closed but the
20:45
water tanks are still there Marty Marty
20:49
is that you Marty
21:01
I never mind I thought it was someone
21:01
else I'm at the southern rim of the
21:06
Grand Canyon look at that majestic to
21:17
say the least
21:19
whatever you do top looked down and it
21:30
was right along this very pathway at a
21:34
hotel up the way that a cheque was
21:38
attempted to be cashed fun fact however
21:40
only the exterior x' were used in the
21:44
movie what you're seeing right there the
21:48
indoor shots were somewhere completely
21:51
different in reality it was located
21:55
directly inside the lobby of these walls
22:00
and as you make your way inside the
22:02
historic strat or hotel in Durango
22:05
Colorado you will notice that a lot of
22:08
things look precisely the same look at
22:12
the umbrella over the top of this
22:14
postcard rack it used to be painted a
22:16
different color but it's still here and
22:18
the woodwork directly behind the counter
22:22
still looks the same when the clerk
22:24
won't cash his check he slams his hand
22:26
down which triggers something in the
22:27
cash register it pops open he takes the
22:30
money leaves the check and runs out this
22:32
very door around the side of the
22:35
stairwell flash back to Arizona again as
22:37
he stumbles down these stairs and if you
22:41
notice he kicks over some luggage and
22:43
then runs to the edge of the canyon to
22:46
find his family there's the view
22:48
probably the world's records shortest
22:50
time spent at this overlook and if
22:54
matching up the background doesn't do it
22:56
for you take a look at this rock wall
22:59
down below and the linework that still
23:04
remains in the same spot notice
23:07
that diagonally goes up and then around
23:10
and then there's almost like a t-shaped
23:15
version there still looks the same from
23:20
the early eighties when they discover
23:23
Aunt Edna has died and drive off the
23:25
road in panic that was located at the
23:27
tip-top peak of a place called schneebly
23:29
Hill overlook back in the day it was
23:31
very simple to drive up here but
23:33
currently the rocky terrain has pretty
23:35
much taken over I found this image
23:37
online and you could circle around and
23:39
see the tree still remains from that
23:42
scene as breathtaking as it is it's
23:44
amazing to think that the whole cast and
23:46
crew went up this entire mountain to get
23:49
this very short shot there's a very
23:52
rainy night when they arrived at cousin
23:54
normies to drop off a recently passed
23:56
away Aunt Edna door over there still
24:01
looks the same as well as the rockwork
24:04
you don't see the balcony however in the
24:06
film and around the backyard was the
24:09
prayer on this property two things
24:15
happened the first of which was Clarke
24:18
going to the bar to get a drink and as
24:20
you can tell from going inside it's been
24:23
totally remodeled but this is the spot
24:26
he met up with Christie Brinkley his
24:28
first conversation and he found out she
24:31
was in the mood for some fun
24:33
hopefully the water is not as cold as it
24:36
was back then look at the tiles on the
24:40
concrete still in the same spot even
24:44
though a little bit different coloration
24:45
on the tiles on the pool itself and
24:48
they've added a hot tub this is crazy
24:51
this is crazy this is crazy
24:52
I'm in deep I'm in deep
24:57
have all been changed since then but the
25:01
railing still has this unique design and
25:06
the woodwork even though it's been
25:09
repainted still the clothes the children
25:13
overlooking the whole thing right up
25:17
there I was ordering some fish for you
25:22
and Audrey it was a a swimming waitress
25:25
you believe me don't you son
25:27
sure do you think mama bye
25:31
dun dun dun dun dun dun we made it to
25:37
Walley world
25:42
this overpass you see off on the
25:42
distance there from the top up was a
25:44
matte painting
25:47
the entrance to Walley world over time
25:51
they have blocked off part of this area
25:53
and they have constructed a makeshift
25:56
parking lot out of it but you'll notice
25:58
that right down here are the original
26:01
yellow street markers depicting the
26:06
lanes to go towards the overpass this is
26:11
the parking lot of the Santa Anita
26:12
Raceway that might moderately look
26:16
familiar to you off in the distance they
26:18
also did another matte painting above
26:21
the horse track the interesting thing is
26:25
the exact spot they pulled up to was
26:29
located right here here's the old
26:32
parking marker here's the new one so use
26:36
your imagination for a bit the car would
26:39
have been here they would have uprooted
26:41
the b3 sign but everything in the
26:44
background matches up this is where the
26:48
Griswolds wanted to be they made it they
26:53
paint it
26:55
first ones here first ones here but
26:59
we're so far away Clark right and at the
27:03
end of the day when everyone's fighting
27:05
to leave we'll be the first ones to get
27:07
out - right first ones here they've
27:10
added palm trees and remove the yellow
27:12
stanchion poles and replace them with
27:14
new ones and the line of poles that used
27:17
to go directly towards the stadium have
27:19
also been removed but this is where the
27:21
race happened Chariots of Fire dun da da
27:23
da dun da da da who's gonna win Clark or
27:29
rusty gonna head it and have some fun
27:32
err exuberance they ran up right here I
27:41
am channeling Marty moose the angle
27:50
shifts just a few feet when that iconic
27:52
moment happens they place flowers all
27:55
along this pole here of course to the
27:58
right of this pole was Marty and the
28:03
voice of Marty moose was narrated by the
28:06
director Harold Ramos after that
28:10
disappointing moment they peel off to
28:13
purchase a gun out the same way they
28:16
came in and I'm currently standing up on
28:19
the overpass that was the matte painting
28:21
this is where they drove in and drove
28:24
out just a stone's throw from this Beach
28:27
shoreline is where you could have found
28:29
the sporting goods store right over
28:33
there but if it wasn't for that street
28:34
sign the palm trees and this building it
28:39
would be very hard to tell that right
28:41
here was where the gas station was ah
28:45
progress if you pay close attention to
28:48
the windows and the design that runs
28:51
directly underneath along the wall and
28:54
then a little more detail given to the
28:58
elevated spot on the roof see how it
29:01
just jeonse up there about a foot in my
29:05
opinion right inside that door was where
29:10
the gun Six Flags Magic Mountain the
29:19
inside shots of Walley world the
29:22
Security office is long gone but the
29:24
Griswolds would have walked directly
29:26
towards me but they were stopped they
29:29
were halted by John Candy with his hand
29:33
in the air sorry folks
29:35
parks closed moose out front I told you
29:39
it was also in this courtyard that the
29:42
other security officer was made to roll
29:46
around on the ground like a dog right
29:48
next to that planter smack-dab between
29:53
the two trees in fact the white pole
29:57
still remains it's been revamped updated
30:00
over time but it's still in the middle
30:04
of the two trees like it always has been
30:06
this was one of the two major rides used
30:11
looks eerily similar but has been
30:15
revamped quite a bit
30:20
it's said that some of the cast were
30:22
starting to get sick I guess they had to
30:25
ride this thing over and over and over
30:29
and over to get the appropriate shots in
30:35
a real life this boat makes the noise of
30:39
a dinosaur and totally see why they were
30:43
terrified no longer a grassy knoll and
30:49
the screamin Mimi is now called the
30:51
twisted Colossus
30:53
SWAT team incoming watch out here comes
30:58
the SWAT team there no longer is water
31:01
sand has taken the place at the bottom
31:05
of the fountain but the archway still
31:10
exists
31:13
Wow in fact this entire area was a
31:17
pretty monumental point of the movie
31:20
because they could have gone to jail or
31:23
they could have got off scot-free to no
31:26
longer called the whippersnapper but
31:28
take a look at the theming of the
31:31
rockwork protruding out of the
31:35
coloration still there you can even see
31:41
where the mounting for the lights used
31:43
to be lanterns placed on that side and
31:47
another one right here against the wall
31:53
since that time period as well in
31:56
addition to the top has been added it
32:00
was just the lower portion that can be
32:03
seen in this frame here when the cops
32:06
swarmed them don't worry officer no
32:09
threat here it's just a BB gun it's just
32:12
a BB gun I was noticing in this frame
32:15
when Roy shows up the head honcho there
32:18
used to be a water fountain
32:19
over there in the corner the sign was
32:22
planted along that board if you look
32:26
closely you can see where the waterworks
32:29
used to flow it all worked out in the
32:32
end and even though the coaster has gone
32:36
through some changes
32:38
the final shot right there the family
32:43
Roy Walley and all the police officers
32:46
careened down that path
33:29
first ones here madam don't even ask yo
33:29
ha why the whole world is singing this
33:34
song