To plan a set-jetting trip in the U.S., pick one film or show, confirm which scenes were shot on real locations, sort the sites by how you are allowed to visit them, and then group them into a route you can cover in a day or two. The steps below are the same whether you are chasing a single house or a whole city’s worth of locations.
Set-jetting is travel built around the places seen in movies and TV. Wikipedia’s article on film tourism says the term appeared as the headline of a 2007 New York Post article and plays on “jet-setting.” The same article lists U.S. examples such as the Joker Stairs in New York City and notes that film exposure can bring new visitors and revenue to places that were not previously tourist hotspots.
Step 1: Choose a focus
Start with one title rather than a long list. A single show gives you a clear route and makes it easier to judge whether a place is worth the detour.
Good starting points are places where the connection is strong and the sites are public:
- Albuquerque, New Mexico for Breaking Bad, where many sites are ordinary restaurants and shops. See our Albuquerque guide.
- Salem, Massachusetts for Hocus Pocus, with sites inside a walkable downtown. See our Hocus Pocus guide.
- Jackson, Georgia for Stranger Things, where a downtown square stands in for Hawkins. See our Georgia guide.
- Cleveland, Ohio for A Christmas Story, which has a museum and tours. See our Cleveland guide.
Step 2: Separate real locations from sets
Many famous interiors were built on stages, often far from the exterior you can visit. Before you plan around a scene, check where it was filmed.
- Home Alone‘s house exterior is in Winnetka, Illinois, but most interiors were built on a sound stage at a high school, according to Wikipedia.
- The Shining‘s Overlook exterior is Timberline Lodge in Oregon, but the interiors were built elsewhere, as our Halloween movie guide explains.
- A Christmas Story‘s Cleveland house provided the exterior and some interiors, while most interiors were filmed on a Toronto sound stage, per Wikipedia.
Wikipedia is a useful starting point for production details, but follow up with an official tourism or museum page before you build a trip around a claim.
Step 3: Sort each site by access
The most important planning step is knowing how you are allowed to visit each stop. This table summarizes the categories, with examples from our guides.
| Access type | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Public space | Streets, parks, stairs, plazas you can enter freely | Salem Common, Georgetown’s Exorcist Steps |
| Open business | Restaurants, shops, hotels that welcome customers | Twisters in Albuquerque, Timberline Lodge |
| Ticketed attraction | Museums and tours with set hours and prices | A Christmas Story House in Cleveland, Pioneer Village in Salem |
| Working facility | Active buildings that serve a public function | The Ghostbusters firehouse in Manhattan |
| Private home | Someone’s residence | The Home Alone house, the Walter White house |
| Closed property | Vacant or restricted property | The former Gwinnett Place Mall used as Starcourt in Stranger Things |
Private homes and closed properties are look-from-the-street-only at best. Some are not even that: the owners of the house used for Walter White’s home in Breaking Bad have put up a fence, signs and cameras after fans trespassed, according to WIVB.
Step 4: Use official and reliable sources
Prefer sources that are accountable for accuracy and update their pages.
- Tourism bureaus. Visit Albuquerque’s film tourism page lists Breaking Bad sites and tours. Explore Georgia has an events and tours page covering film events and itineraries.
- Maps from studios. Netflix runs a New Mexico filming locations map that you can filter by title and region. It gives no visitor guidance, so treat it as a lead and not a license to knock on doors.
- Business improvement districts and local history groups. Georgetown’s business district publishes a movie sites guide that notes which site is a residence, and the Winnetka Historical Society has a page on local film sets.
- Official venue pages. For museums and tours, read hours, ticket rules and closures on the venue’s own page. The Cleveland attraction’s hours page is an example.
Be careful with blogs that copy each other. If two articles repeat the same address and neither cites a source, treat the claim as unverified.
Step 5: Build a route
- Group by area. Cluster stops that are within walking distance or a short drive.
- Put ticketed stops first. Reserve tours or timed entries early, since some venues require online tickets for specific times.
- Add buffer time. Plan one major stop per half-day, and leave time for meals.
- Check seasons. Some sites are seasonal. For example, Salem’s Pioneer Village lists a June-to-November season with weekend hours.
- Plan how you will get there. Some places, such as Salem, are easier by train in a busy season.
- Download offline maps. Cell coverage can be weak in mountains and rural areas.
Step 6: Budget and book
Costs vary. Free sites include streets, plazas and stairs, while tours cost money. As an example, the Visit Albuquerque listing for an RV tour listed $95 per person with lunch as of October 2026. Add parking, rideshares and meals. Prices change, so confirm with the operator.
If you are building a trip around an annual event, check dates before you book travel. For example, St. Helens, Oregon, runs a Halloween festival on weekends through November 1, according to our Halloween guide.
Step 7: Respect residents and locals
Popularity can strain neighborhoods. Residents of the Bronx’s Joker Stairs complained about crowds and selfie sticks during their commutes, and a U.S. representative asked visitors to stay away, according to Wikipedia.
Follow these habits:
- Stay on public property and obey posted signs.
- Keep noise down and do not block sidewalks, driveways or stairs.
- Do not climb fences, enter yards or peer into windows.
- Do not fly drones near homes.
- Buy something at local businesses where you take photos.
- Do not share the real-time whereabouts of actors or crew.
Our full etiquette guide covers these habits in more detail.
What to pack
- Your tickets and confirmation numbers saved offline.
- Comfortable shoes for steps and uneven ground.
- A portable charger.
- A list of addresses for public sites only, plus backup options in case something is closed.
FAQs
What does set-jetting mean?
It is travel planned around the places seen in movies and TV shows. The term appeared in a 2007 New York Post headline, per Wikipedia.
How do I find filming locations near me?
Start with your city or state film office, then see our guide on how to find out what is filming in your city. For known titles, use tourism bureaus and official museum pages.
Are all filming locations open to visitors?
No. Many are private homes, closed buildings or active workplaces, and some interiors were built on stages.
How many stops should I plan per day?
Three to five is realistic for most self-guided trips, depending on distance and ticketed stops. Leave time for travel between them.
Is set-jetting expensive?
It can be inexpensive if you stick to public spaces. Guided tours and museums add cost, so check each venue’s current prices.
