Best Movies Filmed In Baltimore

Previously the location for the former HBO hit Homicide, Baltimore has garnered attention from Hollywood's elite over recent years for being the location for filming a majority of the scenes for the Emmy award winning Netflix series, House of Cards. Baltimore has been a premier spot for filmmakers for decades, and some of the most iconic scenes in cinema were shot right here in Charm City. Below is a list of just a few films that were given some added sparkle thanks to Baltimore.

Hairspray
3500 Hillen Road
Baltimore, MD 21218
(410) 396-6496
www.learningfront.com/mergenthaler 

Baltimore native, and frequent Club Charles visitor, John Waters made his first PG-rated film, Hairspray, in 1988. Set in the 1960s and starring a then-unknown Ricki Lake as plump, forward-thinking teenager Tracy Turnblad. The film became a cult classic. Many of the exterior shots were filmed around Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School. The interior of the school was shot in Perry Hall High School, a school located in a quaint suburb of northern Baltimore county.

Sleepless In Seattle
1738 Thames St.
Baltimore, MD 21231
(410) 675-8900
www.fellspointmainstreet.org

One of the most iconic romantic comedies of the 1990s, Sleepless in Seattle, featured many shots in Baltimore. In the movie, Meg Ryan plays Annie Reed, a news reporter for the Baltimore Sun. As such, many of the scenes were shot around Mount Vernon, the Baltimore Sun building and Fells Point in the Inner Harbor. Fells Point is one of Baltimore's premier spots for dining, shopping and nightlife, which makes it a gorgeous place to film as well as visit.

The Blair Witch Project
11950 Clopper Road
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
1-800-825-7275
www.dnr2.maryland.gov

The surprise hit of 1999 was the low-budget The Blair Witch Project. The movie was framed as recovered footage left behind by three film students who go missing after attempting to shoot a documentary about the Blair Witch legend by visiting the "Black Hill Forest" in Burkittsville, Maryland. In reality most of the scenes for the movie were shot in Seneca State Park located in Gaithersburg, Maryland. No witches seem to be haunting the area, but nature enthusiasts would be wise to visit this scenic location for a hike or picnic.

Related:  Best Parks in Baltimore

Diner
400 East Saratoga St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
CLOSED

The 1982 Barry Levinson directed film, Diner, centered around a group of college friends meeting at their local diner to anxiously mull over their transition into adulthood. Set in 1959, the classic look of Baltimore's The Hollywood Diner made for the perfect shooting location. The Hollywood Diner gained notoriety after also being featured in films like Twelve Monkeys, Tin Men and Avalon. Sadly, despite the fame, the diner has since closed.

Enemy Of The State
3800 Newgate Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21224
(410) 631-6100
www.consolenergy.com

Baltimore was part of one of the most gripping scenes from the 1998 political thriller, Enemy of the State. During one of the scenes, the character Clayton Dean (played by Will Smith) is being chased through the Consolidated Coal yards located on Newgate Avenue in Baltimore not far from the Patapsco River. Yet another iconic moment from the film was when the demolition of the old Dr. Pepper plant located in the industrial section of Baltimore, and was specifically destroyed for the movie. Who knew Charm City could be so action-packed?

Related: Best Railroad Experiences Near Baltimore For Kids

Tracy Dye currently resides in Baltimore city, where she enjoys writing prolifically on topics ranging from food to dating advice and everything in between. Writing is Tracy's happy place, particularly when it is accompanied by a large cup of coffee. Read more on Examiner.com.