Sonoma County Movie Locations Tour Itinerary

Get nostalgic for the small-town America of Peggy Sue Got Married and American Graffiti; drink Pinot Noir with Oscar.

Cruisin’ the Boulevard

Kick off your tour in downtown Petaluma, less than 45 minutes north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. For your big day, fuel up with coffee and a freshly baked pastry at the divinely scented Della Fattoria Café. Or, serious espresso fiends can energize just down the street at Avid Coffee, a favorite spot for those who appreciate the art of latte foam.

Leave the car parked downtown and walk up Western Avenue to Petaluma Boulevard North, once a go-to spot for Hollywood directors looking for the small-town America of yesteryear.

George Lucas shot 1973’s American Graffiti, the classic tribute to American teen-hood and automobiles. Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, and Suzanne Somers cruised Petaluma Boulevard, Water Street, Kentucky Street, and Western Avenue. In a lot next to the Mystic Theatre, Dreyfuss pulled off one of the film’s most memorable stunts and a cop car lost its back end.

If you visit Petaluma during the town’s annual salute to the film in May, you won’t need to do much imagining — the hot rods and rock ’n roll music will take you right back to 1962.

If you need a pick-me-up during your trip down memory lane, stop into Angela’s Creamery, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and soda fountain with kitschy charm and seasonal flavors such as Nutella-banana and Petaluma strawberry.

Angela’s is such a picture-perfect spot that Pleasantville, the 1998 movie in which Reese Witherspoon and Tobey Maguire are zapped into a 1950s TV sitcom town, features scenes shot just outside.

Check out the century-old clock tower at the corner of Western Avenue and Petaluma Boulevard North for yet another trip back in time. The clock, along with Western Avenue’s iron-front buildings, provided a perfect backdrop for Francis Ford Coppola’s Peggy Sue Got Married, a 1986 flashback film starring Kathleen Turner and Nicolas Cage.

Head west on Western Boulevard towards American Alley (which was used for scenes in 1997’s Inventing the Abbotts), then turn right onto Liberty Street. Number 226 is the stunning Queen Ann Victorian that Turner’s Peggy Sue called home, though these days it’s a private residence.

A few blocks away, at the corner of B Street and Fifth Street, you’ll find the Open Door Christian Church, where Robin Williams filmed a scene for Disney’s 1997 family flick, Flubber.

Picnic in the Park

Ready for a change of scene? Drive north on Highway 101 for about 30 miles, take the Central Healdsburg exit, and head to the Healdsburg Plaza, named by Travel + Leisure magazine as one of the most beautiful town squares in the country.

Everyone loves Healdsburg Plaza; in fact, it was a film site for Natalie Wood’s 1943 movie The Happy Land, and more than 50 years later, Wes Craven brought a group of teenage heartthrobs here to film scenes for the franchise-sparking horror movie Scream.

Lunch options near the square range from upscale (Barndiva) to freshly baked (Costeaux French Bakery).

An Offer You Can’t Refuse

From Healdsburg, drive north about 10 minutes on Highway 101 until you get to the Independence Lane exit for Geyserville. From here, head to the impressive Francis Ford Coppola Winery.

Step inside this legendary director’s winery and feel the Hollywood magic. Sip a glass of the “Director’s Cut” Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet, or Merlot as you marvel at Coppola’s huge collection of movie memorabilia. Go for a wander, and you’ll find Don Corleone’s desk from The Godfather, the original car used in Tucker, and even a few shiny golden bald men named Oscar.

Small Town Comforts

Cruise south on 101 about 20 miles, to take the exit for Downtown Santa Rosa. Check into the Hotel La Rose, a 1907 stone stunner on Santa Rosa’s historic Railroad Square, or try the nearby Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country.

You can also make like Cate Blanchett and Billy Bob Thornton in the 2001 movie Bandits by booking a room at the midcentury-modern Flamingo Resort. 

Time for Dinner

Spend the evening wandering Santa Rosa’s quaint downtown, sampling the nightlife, or indulging in imaginative cocktails and Surf & Turf specialties at Stark’s Steak & Seafood.

See the small towns Hitchcock loved; take a peek at Pollyanna’s house; beware of birds in Bodega; make like a Goonie at the beach.

Shadows and Screams

Start your morning back in Railroad Square. It was here that Alfred Hitchcock shot scenes for Shadow of a Doubt, a 1943 suspense ride about an uncle with a terrible secret and the niece who finds him out. In the movie, a locomotive — bringing with it an ominous cloud of black smoke — pulls into the train station at 9 Fourth Street. The station building is still standing, and today it’s a visitors’ information center.

For a bite and a cup with a view of Railroad Square, try A’roma Roasters. Or for a heartier breakfast, head to Omelette Express, then walk it off with a quick stroll through Whistlestop Antiques.

Stop by the Santa Rosa High School as this elegant brick school appeared in Peggy Sue Got Married and Inventing the Abbotts, boasting fictional “alumni” the likes of Kathleen Turner, Nicolas Cage, Liv Tyler, and Jennifer Connelly.

A stroll up and down McDonald Avenue, the city’s most beautiful residential street with gorgeous old homes used in the movies Shadow of a Doubt and Scream.

Make sure you stop and peek through the gates at the McDonald Mansion, an 1870s estate. In 1960, Walt Disney used Hollywood magic to add a false third story to this historic home, transforming it into the mansion where Hayley Mills goes to live with Jane Wyman in Pollyanna.

Coastal Thrills

Next, head for the Sonoma Coast on Highway 12 and exit in Sebastopol. Drive through scenic Sebastopol on Bodega Avenue as it becomes Bodega Highway; winding your way past vineyards, barns, and apple orchards.

In the tiny town of Bodega, you’ll find the setting for Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, which still gives viewers a temporary case of ornithophobia almost 60 years after its release.

Just off the highway (up Bodega Lane), you’ll see the St. Teresa of Avila Church, made famous by a 1953 Ansel Adams photograph and later glimpsed briefly on film during The Birds. You’ll also find the old Potter Schoolhouse, the setting for much on-screen running, screaming, and pecking during The Birds.

The two buildings also prettied up the opening credits of Fred Astaire and Petula Clark’s 1968 musical Finian’s Rainbow. (Feel free to snap as many pictures as you’d like in front of both buildings, but note the Potter Schoolhouse is now a private residence).

For lunch, grab a seat at the cash-only Casino Bar & Grill. The locally sourced, ever-changing menu at this roadhouse-style bar may surprise you, but its history shouldn’t: this was the watering hole of choice for Hitchcock’s crew and likely the movie’s star, Tippi Hedren.

Walk of Fame

Travel to Bodega Head, another famous filming location for The Birds. From Bodega, travel through the town of Bodega Bay (more on this location later) to the cliff-top parking lot and take it all in with a walk on one of the headland trails. A cluster of picnic tables makes this the perfect stop for a quick break.

Stomp the sand off your shoes and hop back in the car to drive north up the coastal CA-1 to Schoolhouse Beach where Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr. filmed a scene in 1997’s I Know What You Did Last Summer. But don’t be scared: Any local will tell you this spot’s really more famous for tide pooling than for terror.

Another five miles up CA-1, take the pull-off for Goat Rock Beach. Look familiar? Steven Spielberg shot part of his 1985 cult classic The Goonies, about a band of kids searching for hidden treasure, right here.

To enjoy the same scenery Spielberg did, go for a bluff-top hike or a leisurely walk along the beach, or visit (from a respectful distance) the colony of seals that calls this beach home.

Seafood and Bay Views

Back in the town of Bodega Bay, dinner options abound, including burgers, hotdogs, and shakes at The Dog House.

The site of the Tides Wharf Restaurant and Bar was used for scenes in The Birds and serves upscale casual seafood with bay views. Terrapin Creek Café on Eastshore Road offers a locally sourced dinner menu that’s earned national acclaim, served in a casual neighborhood atmosphere.

That’s a Wrap

Stick around for the night and enjoy panoramic water views from a room at the Inn at the Tides or the The Lodge at Bodega Bay.

Or stay in the tiny but charming town of Jenner, with plenty of lodging options including the Timber Cove Resort, the Jenner Inn, and the River’s End Restaurant & Inn, where sunsets are a downright cinematic viewing experience.