10 Great Movies Filmed in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is one of the most affordable and livable cities in the U.S., with lots of natural beauty and fascinating history, as well as plenty for residents to do to keep themselves occupied. All that history, beauty, and activity make it a great place to set a film, which is why there are so many major movies filmed in Pittsburgh.

Read on for our list of our favorites! And by the way, if you’re looking for a place to do a film or photoshoot of your own, whether in Pittsburgh or elsewhere, take a look at Peerspace to get a sense of the options available to you in your area.

1. Adventureland (2009)

The majority of this 2009 rom-com, which stars Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, was filmed at Pittsburgh’s famous Kennywood Amusement Park—so you can actually visit if you’re a fan! For the movie, they had to make the park look like it was the ’80s and a lot more rundown, so if you actually visit Kennywood, you can expect it to look a lot better than it does in the movie!

2. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

This is by far the most popular movie filmed in Pittsburgh—internationally, it earned over a billion dollars in the box office. Tom Hardy is a terrifying villain as Bane in this movie, the third movie in the Dark Knight trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan. It’s a truly dark take on Batman, and if you’re hoping to see shots of Pittsburgh, the scene at Heinz Field will truly shock you—but we won’t spoil it for you, so give it a watch.

3. It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)

The universally beloved Tom Hanks plays the also-universally-beloved Mister Rogers in this 2019 movie filmed in Pittsburgh. While the movie is nominally about Mister Rogers, it’s really about his relationship with an investigative journalist named Lloyd, played by Matthew Rhys, who happens to be profiling Mister Rogers. This unique approach takes the movie in an unexpected and interesting direction, and it’s worth a watch for Hanks’s performance alone.

4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

This is a sweet and meaningful coming-of-age movie tethered by emotional, realistic, and nuanced performances by its young leads (Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, and Mae Whitman). It’s specifically set in a suburb of Pittsburgh called Peters Township, especially in Peters Township High School as well as Fort Pitt Tunnel, the Hollywood Theater, Kings Family Restaurant, and many other backdrops that will be familiar to anyone from that area and that lend the movie its particular feel.

5. Dawn of the Dead (1978)

This is a 1970s zombie movie as well as a sequel to Night of the Living Dead. Filmed in Pittsburgh, the flick successfully satirizes consumer culture in addition to providing plenty of significant scares! The backdrop for the movie is the Monroeville Mall, which is east of Pittsburgh, where the main characters of the movie hide out in an attempt to survive the onslaught of zombies coming at them from every direction. 

6. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

With the plot focusing on an absolutely terrifying cannibalistic serial killer named Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins opposite the talented Jodie Foster as Clarice, this is one of the most important movies of all time in the horror genre.

A true innovator, Silence of the Lambs won a ton of Academy Awards after its release in 1991: best actor, best actress, best director, and even best picture! All of these awards were well-deserved, so if you haven’t seen it and are looking for a scare, be sure to give it a watch. And keep in mind that most of the film was filmed in and around Pittsburgh. 

7. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Here’s another one of the most important horror movies of all time, more specifically another utterly terrifying zombie movie. Filmed in Pittsburgh and released in 1968, the black-and-white movie is so significant that it was selected for the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 1999. It may be an older movie, but don’t watch this one unless you’re ready to be truly terrified.

8. The Fault in Our Stars (2014)

Although the plot takes place in Indianapolis, the movie itself, which is based on a 2012 young adult novel by John Green, was filmed almost entirely in Pittsburgh. The film is extremely emotional and may be a bit of a tough watch at times for that reason, but it’s also highly compelling and worth seeing, especially thanks to fantastic performances from stars Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Laura Dern, and Willem Dafoe. 

9. Flashdance (1983)

This 1980s dance film classic starring Jennifer Beals features numerous Pittsburgh locations, including the University of Pittsburgh, the Duquesne Incline, the Smithfield Street Bridge over the Monongahela River, and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, among others. It’s a fun watch whether or not you’re a fan of Pittsburgh—but if you are, it makes it that much more fun to point out all the spots you recognize throughout the movie. 

10. Fences (2016)

This movie based on the play by the groundbreaking Pittsburgh-born playwright August Wilson stars two of the greatest actors of our time: Viola Davis and Denzel Washington. Fences is set and filmed in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, where Wilson himself grew up. Another movie version of a play by Wilson, also filmed in Pittsburgh and starring Davis, is the more recent Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom—also an incredible movie that’s worth seeing.

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