Something spooky lurks around Manhattan but it’s nothing a group of eccentric parapsychologists can’t fix. This year marks the 4oth anniversary of the first Ghostbusters film, released in 1984. Today, a new film in the franchise, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, hits theaters. In honor of the anniversary and the new release, we look back on the New York City locations featured in the first film!
Inspired by supernatural lore, Ghostbusters follows a group of paranormal professors and their mission to clean New York City of its ghosts. Directed by Ivan Reitma, the film stars Bill Murray as Peter Venkman, Ramis as Egon Spengler, and Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stantz. The film was shot on location in New York City and at the Warner Brothers Burbank Studios in Los Angeles. The film became a classic not just for its charismatic performances but also for its setting in one of the most popular cities in the world: The Big Apple.
1. New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
The film opens establishing shots of the New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. We see the majestic lion sculptures outside and the grand Rose Reading room. We follow a meek librarian from the reading room to the book stacks below Bryant Park where she returns the book to their shelves. As she organizes the books, paranormal mishaps begin. Card catalog drawers burst open and papers fly into the air. In a panic, the librarian flees but is met by the culprit: an off-screen apparition.
In May 1895, New York Attorney John Bigelow devised a plan to merge the Lenox and Astor Libraries to create what is known today as the New York Public Library. Its new home would be the Croton Reservoir, a popular strolling site situated on 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Librarian Dr. John Shaw Billings was appointed director. Following a bidding for architects, Carrère and Hastings were selected as the designers. The 42nd Street branch where the movie was filmed first opened on May 23, 1911.
2. Columbia University
After the opening title card appears and the iconic theme song plays, we travel to Columbia University where we are introduced to the characters of Venkman and Stanz. The camera sits above the Alma Mater statue looking towards Butler Library. We see a sign for Weaver Hall Department of Psychology and then a door to the Paranormal Studies Laboratory. While there is no real Weaver Hall at Columbia University, the establishing shot was filmed outside Havermeywer Hall.
After getting discharged from Colombia University, the duo consider their situation and plan on starting their own company as they wander the campus. The Low Memorial Library is one of the major buildings on campus scene in the movie. The library was constructed as part of the new Morningside Heights campus after the university moved from Madison Avenue and 49th Street between 1895 and 1897. Modeled after Rome’s Pantheon, Low Library was designed by McKim, Mead, and White. The firm conceived of the library as the focal point of the university. The inside of the library is composed of the main reading room, the great hall – which was modeled after the British Museum’s reading room- galleries, four staircases, and four projecting arms of a cross. Halfway up the stairs to the library is a statue of Alma Mater by Daniel Chester French; graduation ceremonies are held here.
3. 55 Central Park West
When Dana heads to her apartment with a bag of groceries, she begins to witness supernatural activity in her home. This is also the apartment in which she later gets possessed by Zuul. Dana’s apartment building is referred to in the film as ‘The Shandor.’ In real life, this building doesn’t have a name but goes by the address 55 Central Park West. The 19-floor apartment complex was designed by Schwartz and Gross and built-in 1929. Since it was built, the building has been a contributing property within the Central Park West Historic District with Holy Trinity Lutheran Church right around the corner.
The film’s art department made a few changes to the apartment for dramatic effect. They added a couple of upper floors and a rooftop temple for the final scenes along with some Gothic gargoyles. The building now holds special significance because of its major role in the Ghostbusters film, leading it to be called The Ghostbusters Building, The Shandor Building, The Shandor Apartments, or Spook Central. Some of the building’s early occupants were well-known figures such as designer Calvin Klein and actress Marsha Mason!
4. Hook & Ladder Company 8
The infamous Ghostbusters headquarters is Hook & Ladder Company 8, a four-story FDNY firehouse located at 14 North Moore Street in Tribeca. The building was used for exterior shots while the interior scenes were filmed in Los Angeles at Fire Station No.23 at 225 East Fifth Street. Nevertheless, the film has made Hook & Ladder Company 8 a must-see movie buff destination. It is filled with Ghostbusters memorabilia and (as seen in the photo above) was recently decked out in promotional decorations for the premiere of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
Hook & Ladder Company 8 was established by The Metropolitan Fire Department in 1903 and has been in service for over 100 years. It was designed in a Beaux-Arts architectural style with tall windows and an arched doorway, twice the size it is today before it was shrunken down due to Varick Street being expanded in 1913. Hook and Ladder 8 also makes appearances in other films such as Hitch, the iconic sitcom Seinfeld, and of course the rest of the Ghostbusters saga including the 2016 female remake and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Apart from its Hollywood fame, Hook and Ladder 8 plays an important role in history as the firefighters of that department were among the first responders of 9/11. In 2011, actor Steve Buscemi and former mayor Bill de Blasio launched a campaign to save Hook and Ladder 8 after it was almost demolished.
5. Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center is where Venkman reconnects with Dana as she’s leaving an orchestra rehearsal. The two walk around the fountain in the center of Josie Robertson Plaza as he asks her out on a date. Located between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the performing arts center is home to the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet, and the New York Philharmonic.
The original plan for the development of the Lincoln Center dates back to 1956. The project was led by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller III as part of Robert Moses’ Lincoln Square program. Rockefeller is credited with raising millions in private funds to build the complex. Architect Wallace Harrison, who had participated in the construction of Rockefeller Center, worked on the Lincoln Center project along with other highly respected architects. The first three buildings David Geffen Hall, David H. Koch Theater, and the Metropolitan Opera House were opened in the early to mid-60s. The Juilliard School and Alice Tully Hall was the last building on campus to be completed. The center is the length of one and a half football fields and has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities.
6. Tavern on the Green
At 55 Central Park West, Tully’s party is disrupted by The Keymaster demigod. As Tully escapes the party in a wild chase scene through the streets, he ends up at Tavern on the Green. Built in 1870 to house the sheep in Central Park’s Sheep Meadow, the building was converted into a restaurant in 1934. It has since served locals, presidents, artists such as John Lennon, and actors like Grace Kelly. It is a popular space for wedding receptions and other special occasions. Tavern consists of several rooms, including the Crystal Room, which offers a view of the adjacent garden.
In its early years, it was known for its spacious dancing floor and live music, as well as opening night festivities of Broadway shows. After Tavern closed in 2009, the restaurant was used as a visitor center. A multi-million-dollar renovation brought the restaurant back in 2014. Co-owners Jim Caiola and David Salama re-opened Tavern with a refurbished menu, giving it classic cocktails, lots of wine to choose from, and warm celebratory dining spaces. Apart from Ghostbusters, Tavern on the Green has been featured in Wall Street, Arthur, The Flintstone, The Out of Towners, and other films.
7. City Hall
As spectral entities wreak havoc on the city, the Ghostbusters take a trip to City Hall to confer with the Mayor. Interiors were also shot on location inside, however not in the actual Mayor’s office. Later in the scene, the Ghostbusters car is shown pulling away through the arches of the Municipal Building which is across the street.
Bonus: The Biltmore Hotel
The Ghostbusters kill their first apparition and are bombarded by reporters and photographers at the “Sedgewick Hotel.” The actual hotel where these scenes were filmed is The Biltmore Hotel, located at 506 South Grand Avenue in Los Angeles. In Making Ghostbusters, producer Joe Medjuck says they originally intended to film at New York’s Waldorf Astoria, but it was too small and too costly. Instead, they went with a hotel on the opposite coast designed by the same architecture firm, Schultze and Weaver. Some parts of the hotel scenes were shot on a soundstage.
The Biltmore in Los Angeles is a popular filming location that has hosted other productions such as Speed, Beverly Hills Cop, and The Bodyguard. Since its opening in 1923, the hotel has been associated with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. From 1932 to 1942, its ballroom was the setting for the Academy Awards.
Next, check out You’ve Got Mail NYC Film Locations