Pooja Kesavan
Known to be the highest-grossing film of 1988, bagging eight Oscar nominations and four wins at the 61st Academy Awards, ‘Rain Man’ is considered one of the classic road trip dramas made in Hollywood. Directed by Barry Levison, the story explores the relationship between two brothers, Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) and Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). Charlie learns about the death of his estranged father and finds out he has left most of his wealth to Charlie’s older brother, Raymond, of whose existence Charlie had no idea.
He flies to Ohio and meets Raymond in a special-care institution, finding out that Raymond has autism. Driven by greed, Charlie abducts Raymond, hoping to make a deal for what he believes to be his share of the inheritance with Raymond’s guardian. What follows is a journey of empathy, bonding, self-realizations, and new discoveries on a long and scenic road-trip (once Raymond refuses to fly to LA). If you suffer from wanderlust and enjoyed the beautiful places shown in this film, we’re here to give you more details on the locations.
Rain Man Filming Locations
The movie started filming on May 2, 1988, and production came to an end on July 28, 1988. The movie is shot in multiple locations, giving us the essence of a new city in every act of the story. Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Oklahoma, Nevada, and California were the states where this movie was filmed. Here are more details about the specific filming locations.
Los Angeles, California
Charlie lives in LA and works out of the docks of San Pedro. After he is back in Los Angeles, he is seen dropping Susanna at her apartment, which is the Ocean View Apartments (1435 South Beacon Street in San Pedro). The scene where Charlie turns down a $250,000 offer from Dr. Bruner was filmed at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel at 404 South Figueroa Street.
Charlie’s LA home is the 1599 Sunset Plaza Drive in West Hollywood. Pink Cadillac Cafe is where Charlie takes Raymond for pancakes. The place later changed to Asian fusion joint Blue Bamboo, located at 359 North La Cienega Boulevard. The custody battle takes place at the Wattles Mansion, situated at 1824 North Curson Avenue in Hollywood. Charlie bids goodbye to Raymond at Santa Ana Train Station (2800 North Main Street, Santa Ana).
Cincinnati, Ohio
‘Rain Man’ was majorly filmed in Cincinnati and put the city on the map with its scenic portrayal of the locations. In Cincinnati’s East Walnut Hills district, on the Ohio River’s northern shore, is where Charlie’s childhood home is located. The Dixie Terminal Building is featured in the movie, along with various cafes, restaurants, and hotels in the city. Charlie and Raymond’s first night away from ‘Wallbrook’ is spent at the Vernon Manor Hotel, at 400 Oak Street. It is a 1924 landmark in the historic uptown district but the hotel was permanently closed in March 2009.
The cafe where Raymond reveals his numerical skills by remembering the waitress’s phone number was filmed at It’s Pompilio’s Bar and Restaurant, 600 Washington Avenue. Greater Cincinnati International Airport is where Raymond quotes a few useful statistics and concludes that road travel is preferable, leading the brothers to take the highway I-275, which is the ring road around Cincinnati.
Kentucky
‘Wallbrook’, the home where Raymond lives, was filmed at the beautiful and serene St Anne’s Convent, located at 1000 Saint Anne Drive, Melbourne, just to the southeast of Cincinnati, over the Ohio River on Route 8, Kentucky. Charlie’s father’s funeral was filmed at Evergreen Cemetery, 25 Alexandria Pike, Southgate, just south of Newport, also in Kentucky.
Oklahoma
The motel in “Texas,” where Charlie realizes that Raymond was “Rain Man,” was the Big 8$ Motel, located at 1705 East 66th Highway, in El Reno. The APCO gas station they pull over in, and the farmhouse where Charlie indulges in a conversation with a housewife and children were all locations in Oklahoma. Twenty miles west of El Reno, south of I-40, is the town of Hinton, where Raymond watches Judge Wapner on the farmhouse TV. Way up of Oklahoma City, on I-35, is Guthrie town, where Charlie takes Raymond to see the doctor at the Guthrie Clinic, on the corner of Oklahoma Street and Division Street.
Las Vegas, Nevada
‘Rain Man’ was one of the first major films to be shot at the historic Ceasar’s Palace. To this day, the Emperor suite, in which the brothers stay is referred to as “Rain Man Suite.” Charlie decides to take Raymond to Las Vegas and win money, so he could cover his debt. The complex of Ceasar’s Palace has been enlarged since filming. Todd Phillips’s 2009 hit ‘The Hangover’ was also filmed at this now-iconic casino and hotel.
Read More: Is Rain Man Based on a True Story?
