Where Was “Stripes” Filmed?

Have you seen the classic comedy and are now wondering: “Where was ‘Stripes’ filmed?”? We get it! It’s an iconic film with settings that are just as memorable as the characters.

For the aspiring filmmaker or creative, we’ll include a “Stripes”-inspired filming location you can rent for yourself from Peerspace. As the number one location online to book filming locations and production studios by the hour, we make it easy to find “Stripes”-like settings anywhere. Let’s get into formation and march on to all of the awesome “Stripes” filming locations!

What is “Stripes”?

The screwball comedy “Stripes” was released just over 40 years ago and remains one of Bill Murray’s best performances. The movie follows Murray as John Winger, a loveable loser who enlists in basic training after his girlfriend dumps him and he loses his job.

What follows is a fun comedy romp through basic training with plenty of stars who would go on to have big careers, such as Bill Paxton, John Larroquette, and Sean Young.

One of the charms of the movie is how genuine the locations look, especially the basic training scenes. Even after 40 years, fans are still wondering to themselves: where was “Stripes” filmed?

So where exactly did Ivan Reitman, director of “Ghostbusters” and other classics, find such amazing locations to shoot? We’re going to take a peek at the most famous locations from the movie that fans will know and love.

Speaking of Ghostbusters, check out where they filmed Ghostbusters: Afterlife next!

Where were the basic training scenes from “Stripes” filmed?

Probably the most iconic and memorable part of the movie “Stripes” is the first half, where the characters are going through basic training. Seeing the lovable losers deal with the trials and tribulations that come with basic training in the army is a recipe for comedy gold.

The real-looking military equipment and base are sure to raise the question from viewers: where was “Stripes” filmed?

It turns out that the reason why the equipment and soldiers all look so convincing is that they filmed the basic training scenes at Fort Knox in Kentucky, according to IMDB. You may remember Fort Knox from the James Bond movie “Goldfinger”.

The fort is the location for the United States Bullion Depository, which stores over half of the country’s gold deposits. Fort Knox is also the home of the General George Patton Museum of Leadership and the United States Army Human Resources Command.

You may be wondering why the filmmakers chose Fort Knox as the location for the movie. An interview with director Ivan Reitman and his writing partner Dan Goldberg in The News Enterprise has the answers. Besides having access to real military equipment and soldiers as extras, Fort Knox was close enough to the city of Louisville for city scenes. Plus, they sued the surrounding forests for the woods in Czechoslovakia at the end of the movie.

Unfortunately, it seems that many of the locations from the movie, such as the barracks and parade field, no longer exist after 40 years.

Other notable “Stripes” filming locations

Following our Fort Knox tour, we can move on to some other locations from the movie. It’s all part of our journey to answer the question “Where was ‘Stripes’ filmed?”

We mentioned the scenes for the Czechoslovakia sequences at the end of the movie. According to the Louisville Courier Journal, they shot the Russian outpost scene at the historic Chapeze Distillery. In fact, the Jim Beam company in Clermont, Kentucky now owns it. The distillery boasts a lot of history from its inception back in the late 1800s until the time of Prohibition.

Another location that fans might find familiar is the German resort we see Bill Murray’s character visit. This is one of the few locations that were not in Kentucky. They actually filmed it at the Greystone Mansion on Loma Vista Drive in Beverly Hills, California.

According to Movie Maps, the mansion was constructed in 1928 and the city eventually purchased it in 1965. Nowadays, it is a historic site and park that you can visit for yourself. Productions have used the mansion in many other movies, including another Bill Murray movie, “Ghostbusters 2.”

Louisville locales

Next, we’re going to cover a couple of locations in and around the Louisville area that fans will probably remember. One that sticks out is the bridge from which Bill Murray’s character throws his keys into the river.

This is also a Louisville location, according to the Courier Journal; they shot that scene at the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge. The bridge crosses the Ohio River between Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana. It’s also the usual location for “Thunder Over Louisville,” a well-known annual fireworks display.

Remember when Bill Murray filmed ‘Stripes’ in a Louisville barbershop? It’s another location in Louisville that the article on West Market Street mentions that doubled as an army recruiting office.

They shot many of the city scenes in Louisville on West Market Street and Washington Street, such as the scene when repo agents repossess Winger’s car. Some of the streets look similar to how they did during “Stripes”, so superfans should take a trip to Louisville and check them out!

For an inside look at a more recent comedy, be sure to also read where was “Couples Retreat” filmed?

Find “Stripes”-inspired filming locations on Peerspace

Now that we know the answer to the question “Where was ‘Stripes’ filmed?”, we can move on to telling you how you can find the perfect “Stripes”-inspired filming location for yourself. After watching an amazing classic comedy, there are sure to be plenty of creatives and aspiring filmmakers looking to create their own hit comedy.

Looking to use some of the areas that doubled as Czechoslovakia for the movie? Then take a look at these 20 acres with waterfalls and farm animals, It is even near the same woods filmmakers used in the movie.

Peerspace is the best place to go if you’re looking for rentable filming locations and production studios in Louisville. Take a look and check out the hundreds of amazing locations that can bring your next production to life!

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