Where Was “Footloose” Filmed?

Watched the classic movie and are now wondering: where was “Footloose” filmed? At Peerspace, it’s our mission to not only provide you with answers pertaining to your favorite films but to offer you access to some of the best creative spaces for your own projects.

We’re going to kick off our Sunday shoes and shimmy down to the real Bomont, Texas. We’ll share where you can check out all of the real-life “Footloose” filming locations. While you’re here, we also share a “Footloose”-inspired filming location and let you know where you can find more!

What is “Footloose”?

One of the highest-grossing movies of the year when it came out in 1984, the legacy of Herbert Ross’ “Footloose” lives on. The titular song by Kenny Loggins and “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” by Deniece Williams were both nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar and still play on American radios to this day. It was also a breakout role for star Kevin Bacon, who played Ren McCormack and continues to have a healthy acting career.

Ren McCormack is a teenager from Chicago who moves to the tiny rural town of Bomont, Texas. Here, dancing has been outlawed by the town’s very traditional preacher, played by John Lithgow.

Part of the movie’s charm is the small town of Bomont and how different it is to someone from the city. You probably remember watching and asking yourself the question: where was “Footloose” filmed?

If you love “Footloose,” you probably also love “Dirty Dancing”. Find out where it was filmed here!

Is Bomont, Texas a real place?

The story of “Footloose” takes place in a southern Texas town by the name of Bomont. This is where Kevin Bacon’s character moves from Chicago to live with his aunt and uncle. People who are unfamiliar with Texas and the story behind the movie might be scratching their heads and asking the question, “Where was ‘Footloose’ filmed?”

While there is a Beaumont city in Texas, it is very different from the Bomont in the movie. In fact, the original story that inspired “Footloose” took place in a town called Elmore City, Oklahoma, according to Chickasaw Country.

Elmore City had passed a law in the late 1800s that banned dancing in an effort to curb public intoxication and institute other “moral codes”. The ban lasted all the way until 1980 when a group of students decided enough was enough. They petitioned the town council to lift the ban on dancing in time for their prom.

The town has certainly embraced being known as the home of the original “Footloose”. And thankfully, the ban on dancing was never reinstated.

Did they actually film “Footloose” in Texas or Oklahoma?

Now we know where the movie takes place and the town filmmakers based it on. But now, what about the filming location of the movie? Even though the story takes place in Texas, it doesn’t necessarily mean that this is where the production went. Therefore, we still have to ask the question, “Where was ‘Footloose’ filmed?”

It turns out that the answer is neither Texas nor Oklahoma! “Footloose” was actually filmed entirely in Utah, according to the movie’s IMDB page.

Specifically, Movie Locations tells us that Payson, Utah was the primary filming location for the town of Bomont. Much of what you see when characters are driving around Bomont consists of streets in Payson. In fact, Bomont High School is actually Payson High School.

The other important town that makes up quite a lot of Bomont is Provo, Utah. You can find Ren’s house in Provo, along with the club that the kids drive to across state lines to get in some much-needed dancing.

Where did they film the steel mill in “Footloose”?

One very memorable scene from the movie is where Ren dances away his frustrations in a classic montage at the steel mill where he works. Seeing Kevin Bacon pull off the finest dance moves of his career in a steel mill is sure to prompt the question, “Where was ‘Footloose’ filmed?”

According to Top Movie Locations this was at the Geneva Steel Vineyard in the town of Lindon, north of Provo. The historic steel mill was established for steel production during World War 2. Today, it is the Anderson Geneva Development, rehabilitated as a residential and commercial space.

We hope to see at least one “Footloose”-inspired dance studio or club built there in honor of the movie!

These are the 10 greatest movies filmed in Utah! Did “Footloose” make the cut?

Where did they film the grain mill in “Footloose”?

One of the other amazing dancing scenes in the movie is, of course, the impromptu prom at the end that takes place in an old grain mill. Watching the kids celebrate and break out dancing is a truly triumphant moment that fans won’t ever forget.

The Utah Film Commission writes that the mill is in the town of Lehi. It has also become somewhat of a tourist destination because of its reputation from the movie. They say that the film’s executive producer, Daniel Melnick, would drive past it on his way home from the prestigious Sundance Film Festival and had always wanted to use it in one of his movies.

If you visit the mill for yourself, you can even walk away with a souvenir bag of flour to mark the occasion of dancing in Ren McCormack’s footsteps.

Find your own “Footloose”-inspired filming location

Remember when we told you at the beginning we had a “Footloose”-inspired filming location that you could use for yourself? We did a quick search on Peerspace and found this untouched old mill that’s located in Saugus, Massachusetts.

It’s amazing to find an original mill like this that you can actually film in. Plus, it really brings to mind the mills we saw in “Footloose”. Take a look at some of the high-quality pictures shared by the host as well as the glowing five-star reviews from people who have used the space for a plethora of creative projects.

This is just scratching the surface of what Peerspace has to offer. No matter what kind of creative endeavor you’re working on, be sure you visit our platform first for all your filming location and production studio rental needs.

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