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10 Things I Hate About You movie cover Movie Locations Guide

Where was 10 Things I Hate About You filmed?

1999

City Locations

Tacoma, Seattle, Washington State

Location Types

American, House, Mansions, Bars, Diners, Restaurant, Schools

Location Styles

Boat Style, Classic Car, Mid-century Modern

About 10 Things I Hate About You

10 Things I Hate About You is a teenage drama by Gil Junger made and released in 1999. It is a modern-day retelling of William Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew told from the view of a late 1990's teenage American high school drama setting. It has a fabulous star cast (many of whom were recognized due to their acting in this movie) like Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing Cameron James, Julia Stiles playing the lead role of Kat Stratford, Heath Ledger playing bad boy Patrick Verona, Larisa Oleynik as the pretty Bianca Stratford, and the incredible Larry Miller playing the father, Walter Stratford.

In this modern retelling, new student Cameron sees Bianca and falls head over heels in love with her at first sight. What follows is a hilarious comedy of him trying to impress Bianca by becoming her French tutor but failing when he realizes she is not allowed to go out with boys and can only date if her older sister also dates other guys. He cooks up a believable story with his friend Michael (David Krumholtz) about how one of the other rich kids, Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan), should pay off bad boy Patrick Verona to date the older sister, Kat. By doing this, the younger sister, Bianca, will also be allowed to date Cameron.

Fate throws a wrench in his plans when Bianca is more interested in Joey than Cameron. However, Bianca realizes Joey is a jerk and starts dating Cameron instead. At the same time, Kat starts falling for Patrick, and when she finds out towards the end that Joey paid Patrick, she gets heartbroken. She doesn't know that Patrick has also fallen for her. Patrick confesses his true feelings for Kat, and as the story goes, they live happily ever after!

10 Things I Hate About You Locations

All the 10 Things I Hate About You filming locations are in Seattle and Tacoma. The movie production team chose Stadium High School in Tacoma for most scenes and the Seattle metropolitan areas for all other parts. The team chose some iconic locations for the filming with excellent cinematography that led to the movie becoming an instant hit with audiences.

All the locations fit perfectly with the story's narration, plotlines, emotions, and characterizations. Considering it is an urban enactment of 'The Taming of the Shrew, the team chose Instagram-worthy locations even before social media was a thing. If you want to visit the 10 Things I Hate About You locations, you're in for a surprise. Most of the original locations are still intact!

Since these filming locations are within Seattle city limits, plenty of public transport options are available like buses, trains, taxis, and cycles for rent. If you plan the itinerary well, you can visit all the film shoot locations within two to three days and then plan which places you would like to revisit.

The fictional Padua High School is the Stadium High school, originally a luxury hotel meant for VIPs and visiting dignitaries at the turn of the century. However, there was a fire, after which it was refurbished and reopened as Stadium High School, named after the massive stadium next door.

Fun fact:

Padua High School is named after the Italian city of Padua, with the Stratford surname of the sisters a nod to Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. Patrick's surname 'Verona' is also a tribute to one of the famous Romeo and Juliet settings. Many fans may not know that Heath Ledger actually sang 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' in the school stadium scene!

Cameron and Patrick meet the school guidance counselor scene in 10 Things I Hate About You

Stadium High School, 111 North E Street, Commencement Bay

In the opening scene of 10 Things I Hate About You, Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) meet the Padua High School guidance counselor Ms. Perky (Allison Janney).

She tells Cameron, "I'll be right with you," as she is finishing off with her erotic novella. As she gets done, she hands Cameron a paper with his schedule, questions him about whether he's an army brat, and before he can recover from his confusion, she simply tells him, "Scoot!" He says thank you and runs out.

Patrick faces a similar experience with Ms. Perky commenting on the 'bratwurst' incident in the cafeteria. She lets Patrick off with a warning saying, "Bratwurst? Aren't we the optimist? Next time keep it in your pouch, okay? Now, Scoot!"

This awkward and uncomfortable encounter at Padua High was shot at Stadium High School in Commencement Bay. The school was originally a luxury hotel named after the gigantic athletic stadium. This filming location of 10 Things I Hate About You was known as Old Woman's Gulch before the hotel's construction and was aptly named after the widows of fishermen who would continue to live there till they passed away.

Getting here is quite simple: walk or hop onto bus number 42, and hop off at 10th and Commerce TC – Zone B. From this stop, it's a 15-minute walk.

Kat and Bianca with their dad scene in 10 Things I Hate About You

2715 North Junett Street

In this scene, sisters Katarina 'Kat' Stratford (Julia Stiles) and Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) are spending time at home with their father, Walter Stratford (Larry Miller). He greets Kat by saying, "Hello Katarina. Make anyone cry today?" to which Kat jokingly replies, "Sadly, no. But it's only 4:30!" While they are chatting, Bianca comes up to greet their father. Kat asks Bianca about her whereabouts, but Bianca deflects the question.

Instead, Walter opens the mail, and one of the envelopes is from Sarah Lawrence. Seeing the envelope, Kat starts screaming as she opens it up and realizes she's been accepted to their program.

Walter is happy but asks Kat, "Honey, I thought you were going to stay here and go to school. U-Dub like me. Be a husky!" Kat rolls her eyes and responds, "No, you decided."

The exchange with the father is one of the best scenes in 10 Things I Hate About You. The Stratford family home is a privately owned residence at 2715 North Junett Street, Tacoma.

While tourists cannot enter the pretty yellow and white house, they can click some fantastic pictures. However, it is best to get the owner's permission before doing so. To get here, hop onto bus number 16 and get off at 26th St N and Alder St. From this stop, it's a 5 minutes walk.

Cameron and Michael tell Patrick about Kat's quirks and style scene in 10 Things I Hate About You

4201 Fremont Avenue North, North 42nd Street

Cameron and Michael (David Krumholtz) enter the famous Buckaroo Tavern (a biker club), where they plan to meet Patrick. Cameron and Michael have never been to a bar before, and Cameron asks, "Wow! Is this what a bar really looks like?" Michael gets upset and slaps some nuts out of Cameron's hands, saying, "Don't touch anything! You may get hepatitis!" They meet Patrick at the pool table, asking them, "So, whatcha got for me?" Cameron hesitates and says, "A little insight… to a very complicated girl. First thing? Kat hates smokers. And Bianca said Kat likes pretty guys."

The 10 Things I Hate About You production team chose one of the best pubs, the Buckaroo Tavern, for this scene. Unfortunately, the tavern shut down post-filming. There's now a deli store at the place where the bar stood.

Visitors can tour the surrounding area, click photos, and grab a coffee and something to eat at the store. Since it's walking distance from the Fremont Troll, you can make a single outing out of it. To get here from the Fremont Troll, head west on N 36th St, turn right onto Fremont Way N, and stay on this road for half a mile.

Patrick approaches Kat at the music and books store scene in 10 Things I Hate About You

1117 Broadway

Patrick follows Kat to the music and books store nearby, where Kat is interested in the volumes on poetry and the electric guitars. He tries to tap her on her shoulder to get her attention but prefers to watch her and just follow her around. Most audiences feel this is one of the earliest scenes where Patrick might be falling for Kat, and not just the other way round.

Patrick gets in front of Kat and says, "Excuse me. Have you seen The Feminine Mystique? I've lost my copy." Kat gets annoyed, "What are you doing here?" Patrick replies, "I heard there was a poetry reading." Kat gets frustrated and says, "You're so," and Patrick interrupts, "Charming? Wholesome!" Kat gets upset and walks away.

Out of all the 10 Things I Hate About You locations, this is the one that most fans want to visit. However, this music store was shut down. There's now a building in its place. You can still see the site where Kat backed up into Joey's (Andrew Keegan's) car right outside. You can quickly get here by catching any bus with a stop at Pacific Ave & 11th St S. and walking for 2-3 minutes to get to 1117 Broadway.

Cameron pumps Bianca for gossip and information about Kat scene in 10 Things I Hate About You

Fremont Troll, 3405, Troll Avenue North

Cameron tries to get information from Bianca about Kat so that Patrick has some gossip and knowledge to use. This is because Bianca and Kat's dad won't let Bianca date until Kat agrees. Patrick doesn't have anything in common with Kat, so Cameron tries to get information for him. Cameron asks Bianca, "So, have you heard anything about Bogey Lowenstein's party?" she says, "Yes, and I really, really, really want to go. But you know I can't. Not unless my sister does."

Cameron reflects on her words and says, "Yeah, I know. I'm working on that, but so far, you know, she's not going for my guy." Bianca confirms that Kat is not a K D Lang fan but says, "I found a picture of Jared Leto in her drawer once, so she isn't harboring any same-sex tendencies."

This 10 Things I Hate About You film scene is shot at the immensely popular Fremont Troll near the Aurora Bridge. In a trendy tourist spot, the immense troll giant is trying to grab a VW Beetle while emerging from the ground. It has also been seen in movies like Sleepless in Seattle, The Twilight Saga, Death Note, and many more. You can drive to the location or catch bus number 5, hop off at Aurora Ave N & N 38th St, and walk below the bridge for 5-6 minutes.

Kat and Patrick have fun while paintballing scene in 10 Things I Hate About You

Gasworks Park, 2101 North Northlake Way

Kat helps Patrick escape detention, and they go for a boat ride. As they are in the boat, Patrick points out a nearby paintball area and asks Kat, "Are you up for it?" They get dressed and have a fabulous time throwing paintballs at each other. For a change, Kat behaves like her age and has fun! They run around, chuck the balls of paint, and try to win while the other tries to escape by diving behind bales of hay. Finally, they get tired and share their first kiss in the middle of everyone playing.

Kat grabs hold of a new paintball and smacks it on Patrick's head as she runs away from him, laughing and enjoying herself. Patrick looks delighted and follows her lead.

This is one of the funny scenes in 10 Things I Hate About You that audiences enjoyed the most. It is shot at the iconic Gasworks Park, open to the public. The paintball set was constructed for the film and has since been removed. However, there is a picnic shelter and a children's play barn to visit and spend the day.

To get here, hop onto the 1-line light rail and get off at the U District Station. From the station, walk for approximately 20 minutes to reach Gasworks Park.

Conclusion

10 Things I Hate About You was a refreshing change from many of the teenage rom coms that came out around the same time. The teenagers in this movie were a lot more self-actualized than those portrayed in many others. Considering all the erratic emotions, parental constraints, upheavals, peer pressure, and high school status structures, this movie was a success because it hit pretty close to home.

The adaptation of Taming of the Shrew in modern times with teenage angst and drama gave the Shakespearean classic a fantastic twist. What is more astonishing is that the filming locations, timelines, backgrounds, lighting, and cinematography were incredible. While set in the late 1990s, this movie was quite forward for its age and dealt with topics like teenage pregnancies, diseases, and more.

This movie also became the platform from which most of the actors got excellent roles in the future with teen-oriented awards, a television series with the same name, and a reprise of some favorite characters.