Where was Die Hard With A Vengeance filmed?
1995
City Locations
New York City, NY; Charleston, SC
Location Types
Automobile, Banks, Buildings/Offices, Schools/Colleges
Location Styles
Dated/50's-60's-70's Building, Dilapidated/Neglected, Federal Building, School
About Die Hard With A Vengeance
Released on May 19, 1995, Die Hard With A Vengeance is the third installment in the Die Hard series with Bruce Willis cast as John McClane. He’s the main protagonist in the series, a New York Police Department detective who often finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or new to the franchise, this guide will be helpful as it covers some scenes (spoiler alert!) and Die Hard With A Vengeance locations you can tour today.
The sequel introduces a vicious man named Simon (Jeremy Irons), claiming to be the person responsible for the explosions that occurred in New York City some minutes ago. He then asks for John McClane, who’s currently suspended, and wants to play a game ‘Simon says.’ He threatens Inspector Cobb (Larry Brigman) that not following his requests will lead to a penalty, which is another massive explosion in a public place.
Simon says he wants Lt. John McClane to go to Harlem, specifically to the corner of 138th St. and Amsterdam. So McClane goes there in his underwear and with a racist sign, catching everyone’s attention, especially the black community.
There, he meets the store owner, Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson), who saves him from a black street gang that starts beating him up because of the offensive sign. Eventually, the two work together doing what Simon tells them, completing deadly games to prevent more bombings.
Later we find that Simon is not just any mad genius seeking attention. His name is Simon Peter Gruber. He is the brother of Hans Gruber, the first villain in the first Die Hard movie. But Simon is out more than just for revenge. As they pursue the deadly Simon, they discover that their enemy has bigger plans in store.
Die Hard With A Vengeance Locations
New York City is the primary filming location of Die Hard With A Vengeance. So even if it’s been nearly three decades since its release, you’ll find plenty of familiar places in the movie if you’ve been to this part of the United States.
The movie begins with lovely footage of various parts of the city before the Bonwit Teller department store explosion on Sixth Avenue. Here, you’ll see the O’Neill Building at 655 Sixth Avenue in the city’s Flatiron District. The actual Bonwit Teller store had gone out of business, so the Die Hard With A Vengeance production team decided to use the name.
As part of the terrorist Gruber’s devious game, he demands that McClane parades around 138th Street and Amsterdam in Harlem wearing a derogatory sign. Washington Heights, New York, stood in for Harlem, and Bruce Willis’ character was dropped off at the corner of West 176th St. and Audubon Avenue. Not far from this street is where the first scene between Bruce and Samuel Jackson took place.
Several notable filming locations of Die Hard With A Vengeance include the Wall Street Station, the Federal Reserve Bank, the old Yankee Stadium, and more. The 72nd Street Station is also worth mentioning, where McClane and Zeus race to pick up a pay phone to beat a deadly deadline.
Fun fact:
One of Simon’s orders is for lieutenant McClane to walk through the Harlem neighborhood wearing a sandwich board with a racist message. During filming, the sign was originally blank to ensure no one was offended. The text was only added in post-production with CGI.
Water jug riddle scene in Die Hard With A Vengeance
Tompkins Square Park, E 10th St, New York, NY
Simon detonates bombs all over the city, and the duo finds one in Central Park. “That a bomb?” Zeus asks. “Yeah. Go ahead and grab it,” McClane responds, pointing to a briefcase. When McClane opens the briefcase, a message reads, “I am a bomb. You have just armed me.”
The briefcase has a precise electronic scale. On the fountain, there are five-gallon and three-gallon jugs. They need to fill one of the water containers with four gallons of water and put it on the scale. It has to be exact, or the bomb will blow up.
Tompkins Square Park provided a setting for this water jug riddle scene in the movie. It’s a ten-acre public park in the middle of the East Village equipped with playgrounds, chess tables, a basketball court, and a handball court. It also hosts performances and live events and is a perfect place for leisure walks and entertainment.
Don’t expect to see the elephant fountain when you visit this public park, as it was only built for the movie. If you’re coming from Manhattan, the cheapest way to get to the park is by catching the line 6 subway or a taxi.
Bank scene in Die Hard With A Vengeance
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 33 Liberty St, New York, NY
So, here’s the twist, the whole revenge idea and ‘Simon says’ game is just a ploy. The real plan is to rob the Federal Reserve Bank on Wall Street. It contains the largest depository of gold in the world, so it’s not surprising that the terrorist attacking the city isn’t really after McClane but what’s inside the bank.
While the police are busy searching for the bomb that could explode in one of the schools, Simon and his men raid the bank. It may be hard to recognize, but the exterior of the Federal Reserve Bank at 33 Liberty Street was featured in the movie. Since the filmmakers couldn’t film inside, they shot the interior bank scenes in an empty bank on Wall Street.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York provides an opportunity for visitors to get an inside peek into the bank through tours. The Museum & Gold Vault tours allow them to learn and understand the Federal Reserve’s roles and responsibilities and promote awareness of its system.
The Museum and Gold Vaults are currently unavailable. However, you are encouraged to check back regularly for updates about the availability and schedule of the tour. It is free and open daily, from Monday to Friday, between 1 and 2 PM. Visitors must arrive thirty minutes early and allow time to go through the security screening.
Jumping off the bridge scene in Die Hard With A Vengeance
Former Grace Memorial Bridge (now Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge), Charleston, SC
McClane and Zeus prepare to jump off the bridge onto the container ship. “This is gonna take a miracle,” says Zeus. Though things don’t go as planned, miraculously, the duo survives. It’s probably one of the thrilling action scenes in Die Hard With A Vengeance!
The bridge featured in this sequence was the former Grace Memorial Bridge, also known as the Old Bridge. It opened in 1929 and was the world’s largest bridge of its kind, rising about 250 feet tall. It consisted of two narrow lanes over the Town Creek and Cooper River. It was the only bridge crossing the Cooper River, which used to be traveled by boat.
Major damage to the bridge occurred in February 1946 when a ten-thousand-ton freighter rammed into the Old Bridge, causing deaths and damage worth $300,000. It was impassable for two months until a three-lane twin of the bridge opened in 1966. However, the bridge became unsafe by the 1990s. Eventually, the Cooper River Bridges were demolished in 2007.
Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge replaces the previous obsolete bridges. It’s a massive improvement from its predecessors and now receives average daily traffic of more than 97,000.
School riot scene in Die Hard With A Vengeance
PS 115 Alexander Humboldt School, 586 W 177th St, New York, NY
“In half an hour, you’re gonna have a riot at every school in this city,” Connie (Colleen Camp) tells Walter as they walk through the back door of Chester A. Arthur Public School. It’s after Simon announces through a radio show that there’s a bomb in a school somewhere in the metropolitan area, causing civil unrest.
PS 115 Alexander Humboldt School stood in for Chester A. Arthur Public School in the film. It is nestled between Audubon and St. Nicholas Avenues in Washington Heights, Manhattan. What was supposed to be the back door was actually the school’s courtyard featured in the movie.
Since it’s an operating elementary school, you can’t just visit and explore the area. However, you can attend an open hour or schedule a tour to see the school's programs and what makes it special. It is close to the Highbridge Recreation Center and easily accessible by 1 and A trains.
The train station bombing scene in Die Hard With A Vengeance
Wall Street Station, New York, NY
“If you have to shoot me, then you go ahead and you shoot me, but I have to answer this phone, alright?!” Zeus yells at the police officer, who has his gun pointed at him. It’s time for him and McClane to answer the pay phone at the Wall Street Station, as Simon says. But since McClane isn’t there, Simon considers it non-compliance with his rule, so a bomb blows up at the train station.
Located in Lower Manhattan’s Financial District at the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street, the Wall Street Station is a subway station on New York City Subway’s IRT Lexington Avenue Line. It was featured several times in the Die Hard 3 movie, especially in the bombing scene that destroyed part of the station in the film.
The park you see on top of the station was actually a vacant lot. The filmmakers built a park for the movie, but it was again turned into an empty area after filming. The area where the station is located is home to several famous buildings, including the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Hall. So after visiting the museum, take your time to explore other famous attractions around the city’s Financial District.
Zeus at the stadium scene in Die Hard With A Vengeance
Old Yankee Stadium, E 161 St & River Ave, The Bronx, NY
Zeus heads to Yankee Stadium and finds a message that says, “Game Over.” It seems that the terrorists have intended for the duo to be executed at the stadium by a sniper. But since only Zeus is there, the execution didn’t happen.
You’ll clearly see the “Welcome to Yankee Stadium” sign in this scene, and it was still a working stadium during this time. However, the baseball season in 2008 marked the end of one of the world’s most famous stadiums.
The old Yankee Stadium opened in 1923 and became one of the iconic stadiums for many baseball fans worldwide. But thanks to movies like Die Hard With A Vengeance immortalizing this historic sports ground, we can still see what it looked like in 1995 through the film.
The old stadium’s demolition was completed in May 2010. On the same land previously occupied by the original Yankee Stadium now stands the Heritage Field. It was built in 2012, featuring benches and a number of pavers that list the previous events at the stadium.
Although it’s no longer a baseball stadium, the park attracts softball and baseball teams from different places. They don’t want to miss the opportunity to swing a bat in the same area as their favored athletes.
Since Heritage Field is close to the new Yankee Stadium, you can explore the two sites in one visit. You can take the 4, B, and D lines with a stop at 161 St-Yankee Stadium or catch the Metro-North Railroad.
Conclusion
Are you a fan of the Die Hard series and want to follow John McClane’s adventures? Try setting up your own thrilling game as you visit each film shoot location throughout New York City. Instead of the deadly riddles like what Simon set up in the movie, make it fun, exciting, and family-friendly. You can also join the Die Hard film location tours, catch a glance at some of the movie sites, and step into Zeus and John’s footsteps.
A visit to every Die Hard With A Vengeance filming location is an exciting journey through New York City. It will take you to the bustling streets of Manhattan and the city’s lively neighborhoods. A lot of things have changed in the area since the filming of this 1995 action/thriller movie. Still, you’ll likely recognize many of its locations, especially the public areas and streets.