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National Treasure movie cover Movie Locations Guide

Where was National Treasure filmed?

2004

City Locations

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, DC; Los Angeles, California

Location Types

American, Apartment, House, Building

Location Styles

Americana/Anywhere America, Contemporary Modern, Construction, Federal Building

About National Treasure

In National Treasure, Nicholas Cage is cast as Benjamin Franklin Gates, an American historian, treasure hunter, and cryptographer. When he was young, he was told about a hidden national treasure in America. The phrase, "the secret lies with Charlotte" is the only clue that can lead him to the treasure.

After 30 years, Ben and Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) lead an exploration, supported financially by Ian Howe (Sean Bean). This is aimed at finding this Charlotte. They find an engraving that reveals that the next clue will be found in the Declaration of Independence. As Ian shows himself to be the crime boss, the group divides.

Eventually, Ben obtains the Declaration successfully. However, he is spotted by Ian's group as they also try to get their hands on it. Ben must purchase the Declaration after the clerk mistakes the prized asset for a souvenir copy. Abigail (Diane Kruger) challenges Ben as she senses something is wrong. She takes back the document.

She is kidnapped by Ian. However, to save her, Riley and Ben tricked Ian by intentionally leaving a copy of the Declaration behind. Ben is tracked down by Sandusky (Harvey Keitel), an FBI agent. Ben, Riley, and Abigail acquaint themselves with the Declaration and discover an invisible link. The message from the link points to the Silence Dogood letters. They were initially owned by Patrick, but he already donated these letters to the Franklin Institute.

The trio of Abigail, Ben, and Riley pay a schoolboy to decipher the code and they soon figure out that the message points them to the Independence Hall's bell tower. They are chased by Ian, and they discover a cache, which consists of a glass pair designed with various colored lenses. When these lenses are used to read the Declaration, all signs point to the Trinity Church.

After Ian gets the Declaration from Riley and Abigail, Ian traps Abigail, Ben, Patrick (Jon Voight), and Riley in a chamber, which happens to be Patrick's plan all along since the clue was fictitious. Eventually, Ian is arrested and sent to prison by the FBI.

Ian begins a relationship with Abigail. Riley is angry that Ben refuses a 10% finder's fee for the entire collection to go to the museum. Yet, the 1% he accepted was very lucrative.

National Treasure Locations

National Treasure is an American adventure-action movie that was released in 2004 by Walt Disney Pictures. The movie was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, written by Jim Kouf, and directed by Jon Turteltaub. This top-rated movie features some Hollywood darlings, including Nicolas Cage, Sean Bean, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Diane Kruger, Christopher Plummer, and Justin Bartha.

It is no stretch to affirm that bringing Hollywood to a certain location is the perfect storm the area will need to gain popularity. For this reason, many of these places have become major tourist attractions. If you wish to know more about these locations' scenes, keep on reading!

Fun fact:

Some footage in the movie represents the first filming that is allowed in Philadelphia's Independence Hall's tower.

Ben leads an expedition with Riley to find Charlotte scene in National Treasure

Strawberry Bay Marina, 23 Miles E of, US-40, Heber City, UT

In this scene, Ben and his team drive to the arctic in search of Charlotte. Riley says "We are getting closer. Assuming Ben's theory is correct, and my geography models are accurate, we should be getting very close." Then, they joke about throwing him out of the vehicle. They are signaled that the target is reached.

They get out of the vehicle and wonder if they are looking for a ship. Then, Ben says, "she's out there." They search the whole area for Charlotte. One of the guys tells Riley the expedition is just a waste of time. Then, Riley replies, "well, I'm no expert, it could be that the hydrothermal properties of this region produce hurricane-force ice storms that caused the ocean to freeze, melt, and refreeze, resulting in a semi-solid, migrating landmass that would land a ship right around here."

If you wish to explore the great outdoors, then Utah is the right place to visit. Besides the stunning Strawberry Bay, state parks, and national parks, many tourists from different parts of the world flock to this state to enjoy various outdoor activities, including skiing and hiking. The city is also renowned for its popular festivals, as well as its history and culture. You can get to Strawberry Bay by air or road.

Riley fears that no one can help their cause scene in National Treasure

J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building, 900 E St NW, Washington, DC, USA

The scene begins with Riley and Ben coming out of the FBI Building. "It's really so hard to believe that someone is going to try to steal the Declaration of Independence." Riley opines. Ben responds, "the FBI gets 10,000 tips a week. They are not going to worry about something they are sure is safe."

Riley is concerned that anyone that can do anything would think they are crazy and if anyone is crazy to believe them isn't going to help. Then, Ben tells him, "we don't need someone crazy, but one step short of crazy. What do you got?" Riley scoffs, "obsessed." Ben replies, "Passionate."

The J. Edgar Hoover building is the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The building is named after J. Edgar Hoover, the former FBI director. The internal space of the building spans in excess of 2.8 million square feet. If you are a tourist in the District of Columbia, this is a place worth visiting.

The building is designed with a system of elevators, corridors, and other amenities, which can keep the rest of the building from public tours. If you are in D.C., then you can get to the building by bus, car, or taxi.

Riley and Ben examine the Declaration of Independence scene in National Treasure

National Archives Building, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC, USA.

The scene begins with Ben checking out a National Archives Anniversary Gala flier. Then, both men are invited in to see Abigail. As they enter the room, Abigail greets them, "good afternoon, gentlemen." They exchange pleasantries. Then, Ben enthuses about Abigail's accent.

"You're not an American?" Riley asks. Abigail replies, "Oh, I am an American. I just wasn't born here."

Then, she asks them why they've come to see her. "Someone is going to steal the declaration of independence," Ben affirms. Abigail wants to refer them to the FBI. However, Ben tells her they've been there.

Abigail believes the FBI is right that the declaration cannot be stolen. Yet, Ben asks for a privilege to examine the document. This is to figure out if the document is actually in danger of being stolen. Ben tells her about the code written on the document.

The National Archive where this takes place is renowned for its rich history. The building contains over three billion records. These include the three essential documents in the history of the United States: the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights.

If you wish to experience history first-hand, then you should visit this iconic location to learn more. In addition, it is never a wrong idea to visit one of the scene locations of your favorite movie. It is easy to reach this location by bus, metro, or vehicle.

Abigail is kidnapped by Ian scene in National Treasure

National Archives Museum, Washington DC, USA.

After Ben steals the Declaration of Independence, Abigail suspects something is wrong. She follows him to Ben’s van as Riley waits for him. Then, there is a code red just after Abigail confronts him. She shouts for security when Ben gives her the document. Ben and Riley chase Ian and try to rescue her by tricking Ian.

"Are you alright?" Ben asks Abigail. She replies, "No. Those lunatics." Ben continues, "you're not hurt, are you?" Abigail shouts, "You are a lunatic!" Abigail is scared that Ian and his men have the document. However, Ben shows her the original document.

The National Archives Building represents the headquarters of the National Archives and Records Administration of the United States. The building is home to three essential documents in the history of the U.S. These are the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights.

Other documents you will find inside this building include the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, the Articles of Confederation, and the Emancipation Proclamation, among others. While photography is not permitted in the building, you will come across many exhibits that will expose you to the long history of the United States. As a result, this is a place to visit if you love history.

FBI raids Ben's apartment scene in National Treasure

544 Mateo Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

With the hope of arresting Ben for stealing the document and gathering more information, the FBI storms Ben's apartment. After seeing Ben's apartment, one of the officers opines, "Now, we are getting somewhere." They go through some documents in Ben's room.

This scene location is not strange among filmmakers. Indeed, it was used in Fast and Furious 4 (2009). This place is located in a city that is renowned for its entertainment. Besides this, it is also regarded as the international trade capital of the United States. Los Angeles County is the second most populous city in the United States, with more than 3.9 million residents.

Ben, Abigail, and Riley go to Patrick's house scene in National Treasure

1030 Buena Vista Street, South Pasadena, California, USA

The trio arrives at Patrick's doorstep and Ben rings the bell. Ben greets his father, "Dad." Patrick replies, "where is the party?" He tells his father he is in trouble. Patrick asks if Abigail is pregnant. Ben responds, "Yeah, she is. You are gonna let a woman carrying your grandchild stand outside in the cold?"

Abigail whispers to Riley, "Do I look pregnant?" Riley shakes his head. Then, Patrick invites them in, and he quickly whispers to his son, "this better not be about the d*mn treasure." He tells them to have a pizza and make themselves comfortable. After much disagreement between Ben and Patrick, he tells his father he has found Charlotte. Then, they study the declaration.

South Pasadena is a diverse city with about 25,619 residents. The city is home to beautiful homes, small businesses, and top-quality schools. Also known as the city of trees, you will find more than 100 acres of space, which is mainly reserved for parks in this burgeoning city.

This private home on Buena Vista Street can be reached on the Metro L Gold Line, Bus 260, 106, or 45. You can also get there by car. The house is just north of Highway 110 next to Arroyo Park.

Conclusion

This thrilling action-adventure movie follows the story of Ben Gates as he tries to find a lost treasure with the help of his father, Patrick, as well as Riley and Abigail. He faces a formidable challenge from Ian Howe who also wants to find the treasure.

As a movie that highlighted part of the rich history of the United States, many iconic locations were used in its filming. When it comes to the history of the country, the National Archives building is one of the most significant buildings in the U.S. Besides this, the FBI building is also worth visiting.

Furthermore, many of these locations have also been used in the filming of other top-rated movies. For instance, South Pasadena is a location used for the filming of many highly-rated movies, including La La Land (2016), The Terminator (1984), and The Girl Next Door (2004).