Where was Psycho filmed?

The movie opens with an aerial shot of Phoenix, Arizona, indicating that it’s Friday, December 11 at 2:43 P.M. Then, it leads us through an open window of a big hotel where we witness an intimate moment between Sam Loomis (John Gavin) and his lover Marion Crane (Janet Leigh). Located in the heart of downtown, Barrister Place served as a backdrop for this scene. It opened to public fanfare in 1915 as the Jefferson Hotel and has since housed various city operations. It was the tallest building in Arizona at that time, but when the city bought the building in 1990, it became vacant for years. The Barrister Place Building is beloved for its unique history, including being featured in Psycho. However, it was sold to a company a few years ago to transform it into retail and housing. The project is called Jefferson Place, which will include two new buildings and at least 88 condos in the 6-story building. If you plan to go on a tour to explore this Psycho filming location, you might immediately recognize the building, though it isn’t one of the tallest in the area. Its exterior didn’t look much different from how it was depicted in the movie. While there, take the opportunity to discover downtown Phoenix and see what the city has to offer. Check the Phoenix Transit Bus and Valley Metro Rail for schedule, as they run from central Phoenix to downtown and other areas in and around the city.

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It’s probably one of the most intense scenes for Marion when a police officer approaches her after finding her sleeping in her car on the side of the road. She runs away with her boss’ money, so imagine her anxiety when the officer finds her suspicious, as “she’s acting like there’s something wrong.” Eventually, the officer lets her go, but she still can’t relax because it seems like he’s tailing her until she goes to the car lot. If you drive down the Golden State Freeway (I-5) at Gorman, north of LA, pay attention to your surroundings, and you might find the road familiar. That’s because it served as the setting for this scene in Psycho. There’s probably nothing much to see in this filming location of Psycho. Still, it’s worth stopping by or taking a picture of the scenery when you’re in the area. If you’re not driving, buses 158, 166, 364, and 239 have routes that pass near the Golden State Freeway.

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Shaken by her encounter with the police officer on the road, Marion goes to the used car lot to change her vehicle. When the owner quotes an old saying, “The first customer of the day is always the most trouble,” he doesn’t have any clue of the trouble his client is getting herself into. This California Charlie’s car dealership scene was filmed at the former Harry Maher's Used Car Lot. It is still in operation today, though under a different name. The car lot is now home to MINI of University City, a MINI dealership at Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood. It takes pride in maintaining the country’s largest inventory of MINI coopers, located near Universal Studios. Don’t expect it to look like it did in 1960 when the movie was filmed, or you’ll be disappointed. Since a lot has changed over the years, it’s hard to identify the exact spot where filming of the used car lot took place. When planning to visit, buses 155, 222, 224, 237, and 94 have routes that pass near Lankershim Blvd. You can also take the B Line (Red), which runs between downtown LA and North Hollywood.

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Marion drives out of town with the money she stole and the new car she swapped at the car dealership. But because it’s dark and heavily raining, she doesn’t have a choice but to check in at the Bates Motel along the road under the alias Marie Samuels. Here, she meets Norman Bates, who owns and runs the motel. In the movie, Bates Motel is on an old highway about 15 miles from Fairvale, from which Marion tries to escape. It doesn’t receive many visitors, so Norman is happy to accommodate his lone guest. You might be surprised to know that it isn’t a real motel. It was never an operating motel, but a built Psycho film set designed for Hitchcock's movie. Its exterior was borrowed from existing sets and was initially two-walled, made to be filmed for certain angles only. It became a major draw for the famous Universal Tram Tour during the 60s and 70s. Despite that, it was dismantled in 1980 to be used for another production. You can’t find the original set used for the motel, as it has been rebuilt many times over the years. But you can still visit on a Studio Tour. It’s an entertaining adventure worth experiencing. There have also been a few replicas of Bates Motel built outside Universal Studios. It includes the one in Nevada, which was established in 2010 to celebrate the original movie’s 50th anniversary.

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The big house first appears when Marion ends up in the motel, as it’s adjacent to the infamous Bates Motel. It is the home of Norman and his housebound mother, who has been ill and Norman couldn’t abandon. You’ll also see it as Norman leaves his office and heads home after his talk with Marion and multiple times throughout the film. Like the motel, the Psycho house isn’t an existing residence site but a set constructed for the movie. Instead, the scenes featuring the house beside the motel were filmed on the Universal Studios backlot. The interior scenes for the mansion were filmed in Stage 28, while the interior shots for the motel were taken in Stage 18. The notorious Psycho house still exists today and can be visited on tour at the Universal Studios lot. However, it is highly questionable whether it was the actual house featured in the original movie or simply a reconstructed version of Norman Bates’ residence. Nevertheless, visiting the scary mansion will still give you a memorable experience. For the movie and horror fans, it’s like stepping into Norman’s abode. Seeing it in real life, as opposed to watching it on screen, can definitely send some tingles down your spine.

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After cleaning the crime scene inside his motel, Norman put the victim’s body in the back of the car and drove to the swamp. Then he disposes of the car, with Marion and all her belongings inside. He waits and watches as the car sinks, slowly disappearing on the surface, burying the evidence of the murder. It is said that this scene was supposed to be filmed on location. But due to budget constraints, the filmmakers didn’t go far and recorded it on the Universal Studios backlot at the Old False Lake. It was formerly situated near the Psycho House location. Falls Lake was constructed in 1926 for the Universal cult classic Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In 1986, it went under renovation to build a backdrop for the 1987 Horror/Thriller, Jaws: The Revenge. Thanks to its large open area, featuring a backdrop and large water tank, it’s regularly used for films, shows, and other large productions. In fact, it has been featured in many famous TV series and movies, as well as music videos.

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