Where was Road House filmed?
1989
City Locations
Santa Clarita, California
Location Types
American, Ranch, Clubs/Bars
Location Styles
Muscle, Seedy, Americana/Anywhere America
About Road House
Patrick Swayze, sporting a mullet, kicking bad-ass guy left, right, and center. If that’s not enough to get you to watch Road House, we don’t know what will.
While this 1989 action film may not have generated much in the way of critical acclaim — in fact, it was even nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards — it has still become a cult classic. And all these years later, it’s still a very enjoyable watch.
Road House tells the story of James Dalton (Swayze), a professional bouncer (or “cooler”) who is hired to manage security at a wild and out-of-control bar in Jasper, Missouri. The bar is the Double Deuce, and it’s got a well-earned reputation as the craziest nightspot this side of just about anywhere.
Dalton doesn’t take long to make his mark on the venue, firing several employees for being too violent, dealing drugs, and sleeping with customers. But one of the people Dalton fires is Pat (John Doe), the nephew of corrupt local businessman Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara). Wesley sends his henchmen to bring Dalton into line, but they’re no match for the experienced bouncer’s martial arts skills.
But Wesley won’t be deterred. He has a vested interest in keeping the Double Deuce as wild as ever, and he’ll stop at nothing to ensure that Dalton can’t bring the bar under control. What follows is a series of violent showdowns and a host of memorable one-liners as Dalton takes on bad guy after bad guy, all the while trying to come to terms with his own violent past and maintain a relationship with local doctor Elizabeth (Kelly Lynch).
If you’ve ever wondered where film shoots for Road House took place, you’re in the right place. We’ve gathered together the settings and locations where some of the best scenes in Road House were filmed (spoiler alert!), so keep reading to find out how you can check them out for yourself.
Road House Locations
Want to act out some of your favorite Road House scenes or just check out the iconic settings where this Hollywood classic was filmed? Unfortunately, that’s something that’ll be easier said than done, as many Road House locations are no longer around today.
Take the iconic Double Deuce, for example, which was built on location in Santa Clarita for filming. So too was Red’s Auto Parts, but all that remains today is a vacant lot.
Interior shots from the Bandstand, the club where Dalton worked at the start of the movie, were filmed at a venue known as Cowboy Boogie in Anaheim. Sadly, it’s no longer a thing either.
But the good news is that there are some Road House locations in California that you can visit for yourself. Keep reading for a rundown of where you can find the sites that played host to some of the most memorable moments from cinema history.
Fun Fact:
In the biography One Last Dance, Patrick Swayze refers to the iconic mullet he sported in Road House as the “bane of my existence.”
Dalton arrives at the Double Deuce scene in Road House
Arch Street
When Dalton arrives in Jasper, he wastes no time heading to the Double Deuce to see what lies in store for him. As he arrives, he witnesses a big, mean bouncer named Morgan (Terry Funk), a man who seems to thoroughly enjoy his violent work, throwing out a troublemaker. And when Dalton introduces himself to one of the bartenders, it’s clear his reputation precedes him.
“He killed a guy once. Ripped his throat right out,” whispers one of the bouncers. Dalton also meets up with Cody (Jeff Healey), a musician he’s worked with on previous jobs. Cody has an ominous warning for Dalton — he’s going to have his work cut out for him whipping this seedy bar into any kind of shape. “Man, this toiIet is worse than the one we worked in Dayton,” he says. “There’s blood on the floor every night.”
As we mentioned above, the Double Deuce was found in Santa Clarita. Located on Arch Street, the Double Deuce and Red’s Auto Parts were constructed for the film at this location. Sadly, these Road House locations are no longer there, and all you’ll find in their place is a vacant lot.
Monster truck scene in Road House
27211 Henry Mayo Drive
Brad Wesley is one mean dude. And when he doesn’t get his way, he’s not afraid to take out his anger in a variety of creative and violent ways. This is a man most people don’t want to mess with, and he demonstrates why in one particularly memorable scene.
When he discovers that several of the town’s prominent business owners are meeting to discuss exactly how to deal with him, Wesley is enraged. He confronts Strodenmire, the local Ford dealer, to get his revenge. “You Iost your faith, Strodenmire. That's what it is. It's made you an abuser,” Wesley says, mocking the other man.
He then orders one of his henchmen to fire up a monster truck and drive it through the car dealership, smashing windows and destroying a row of cars.
This scene reportedly cost $500,000 to film and was shot at 27211 Henry Mayo Drive in Valencia, California. It’s about a 15-minute drive away from where the Double Deuce was located for the film.
Dalton breaks into Brad Wesley’s house scene in Road House
East Trimmer Springs Road
Dalton is ready to bring Brad Wesley’s reign of terror to an end. After discovering that Wesley has had his mentor Garrett (Sam Elliott) killed, Dalton decides enough is enough. He’s ready to finish things once and for all, and he heads to Brad Wesley’s house to bring the other man to justice.
Wesley’s armed men are waiting on his lawn, and they’re shocked to find Dalton’s Mercedes racing towards them. They spray the car with bullets, surely killing anyone inside, but they’re dismayed to discover that Dalton is nowhere to be seen.
Dalton then breaks into the house and endures a violent showdown with Wesley in the other man’s trophy room. Despite getting wounded, Dalton continues fighting the other man, but when he finally gets the upper hand, he stops himself from killing Wesley.
And when Wesley goes for his gun again, he’s shot dead by several of the town’s businessmen. “This is our town, and don’t you forget it,” says Frank (Kevin Tighe).
Want to catch a glimpse of Brad Wesley’s house in real life? This filming location of Road House is found on East Trimmer Springs Road in Sanger, California, a little over 20 miles east of Fresno, so it’s easily accessible for anyone who wants to take a look.
Conclusion
Road House might just be the ultimate guilty pleasure. This 1989 production may not have a groundbreaking storyline or Oscar-winning performances, but it is a whole lot of fun for anyone with a soft spot for the late Patrick Swayze.
Sadly, this isn’t one of those movies where you can set out to explore all the best locations from the movie on an epic road trip. However, there are still a few Road House locations around southern California that are worth a visit, so why not hit the road and check them out for yourself?