Where was The Terminator filmed?

In one of the opening scenes of The Terminator, Reese and the Terminator cyborg appear in the year 1984. Both of them have traveled back in time in search of a woman named Sarah Connor, but they each have a different objective. The Terminator has been programmed to kill her and won’t stop until he does, and Reese wants to save Sarah before that can happen. Shortly after the two arrive, it becomes apparent that the Terminator is going after any woman named Sarah Connor. The deaths become a popular news story in LA.

Early in the action movie, a newscaster is heard commenting on the case, saying, “This just in. Police have announced the name of the victim in the second of two murders that took place today. Incredibly, the names of the two victims are virtually identical. Two hours ago, 35-year-old Sarah Ann Connor was pronounced dead...Police are refusing to speculate on the similarity between the shooting deaths and no other connection between the two victims has been established yet. We'll have more on this late-breaking story as it comes in.”

Like most of the film, these opening shots were filmed in Los Angeles. The location where the Terminator arrived in 1984 was Griffith Observatory. Being such a popular attraction, you can reach this film shoot location taking the Metro B Line Red, Bus 66 to Bus 754, or Bus 4 to Bus 2.

When Reese first arrives in the past he has to find clothes and weapons. He ends up stealing some clothes from a homeless man to better blend in with where he is. At first, Reese is confused after landing in the past.

The homeless man says, “I think this guy's a couple of cans short of a six-pack.”

That is when Reese steals the man’s clothes, saying, “Your clothes, give them to me.”

Reese is then asked, “Hey, buddy, did you just see a real bright light?”

Once Reese finds out the date and year he is in, he steals a gun and takes off to find Sarah Connor before the Terminator can get to her.

The production location where Reese travels in time and steals the man’s clothes was in Los Angeles, California. The street used for this scene was West 7th Street. This location is not far from Griffith Observatory, where the Terminator traveled back in time to.

Once the Terminator has killed several women named Sarah Connor, he goes after the one he is meant to kill. Reese is able to find her first, at a nightclub. He tries to warn her about what is coming, and says he was sent to protect her.

Reese tells Sarah, “I'm here to help you. I'm Reese. Sergeant Tech-Com. DN38416. Assigned to protect you. You’ve been targeted for termination.” When Sarah says she hasn’t done anything, he tells her, “No, but you will. It's very important that you live.”

The Terminator continues coming after Sarah even after being delayed by Reese, and he gets her to leave the nightclub with him. While escaping he tells her more about the Terminator.

Reese says, “The Terminator's an infiltration unit. Part man, part machine. Underneath, it's a hyper-alloy combat chassis. Microprocessor controlled. Fully armored, very tough. Outside it's living human tissue. Flesh, skin, hair, blood - grown for the cyborgs.”

The nightclub where Reese finds Sarah is now called Carrows Restaurant and is located on Fremont Avenue in South Pasadena, California. There are several ways to reach this film shoot scene. You could take the Metro B Line Red to Metro L Line Gold or Bus 180 to Bus 260. Another option is to take Bus 182 to the Metro L Line Gold.

Once Sarah and Reese have managed to get a bit away from the Terminator, they hide out in a parking garage where Reese reveals even more information about the future. He tells Sarah that a nuclear war happens just a few years after 1984, and in the post-apocalyptic aftermath cyborgs actively hunt humans. Reese is a survivor of this fallout and a prominent soldier in the rebel human forces. He explains that a man named John Connor is responsible for turning the tide of war.

Reese tells her, “We were that close to going out forever. But there was one man who taught us to fight. To storm the wire of the camps. To smash those metal motherfuckers into junk. He turned it around. He brought us back from the brink. His name was Connor. John Connor. Your son, Sarah. Your unborn son.”

The scene where Reese explains the future was shot in Los Angeles at the Department Of Water And Power on Sunset Boulevard which acted as the parking garage. Buses 2 or 180 as well as the Hollywood Counterclockwise Metro will get you to this iconic spot.

As Reese and Sarah continue to run from the Terminator they end up being stopped by the police and taken to the station. They question Sarah and Reese separately. Reese tells the truth about why he is there, but they believe he may just be crazy. He tells the police about the future battle, and the plan for the Terminator to kill Sarah and keep John from ever existing.

When asked about returning to the future, Reese says, “I can't. Nobody goes home. Nobody else comes through. It's just him and me. It's just him and me.”

While Reese is waiting for Sarah to be done giving a statement, the police station is attacked by the Terminator. Many of the officers are killed in the attack, but Reese and Sarah manage to escape and go to a motel for the night.

The police station used for these shots was found in Vernon, California on South Boyle Avenue. Although the West Highlands Police Station was demolished shortly after the filming of the movie wrapped up, you can still take a look at the area and see some of the background locations. Just hop on Bus 210 to 108 or take the Metro B Line Red to Buses 60 or 251 to get to this scene location.

When Reese and Sarah get to the motel to plan their next moves and spend the night, Reese reveals that he volunteered to be sent back in time to save her. He has clear feelings for her, and through stories, John had told came to look up to her.

Reese tells Sarah, “It was a chance to meet the legend. Sarah Connor, who taught her son to fight, organize, and prepare from when he was a kid. When you were in hiding before the war.”

He also relays a message from John to his mother, “Your son gave me a message to give to you. Made me memorize it. Thank you, Sarah, for your courage through the dark years. I can't help you with what you must soon face. The future is not set. You must be stronger than you imagine you can be. You must survive or I will never exist. That's all.”

The motel where the two stay for the night and build pipe bombs was the Tiki Motel in Huntington Park, California. Some of the transit options for this spot include the FlixBus, Metro A Line Blue, Bus 102, or the Metrolink San Bernadino Line. The hotel is still open so why not get a room while you are there?