Where was Titanic filmed?
1997
City Locations
Baja California Norte, Mexico; Los Angeles and Long Beach, California
Location Types
Film Studio, Cemetery
Location Styles
Colonial, French, Shipping Yard/Dock
About Titanic
James Cameron's Titanic, released on December 19th, 1997, was an instant hit worldwide. The romantic disaster film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as lovers from different social classes onboard the ill-fated RMS Titanic for its maiden voyage. Other actors such as Billy Zane, Frances Fisher, Kathy Bates, Gloria Stuart, Jonathan Hyde, Bernard Hill, and Victor Garber make up this captivating story that has earned over $2 billion at the box office since its release.
The film follows Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), a poor artist from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, who wins two tickets for the RMS Titanic's fateful voyage in a poker game. On board, he meets Rose (Kate Winslet), a young aristocrat engaged to Cal (Billy Zane) against her will. As their paths cross on board the doomed ship, they become romantically involved despite their different backgrounds. Disaster strikes after the ship hits an iceberg—and ultimately sinks to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean—as Jack helps Rose escape from danger before succumbing to his death himself.
Titanic won 11 Oscars at the 70th Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for James Cameron, Best Actress for Kate Winslet, and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio. Titanic also won awards from numerous international organizations, including Bafta Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and MTV Movie & TV Awards. Additionally, it was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Song of The Year for Celine Dion’s iconic hit “My Heart Will Go On.”
Titanic Locations
Many Titanic scenes were shot in Baja California Norte, Mexico. This region is filled with stunning landscapes, from the stark rocky cliffs of the coastline to the rolling hills of the Cordillera de Peninsular mountain range. It's a rugged landscape that provides an ideal backdrop for a story like Titanic.
Over a quarter of the movie was shot across Los Angeles County. Notably, Belmont Olympic Pool provided the backdrop for many water scenes near the climax and S.S. Lane Victory served as partial inspiration for sequences showing aftermath of shipwrecking events in the film. Other locations used for Titanic include the Atlantic Ocean, Los Angeles, and Vancouver and Halifax in Canada.
A trip to these sites will provide fans with an unforgettable experience. In addition to exploring these sites where the movie was made, visitors can take part in activities such as whale watching and hiking around the mountains. A visit to these filming sites is definitely worthwhile for any fan of this iconic movie. Not only will it give you a chance to enjoy beautiful scenery but also connect more deeply with this beloved classic film.
Divers find Titanic scene in Titanic
Grand Banks of Newfoundland, North Atlantic seas, Canada
This scene in the 1997 film is quite iconic as it marks the beginning of a long and emotional journey for the audience. In this early sequence, a group of skilled divers discovers a sketch from the wreckage of the Titanic. The moment is accompanied by an awe-inspiring score that helps to convey the sheer magnitude of what lies beneath the surface. It is a very powerful visual moment that sets up much of what follows in the movie.
Director James Cameron was deeply moved when he shot his scenes for the movie Titanic underwater at its actual wreck in the Titanic Canyon, located near Grand Banks of Newfoundland and spanning across the North Atlantic seas. This site is historically significant because it’s where one of history's most heartbreaking events occurred over a century ago. As such, it had an immense impact on Cameron while writing his screenplay after capturing these mesmerizing shots.
If you are looking to visit this historic location for yourself, you need to get to St John’s, Newfoundland. From there, you can join organized tours by boat which take you to view artifacts from wrecks present near St Johns or even take you to view some remains from RMS Titanic, such as pieces of her "Heart Of The Ocean" diamond necklace and other items at depths reaching as low as 12,000 feet.
Filming Locations Finder
On the Titanic scenes in Titanic
Baja Film Studios, Escenica Tijuana-Ensenada, 22710 B.C., Mexico
Many iconic scenes from the 1997 movie Titanic were filmed primarily at Fox Baja Studios, now known as Baja Studios, located in the resort town of Rosarito in Baja California, Mexico. The production house built a life-size exterior set of the RMS Titanic in an expansive tank that cost $40 million. The production team also constructed some sections of the ship, such as windows, at a smaller scale and replicated them via CGI to reduce expenses. Additionally, other details of the ship were reproduced at 90 percent scale so that shots would be visually cohesive.
One iconic scene from the film was when Rose and Jack were standing on the bow of the Titanic while “My Heart Will Go On” plays in the background. Another memorable moment was when Jack sketched Rose posing nude wearing only ‘the necklace’—a replica of which hangs in the studios today as a tribute to this classic romance movie.
Fox Baja Studios is easily accessible via car or bus from Tijuana International Airport, with travel time ranging between 40 minutes to 1 hour depending on traffic conditions. It's also possible to take public transportation to Rosarito Beach and continue with a taxi ride to Fox Baja Studios since it's located just outside town. Visitors can get closer to their favourite films shot here by taking pictures around the studios and viewing memorabilia from different movies like Titanic or Master & Commander: The Far Side Of The World!
The sinking scenes in Titanic
4000 E Olympic Plaza, Long Beach, CA 90803, USA
One particularly memorable scene is the sinking of the ship and the aftermath that follows. This scene was shot in Long Beach, California, at Belmont Olympic Pool, a large public swimming pool located at 4000 East Olympic Plaza. Here viewers are able to witness the heartbreaking sight of people struggling to stay afloat in the cold Atlantic waters as the Titanic slowly descends into the depths. The intense emotions of this scene have been captured beautifully by director James Cameron and make it one of the most iconic moments in film history.
Apart from this location, S.S Lane Victory and S.S Jeremiah O’Brien were also used to film various scenes related to engine room operations. The former is a World War II cargo ship converted into a museum located at 3011 Miner Street in San Pedro while the latter is a Liberty ship docked at Pier 45 in San Francisco. Additionally, some sequences were also filmed at Santa Clarita, which is north of Los Angeles.
If you are looking to visit any of these locations, you can easily get there by car or bus depending on your starting point and proximity to each location. By road, the pool is approximately 30 miles south of downtown LA.
Long Beach Filming Locations Search
Engine room scenes in Titanic
SS Jeremiah O'Brien, Pier 35, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
The engine room scenes from Titanic are some of the film’s most gripping. As we witness the aftermath of Titanic's collision with an iceberg, our eyes are drawn to the massive engine room and its various levels engulfed in steamy pipes and colossal engines. We can almost feel the despair as workers desperately try to save their own lives.
When it came time to film the engine room scenes for Titanic, producers chose none other than the iconic SS Jeremiah O'Brien at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. Boasting an impressive launch date on June 19th, 1943, this historic Liberty Ship sailed four times across Atlantic convoys before partaking in D-Day landings during World War II. Now serving as a memorable filming site with rich history behind it, what better location could they have found?
If you're interested in visiting SS Jeremiah O’Brien, it's located at Pier 35 on Fisherman's Wharf. You can take public transportation or drive directly to the wharf, but if you prefer walking there are plenty of scenic routes along San Francisco Bay where it's easy to get lost in views of Alcatraz Island or Golden Gate Bridge. Once at Pier 35 you can buy tickets to tour around this amazing ship, which takes visitors on a journey into history while giving them a glimpse into one of Hollywood's most beloved films.
Conclusion
James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster was an impressive feat of filmmaking that featured a sweeping narrative, captivating performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, and stunning visuals. The movie was also a remarkable technical achievement, as Cameron and the two studios spent an unprecedented $200 million to build a 90% scale replica of the Titanic in Mexico. This effort included authentically recreating the ship's furnishings and conducting underwater filming using special camera equipment. These elements all combined to create a cinematic experience that left audiences spellbound.
On its release, Titanic was met with unprecedented success; it broke box office records around the world and held the title of highest-grossing film for 12 years. Its combination of romance, historical drama and visual spectacle had a profound impact on viewers who saw it multiple times upon its initial release. In doing so, Titanic re-defined what an audience could expect from a Hollywood blockbuster.
Titanic shattered the cinematic boundaries of special effects. Its use of computer-generated technology, from aerial views of the ship to characters' breaths in cold air, had a photorealistic quality unlike any other movie before it. As such, many deem that Titanic was an important milestone in Hollywood's history, a tipping point which revolutionized how movies were both made and perceived within the entertainment industry forevermore.
Overall, there’s little doubt that Titanic is an absolute classic movie worth watching. Its ambition pushed boundaries both aesthetically and commercially, making it one of the most acclaimed films ever released. With outstanding performances from DiCaprio and Winslet backed up by powerful direction from James Cameron, this is one epic love story that will live on forevermore.