Search results
Filmed in 1963, Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" put Bodega Bay, CA, on the map. Explore some of the filming locations from the classic thriller while in Sonoma County.
Never had a director portrayed animals working in unison with intelligence. “The Birds” became the first horror/ fantasy film. Special effects, including mechanical birds, live and wild birds on strings, and optically altered film overlays of birds in flight made this a most frightening film.
- 16 min
Shortly after Alfred Hitchcock filmed “A Shadow of a Doubt” in Santa Rosa, he returned to Bodega Bay after deciding it was the perfect spot for his next film, “The Birds”. There is a quiet eeriness to this town which made it an ideal setting for his cutting-edge horror film about killer birds.
- Union Square
- Potter School
- St. Teresa of Avila Church
- Tides Wharf and Restaurant
- Bay Hill Road
- Gaffney Ranch
- Valley Ford Farm
Despite the majority of the film taking place in Bodega Bay, San Francisco does get a cameo in the opening sequence when protagonist Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) crosses the street atUnion Square on her way to a pet store. This is also where we get a classic Hitchcock cameo, as the director is seen exiting the pet store with his two Sealyham Terr...
Perhaps the most recognizable building in The Birds is Bodega’s Potter School, or “Bodega Bay School” in the film, where a flock of birds attacks a group of fleeing schoolchildren. Tension buildsominously as Melanie smokes a cigarette outside of the school and birds gather on the play structure behind her, and then all hell breaks loose as the floc...
Audiences are also treated to several shots of St. Teresa of Avila Church, which stands in front of the schoolhouse and is visible from Bodega Highway in Bodega. You can see it in the background when Melanie drives up to the schoolhouse and in several other shots, but it is most often recognized fromAnsel Adams’ 1953 photograph Church and Road. Loc...
Thegas station attack, boat dock scenes, and restaurant scenes were largely filmed in and around Bodega Bay’sTides Wharf & Restaurant. Although the restaurant was remodeled in the 1990s, it still proudly preserves the film’s legacy through a small replica of its original façade and a gift shop. Inn at the Tides tells us that the restaurant played a...
We are first introduced to Bodega Bay when Melanie drives up a scenic coastal road into town. This isBay Hill Road, which connects to Highway 1 at both ends. The ocean views from this drive are largely unchanged in the decades since The Birdswas filmed. Location: North end of Bay Hill Road
Hitchcock’s crew constructed several sets on the site ofGaffney Ranch to create “Brenner Ranch,” where the male protagonist Mitch (Rod Taylor) lives. You can see it during the birthday party scene and seagull attack, as well as the end of the filmwhen the group escapes the flock at night. According to Inn at the Tides, Gaffney Ranch was owned by te...
It’s impossible to forget the terrifying scene where Lydia discovers her neighborDan Fawcett’s lifeless body with its eyes pecked out. Exterior shots were filmed at a remote farm in Valley Ford, which Then & Now Movie Locations and The Movie Districtplace near the Valley Ford Cutoff. The original farmhouse is no longer there, but you can see the sa...
Aug 7, 2023 · INSKEEP: Six decades later, fans of the movie still flock to Bodega Bay and the smaller town of Bodega to find the locations in the Alfred Hitchcock classic. NPR's Chad Campbell reports.
Filming locations in Northern California for Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963), starring Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor. Bodega Bay and San Francisco, California.
Apr 10, 2023 · The Birds” is a classic horror movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released in 1963. The movie was set in the small town of Bodega Bay, located on the Sonoma Coast of California. The movie features several scenes of birds attacking the residents of the town, causing chaos and destruction.
People also ask
How long did it take to film 'Bodega Bay'?
Does San Francisco get a cameo in 'Bodega Bay'?
Where does Mitch Brenner go in 'Bodega Bay'?
Where was the Bodega Bay gas station explosion filmed?
