Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed
The story is set primarily in 1940s Brooklyn, with Ebbets Field as the emotional center, along with various major league cities and training sites such as Daytona Beach. The filming told a different story: Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee provided the locations, with digital visual effects recreating Ebbets Field, Shibe Park, the Polo Grounds, Crosley Field, Sportsman's Park and Forbes Field from photographs and blueprints, since nearly all of the real stadiums were demolished decades ago.
The Studio Side
Atlanta Film Studios Paulding County in Hiram, Georgia, served as the production's studio base. This is a working studio facility and is not open to the public, so there is nothing for travelers to visit there. The nearby city of Macon, roughly an hour away, offers the more rewarding on-screen locations, including Luther Williams Field and Terminal Station.
Tours That Visit These Locations
No dedicated 42 filming location tours exist, since the ballpark locations sit across three states. The closest bookable experience connects to the studio side: Warner Bros., the distributor behind the film, offers a studio tour in Los Angeles that includes props and exhibits from its productions, giving fans a taste of the moviemaking machinery behind films like this one.
Los Angeles Studio Lot Tour
Los Angeles: Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
A guided tour of the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles, with a 4.6 rating from 8,721 reviews, featuring props and exhibits from the studio's productions, including the company behind 42.
★ 4.6 out of 5 · 8,721 reviewsLos Angeles
Hollywood Backlot And Props Tour
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
Another booking option for the Warner Bros. studio tour, rated 4.6 across 5,668 reviews, covering soundstages, backlots and prop exhibits connected to the studio that distributed 42.
★ 4.6 out of 5 · 5,668 reviewsLos Angeles
Frequently Asked Questions
Was 42 filmed at the real Ebbets Field?
No. Ebbets Field no longer existed by the time of filming. Engel Stadium in Chattanooga was renovated and modified, with stands relocated according to original Ebbets Field blueprints, to recreate the Dodgers' home park. Digital effects recreated Ebbets Field and several other historic stadiums using photos and blueprints.
Can you visit the ballparks where 42 was filmed?
Yes, all three are still standing. Rickwood Field in Birmingham offers tours and events, Luther Williams Field in Macon hosts public games, and Engel Stadium in Chattanooga is owned by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, so access depends on scheduled events. Check each venue's calendar before visiting.
How much of 42 was filmed in Macon, Georgia?
About a quarter of the movie was shot in Macon. Downtown Macon streets stood in for Brooklyn, Terminal Station played the New Orleans airport, and Luther Williams Field hosted baseball scenes doubling for Roosevelt Stadium and Daytona Beach training.
Did filming 42 benefit the local economy?
Yes. Filming injected an estimated $5 million into the Chattanooga economy, and the production hired 600 to 700 local extras during the Alabama shoot.
Was any of 42 filmed in New York?
Only a small amount. A private residence at 526 MacDonough Street in Brooklyn was used for a short sequence near the end of the film. It is private property with no public access. The rest of the Brooklyn setting was recreated in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.
Why did the filmmakers choose historic ballparks instead of modern stadiums?
Modern ballparks look nothing like 1940s venues, while Rickwood Field, Engel Stadium and Luther Williams Field are historic ballparks from an earlier era, so they could be dressed with signage and set dressing to pass as multiple period stadiums.
For film fans, 42 offers an unusually visitable set of locations: three century-old ballparks, walkable downtown streets in Macon and Birmingham, and a historic train station, all spread across a reasonable road trip through Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. Nothing requires special access except the Brooklyn residence, and each ballpark rewards a visit in its own right, baseball history or not.
