Where Was Driving Miss Daisy Filmed?

The Short Answer

Driving Miss Daisy was filmed primarily on location in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1989. Miss Daisy's house sits at 822 Lullwater Road NE in Druid Hills, with other scenes shot in Little Five Points, Castleberry Hill and at The Temple. Driving sequences and exteriors used Decatur, Griffin and Douglas County, Georgia, because Atlanta itself looked too modern for the story's 1948 to 1973 period.

Most films shoot their interiors on soundstages. Driving Miss Daisy did the opposite. Principal photography ran from May 8 to June 19, 1989, entirely in Georgia, with no studio sets used for the main house. The production rented a real Druid Hills residence and dressed it to match decades of the story.

That commitment to real locations pays off for visitors. The house, the synagogue, the factory and the grocery store all still exist, mostly within a short drive of downtown Atlanta. Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer-winning play drew on his own Atlanta grandmother and her driver, so filming in the city where the story actually happens carried real weight.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
822 Lullwater Road NE	Atlanta	Miss Daisy's house interiors and exteriors	Private property
The Temple	Atlanta	Synagogue where Miss Daisy attends services	Ticketed
Fulton Supply Company	Atlanta	Werthan Industries factory and headquarters	Outside only
Rag-O-Rama / 1111 Euclid Ave NE	Atlanta	Piggly Wiggly grocery store exteriors	Free to see
Agnes Scott College	Decatur	Various campus scenes	Free to see
Little Friendship Baptist Church	Decatur	Idella's funeral service	Outside only
Biltmore House / former Biltmore Hotel	Atlanta	Martin Luther King Jr. speech dinner scene	Free to see
N Hill Street & Solomon Street	Griffin	Driving scenes through suburban Atlanta	Free to see

Filming Locations Map

8 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

This private Druid Hills residence served as Miss Daisy's house for both interiors and exteriors, the emotional center of the film. The production only modified the kitchen, since most old Atlanta homes had been updated with modern kitchens by 1989. It stands in the Druid Hills Historic District and remains a private home. Fans can see the exterior from the street, but there are no tours or entry, so treat it as a drive-by or walk-by stop.

The synagogue where Miss Daisy attends services is The Temple, an active and historic Atlanta congregation. The film references the real 1958 bombing of the building, an event that shocked the city and shapes a key plot point. It is not a museum, but public events or tours may be offered, so check the synagogue's own information before visiting. Located near midtown Atlanta, it pairs well with other central filming stops.

This Castleberry Hill building played Werthan Industries, the factory and headquarters run by Boolie, Miss Daisy's son. Today the structure has been converted into lofts, and only the exteriors are visible, but they remain easily recognizable from the street. Castleberry Hill is a popular filming district in its own right, so the block offers more than one reason to wander through. No tickets or access are needed beyond ordinary public streets.

The Piggly Wiggly grocery store exteriors were shot at this Little Five Points address, which now houses Rag-O-Rama, a vintage clothing store open to the public. Visitors can walk right in and shop where the film's storefront once stood. Little Five Points is one of Atlanta's most walkable and characterful neighborhoods, full of record shops, eateries and street life, making this one of the easiest and most enjoyable stops for film fans.

Several campus scenes for the film were shot at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, a short drive east of downtown Atlanta. The campus is open in spirit rather than fully tourist-oriented: visitors are generally welcome during events or organized tours, so it helps to time a trip around something happening on campus. Decatur itself is a pleasant college town with restaurants and shops, which makes the excursion more than a single-location trip.

This Decatur church stood in for the site of Idella's funeral service, one of the film's most affecting scenes. It remains an active church, so the building is best appreciated from the exterior unless you attend a service, and visitors should be respectful of worshippers and church activities. It sits in a quiet residential part of Decatur, close enough to Agnes Scott College to combine both stops in a single outing through the town.

The dinner scene featuring a Martin Luther King Jr. speech was filmed at the former Biltmore Hotel, a grand Atlanta landmark on the West Peachtree corridor. Today the building functions as mixed-use offices and event space with some public access, so you can view the architecture and occasionally enter depending on what is happening there. Its ornate facade and lobby-era detailing give a strong sense of the period atmosphere the filmmakers wanted.

The suburban driving scenes, including routes meant to evoke the film's changing decades, were shot on public streets in Griffin, Georgia, south of Atlanta. The production chose Griffin because Atlanta's own streets had become too modern for the 1940s through 1970s look required. The intersection is fully public and free to visit, best experienced by driving through it as the characters did. Griffin makes an easy half-day side trip from the city.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

The story is set in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1948 and 1973, and unusually, it was filmed largely in that same city. The filmmakers stayed in Georgia but pushed some driving scenes out to Griffin because central Atlanta no longer matched the earlier periods. Decatur and Douglas County supplied additional exteriors. For travelers, this means the film's locations and its story geography overlap almost completely.

Tours That Visit These Locations

Travelers who prefer a guided approach can cover several of these locations without planning a route themselves. A private film-oriented driving tour based in Atlanta offers the most direct way to connect the sites.

Private Atlanta Film Tour

Atlanta: 3 Hour Private Movie/TV Locations Tour

This 3 hour private tour covers various Atlanta movie and television locations, with the itinerary customizable toward Driving Miss Daisy stops such as Druid Hills, Little Five Points and the former Werthan factory. It suits small parties who want flexibility and a local guide's context.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Visit Miss Daisy's House?

Yes, from the outside. The house at 822 Lullwater Road NE in Atlanta's Druid Hills Historic District is a private residence. It is visible from the street, but there are no tours and no entry is permitted.

When Was Driving Miss Daisy Filmed?

Principal photography ran from May 8 to June 19, 1989, entirely on location in Georgia. No studio sets were used for the main house; the production worked inside a real Druid Hills home.

Is Driving Miss Daisy Set In Atlanta?

Yes. The story takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1948 and 1973, and it was filmed mostly in the same city, with additional exteriors in Decatur, Griffin and Douglas County.

Why Did The Filmmakers Shoot In Griffin, Georgia?

The driving scenes used Griffin because Atlanta's streets looked too modern for the 1940s to 1970s period depicted in the film. Griffin's public roads retained the older suburban character the production needed.

Was The Synagogue Bombing In The Film Real?

Yes. The Temple, the Atlanta synagogue shown in the film, was bombed in real life in 1958. The film references this actual event, which is part of why the location carries historical weight.

Is There A Guided Tour Of Driving Miss Daisy Locations?

A dedicated tour does not exist, but a 3 hour private Atlanta movie and television locations tour can be customized to include stops connected to the film, including Druid Hills, Little Five Points and the former Werthan factory building.

Driving Miss Daisy remains one of the easiest major films to explore in person. Most of its locations sit within Atlanta itself, walkable or a short drive apart, and the farther stops in Decatur and Griffin reward travelers with a half day. Check access details before visiting, since the house, church and synagogue are living buildings rather than attractions, then build a route that respects both the film and the people who use these places every day.