The Marvel sequel shot for months in North Carolina, with stops in Miami, Malibu, and Los Angeles that fans can still find.
Iron Man 3 was filmed primarily at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina, with location work in nearby Rose Hill, Kenansville, and Oak Island. Additional scenes were shot in Miami, Florida, including Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, plus Los Angeles, Malibu, and Santa Clarita, California. The production stayed in Wilmington about eight months.
The story sends Tony Stark to Malibu, Tennessee, Miami, and Switzerland, but the cameras rolled mostly in North Carolina. Marvel based the production at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington from May 23 to December 17, 2012, drawn by a 25 percent tax incentive and ample stage space, making it one of the largest productions in state history at the time.
Fans can still visit several of the real spots, from an Italianate villa in Miami that played the villain's mansion to a small North Carolina town that doubled for Tennessee. Some sites are public, some are private, and a few have changed since filming wrapped.
| Location | Where | What was filmed | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vizcaya Museum & Gardens | Miami | Killian's mansion exterior and grounds | Ticketed |
| TCL Chinese Theatre | Los Angeles | Grauman's Chinese Theatre explosion scene with Happy Hogan | Free to see |
| Blue Cloud Movie Ranch | Santa Clarita | Ten Rings town / terrorist camp propaganda video | Private property |
| Epic Games Office | Cary | Stark Industries headquarters office scenes | Private property |
| Rose Hill | Rose Hill | Harley Keener's house, Rocky Top bar/diner, main street scenes (standing in for Tennessee) | Free to see |
| Kenan Memorial Auditorium / Kenansville | Kenansville | Miss Chattanooga Christmas Pageant / Hamilton County Memorial Hall | Ticketed |
| Point Dume & Westward Beach | Malibu | Establishing shots for Tony Stark's Malibu house (CGI added) | Free to see |
| Dania Beach Bar & Grill | Dania Beach | Neptune’s Net lunch scene with Rhodey (panic attack) | Outside only |
| Oak Island | Oak Island | Aerial drops and skydiving sequences for Air Force One rescue over Miami | Free to see |
| EUE/Screen Gems Studios | Wilmington | Majority of interior and many exterior scenes including Stark house interiors, Port of Wilmington tanker battle | Private property |
10 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Florida, Miami Ticketed
Filmed here: Killian's mansion exterior and grounds
This historic Italianate estate on Biscayne Bay served as the exterior and grounds of Killian's mansion. It is a public museum open daily except Tuesdays, and tickets are required. Visitors can wander the same formal gardens and waterfront terraces seen in the film, making it one of the most accessible Iron Man 3 locations anywhere. It sits in Miami, Florida.
California, Los Angeles Free to see
Filmed here: Grauman's Chinese Theatre explosion scene with Happy Hogan
The famous Hollywood Boulevard theater stood in for itself in the explosion scene involving Happy Hogan. The landmark remains an active movie house on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, with exterior views free to anyone walking by, and guided tours of the theater are available. Fans of the film can recognize the forecourt where the chaos unfolds.
California, Santa Clarita Private property
Filmed here: Ten Rings town / terrorist camp propaganda video
This private ranch in Santa Clarita, California, hosted the Ten Rings town used for the terrorist camp propaganda video. It is a working filming location with standing sets, and it is not open to the public, so there is no way to visit independently. Travelers hoping to see it will need to catch it on screen or look for occasional industry events.
North Carolina, Cary Private property
Filmed here: Stark Industries headquarters office scenes
The Stark Industries headquarters office scenes were shot inside the Epic Games office in Cary, North Carolina. It remains a corporate office and is not open to the public. There is nothing for tourists to experience inside, though film buffs passing through the Raleigh area may enjoy knowing a slice of Stark Industries lives in a suburban tech campus.
North Carolina, Rose Hill Free to see
Filmed here: Harley Keener's house, Rocky Top bar/diner, main street scenes (standing in for Tennessee)
This small North Carolina town stood in for Rose Hill, Tennessee, appearing as Harley Keener's home turf. The production updated the main street and converted buildings into sets, including the Rocky Top bar and diner, and occupied the town for months. Many exteriors were filmed on public streets, including spots like 100 Wells Town Road, so fans can freely walk the same sidewalks.
North Carolina, Kenansville Ticketed
Filmed here: Miss Chattanooga Christmas Pageant / Hamilton County Memorial Hall
The auditorium in Kenansville, North Carolina, played Hamilton County Memorial Hall during the Miss Chattanooga Christmas Pageant sequence. It is a public venue, and visitors should check the events calendar before going, since access depends on what is scheduled. The building sits a short drive from Rose Hill, so the two locations pair well on one trip.
California, Malibu Free to see
Filmed here: Establishing shots for Tony Stark's Malibu house (CGI added)
This state beach in Malibu, California, provided establishing shots for Tony Stark's clifftop house, with the residence itself added by CGI. The area is publicly accessible and popular for hiking and coastal views. Fans should not expect to find the actual house, which never existed, but the dramatic headland scenery that framed it is real and easy to reach.
Florida, Dania Beach Outside only
Filmed here: Neptune’s Net lunch scene with Rhodey (panic attack)
This former restaurant in Dania Beach, Florida, stood in for Neptune's Net during the lunch scene where Rhodey talks Tony through a panic attack. Sadly for fans, the restaurant has since closed, and only the exterior was used for filming. Visitors can still see the building from outside, but there is no longer a meal to be had there.
North Carolina, Oak Island Free to see
Filmed here: Aerial drops and skydiving sequences for Air Force One rescue over Miami
The beach and coastal areas of Oak Island, North Carolina, hosted the aerial drops and skydiving sequences for the Air Force One rescue, which the film sets over Miami. The production used real Red Bull skydivers with custom parachutes and a 160-foot zipline rig over the Cape Fear River. The island's beaches are public and open for recreation year-round.
North Carolina, Wilmington Private property
Filmed here: Majority of interior and many exterior scenes including Stark house interiors, Port of Wilmington tanker battle
The majority of interior scenes and many exteriors were shot at this Wilmington studio, including the Stark house interiors and the Port of Wilmington tanker battle. The facility, now operating as Cinespace Wilmington, is a working studio with no public access or tours at present. Fans can only view it from the outside, if at all.
The film is set in Malibu and Los Angeles, Miami, Rose Hill in Tennessee, and Bern, Switzerland, but almost none of it was shot in those exact places. North Carolina carried the heaviest load: Wilmington stood in for multiple cities, Rose Hill NC doubled for Rose Hill TN, and the New Year's Eve party supposedly in Bern was filmed at the private Cape Fear Club in Wilmington. Miami, Los Angeles, and Malibu scenes were partly shot in the real cities.
EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, now Cinespace Wilmington, was the production's home base for roughly eight months. Marvel chose it over Los Angeles thanks to a 25 percent tax incentive and the large amount of stage space. The studio is not visitable, and no public tours are currently offered, so it remains a behind-the-fences landmark for fans.
No tour covers Iron Man 3 locations exclusively, but several general film and TV tours stop at places seen in the movie. These are the options that fit best.
Los Angeles: Hollywood Film Freak Movie Locations Tour
A 49.99 USD Los Angeles movie locations tour rated 4.5 from 39 reviews, visiting Hollywood sites connected to the film, including the TCL Chinese Theatre area.
Wilmywood Movie and TV Location Walk Tour
A walking tour of Wilmington's Historic District and Riverwalk, the city where Iron Man 3 was based for months, covering movie and TV sites along the way. It currently has 3 reviews.
Miami: Film and TV Tour with Vizcaya Museum Entry
This Miami film and TV tour includes entry to Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, the real-life setting of Killian's mansion, plus a stop at Miami Beach from the explosion scene, for 118 USD per person.
Miami Film and TV Locations Tour with Optional Vizcaya Museum
A Miami film and TV locations tour that visits Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, with the museum visit offered as an optional add-on for those who want flexibility.
Marvel based the production in Wilmington because of a 25 percent tax incentive and the large studio space at EUE/Screen Gems Studios. The production stayed about eight months, from May 23 to December 17, 2012.
No. EUE/Screen Gems Studios, now Cinespace Wilmington, is a working studio with no public access and no tours currently offered.
The house does not exist. Establishing shots used Point Dume and Westward Beach in Malibu, and the residence itself was created with CGI. The beach and headland are publicly accessible.
No. Rose Hill, North Carolina stood in for the Tennessee town. The production revamped the main street and converted buildings into sets for months, and much of it can still be seen on public streets.
Yes. Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in Miami is open daily except Tuesdays and requires tickets. It served as Killian's mansion exterior and grounds in the film.
The New Year's Eve flashback was shot at the private Cape Fear Club in Wilmington, North Carolina, not in Switzerland.
North Carolina holds the biggest share of Iron Man 3 history, even though the story barely mentions the state. Travelers who want to stand in the film's footsteps should prioritize Vizcaya in Miami, the public streets of Rose Hill, and Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, since the studio itself stays off limits.
Before You Go
The tours travellers book most for Iron Man 3.
