White stucco Spanish-style apartment building with red tile roof and palms on a Hollywood street.

Where Was Sunset Boulevard Filmed?

Billy Wilder shot his Hollywood noir almost entirely on real Los Angeles locations, from Paramount's stages to a doomed Wilshire mansion.

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The Short Answer

Sunset Boulevard was filmed on location in Los Angeles, California, between April and June 1949. Interiors and backlot scenes were shot at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, while exteriors used sites including the Getty Mansion on South Irving Boulevard, the Alto Nido Apartments, Schwab's Pharmacy, and Bel Air addresses along Sunset Boulevard itself.

Few films are as bound to a city as Sunset Boulevard. Billy Wilder's 1950 portrait of a forgotten silent star was shot almost entirely in the Los Angeles it depicts, with location work around Hollywood, Wilshire, and Bel Air paired with stage interiors at Paramount Pictures. Most of the real-world settings are gone, but several are still standing and easy to find.

The famous mansion is the biggest loss. Built in 1923 for William O. Jenkins and later owned by J. Paul Getty, it stood at 641 S. Irving Boulevard and was demolished in 1957. Paramount added a swimming pool specifically for the film, the pool where Joe Gillis floats in the opening and closing scenes. Visitors today can trace the locations that survive and stand where the story unfolded.

Every Location At A Glance

LocationWhereWhat was filmedAccess
Getty Mansion site (Norma Desmond's mansion)Los AngelesNorma Desmond's mansion exteriors and pool (pool added for film; mansion demolished 1957)Private property
Alto Nido Apartments (Chateau Alto Nido)Los AngelesJoe Gillis's apartment building exteriorsOutside only
Paramount Studios (Bronson Gate and backlot)Los AngelesParamount gate entrance, writers' offices, Stage 18 (Samson and Delilah set), backlot tour scenesTicketed
10060 Sunset Boulevard (driveway gate)Los AngelesNorma Desmond's driveway gateOutside only
Schwab's Pharmacy siteLos AngelesNorma and Joe stop for cigarettes (demolished 1988; now 8000 Sunset Strip Mall)Free to see
Bel-Air Country ClubLos AngelesGolf course scenesPrivate property
Perino's Restaurant siteLos AngelesRestaurant across from tailors where Norma buys Joe clothes (historical site)Closed
Para Sed ApartmentsLos AngelesNearby apartment referenced in context of Hollywood writersOutside only

Filming Locations Map

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

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

Getty Mansion site (Norma Desmond's mansion), Los Angeles
Location 01

Getty Mansion site (Norma Desmond's mansion)

Midtown / Windsor Square, Los Angeles Private property

Filmed here: Norma Desmond's mansion exteriors and pool (pool added for film; mansion demolished 1957)

The exteriors of Norma Desmond's decaying mansion belong to a real house built in 1923 for William O. Jenkins and later owned by J. Paul Getty. Paramount constructed the swimming pool on the property just for the film. The mansion was demolished in 1957, and the site at 641 S. Irving Boulevard in Windsor Square is now occupied by the Harbor Building, Getty headquarters. There is no public access to any original structure.

Alto Nido Apartments (Chateau Alto Nido), Los Angeles
Location 02

Alto Nido Apartments (Chateau Alto Nido)

Hollywood, Los Angeles Outside only

Filmed here: Joe Gillis's apartment building exteriors

Joe Gillis's modest apartment building is one of the film's most intact locations. The Alto Nido still stands in Hollywood near the corner of Franklin and Ivar, and its exterior appears in the film exactly as it looks today. Fans can view it from the street at any time; it remains a private residence, so the appeal is purely the facade that appears on screen.

Paramount Studios (Bronson Gate and backlot), Los Angeles
Location 03

Paramount Studios (Bronson Gate and backlot)

Hollywood, Los Angeles Ticketed

Filmed here: Paramount gate entrance, writers' offices, Stage 18 (Samson and Delilah set), backlot tour scenes

Paramount supplied the film's interiors and self-referential backlot moments, including the famous Bronson Gate entrance, the writers' offices, and Stage 18, where Cecil B. DeMille appears as himself directing Samson and Delilah, a set recreated for accuracy. The studio still operates in Hollywood and offers guided tours that pass the gate and various areas seen in the film. Booking a studio tour is the only way to see the interior grounds.

10060 Sunset Boulevard (driveway gate), Los Angeles
Location 04

10060 Sunset Boulevard (driveway gate)

Bel Air area, Los Angeles Outside only

Filmed here: Norma Desmond's driveway gate

The gate to Norma Desmond's driveway was filmed at a private residence on Sunset Boulevard in the Bel Air area, separate from the mansion used for other exteriors. It is a working private driveway today, so visitors should view it from the public street only and respect residents' privacy. The address remains one of the more direct connections between the film's title and its actual shooting locations.

Schwab's Pharmacy site, Los Angeles
Location 05

Schwab's Pharmacy site

Sunset Strip / West Hollywood, Los Angeles Free to see

Filmed here: Norma and Joe stop for cigarettes (demolished 1988; now 8000 Sunset Strip Mall)

Schwab's Pharmacy at 8024 Sunset Boulevard was a genuine Hollywood landmark where Norma and Joe stop for cigarettes, with a replica interior also built on set. The drugstore was demolished in 1988, and the site is now the 8000 Sunset Strip Mall. Nothing of the original structure survives, but the West Hollywood location is public and easy to combine with a stroll along the Strip.

Bel-Air Country Club, Los Angeles
Location 06

Bel-Air Country Club

Bel Air, Los Angeles Private property

Filmed here: Golf course scenes

The golf course scenes were shot at this private club in Bel Air, close to the driveway gate location on Sunset Boulevard. As a members' club it offers limited public access, so travellers should not expect to walk the grounds. The best option is simply noting the club's position when mapping the nearby filming sites in the Bel Air portion of the route.

Perino's Restaurant site, Los Angeles
Location 07

Perino's Restaurant site

Wilshire, Los Angeles Closed

Filmed here: Restaurant across from tailors where Norma buys Joe clothes (historical site)

Perino's appears in the film as the restaurant across from the tailors where Norma buys Joe new clothes. The historic Wilshire location no longer operates as the original restaurant, making this a site for dedicated completists rather than casual visitors. Its position near the Irving Boulevard mansion site means it can be mapped alongside the film's midtown locations with little extra effort.

Para Sed Apartments, Los Angeles
Location 08

Para Sed Apartments

Hollywood, Los Angeles Outside only

Filmed here: Nearby apartment referenced in context of Hollywood writers

The Para Sed Apartments, a mock Tudor building near the Alto Nido in Hollywood, appears in the context of the film's portrait of struggling writers. It still stands and can be viewed from the street. Since it sits steps from Joe Gillis's apartment building, the two locations pair naturally on a short walking loop through the neighborhood's film history.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

The story is set in Hollywood and Los Angeles, and that is precisely where it was filmed. Unlike productions that double one city for another, Sunset Boulevard used Los Angeles for both its setting and its shooting locations, with location work across Hollywood, midtown Wilshire, West Hollywood, and Bel Air, plus interiors at Paramount Studios.

The Studio Side

Paramount Pictures in Hollywood handled the film's studio work, including the writers' building, the Bronson Gate scenes, Stage 18 with its recreation of the Samson and Delilah set, and backlot sequences. Paramount remains an active studio and welcomes visitors on guided tours, making it the only interior filming site from the film that travellers can properly explore.

Tours That Visit These Locations

One bookable experience covers actual Sunset Boulevard filming ground.

Paramount Studio Tour, On The Lot

Paramount Pictures Studio Tour

Walk through the Bronson Gate that Norma Desmond sweeps past in her return to Paramount, with 91 reviews and access to the working lot where the film's interiors and Stage 18 scenes were shot.

91 reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Still Visit Norma Desmond's Mansion?

No. The Getty Mansion at 641 S. Irving Boulevard was demolished in 1957, several years after filming ended. The site is now occupied by the Harbor Building, Getty headquarters, and there is no public access to any original structure. The swimming pool was built by Paramount specifically for the film and disappeared with the house.

When Was Sunset Boulevard Filmed?

Principal photography ran from April to June 1949, mostly on location in Los Angeles with interiors shot at Paramount Studios. The film was released in 1950.

Is Paramount Studios Open To Visitors?

Yes. Paramount Pictures in Hollywood offers studio tours, and the route includes areas connected to the film such as the Bronson Gate. It is the only interior filming location travellers can visit in person.

What Happened To Schwab's Pharmacy?

Schwab's Pharmacy at 8024 Sunset Boulevard was demolished in 1988. The site is now the 8000 Sunset Strip Mall, so nothing of the original drugstore remains, though the location is publicly accessible.

Where Is Joe Gillis's Apartment Building?

The Alto Nido Apartments in Hollywood still stand and look much as they did in the film. The building is a private residence, so viewing is limited to the exterior from the street.

Can You See The Driveway Gate On Sunset Boulevard?

Yes, from the public street. The gate used for Norma Desmond's driveway sits at 10060 Sunset Boulevard in the Bel Air area. It remains a private residential driveway, so visitors should observe from a distance.

Sunset Boulevard rewards a patient pilgrimage. Paramount's studio tour delivers the working-lot atmosphere Wilder captured, the Alto Nido and Para Sed apartments survive in Hollywood, and the Bel Air gate still fronts the boulevard that gave the film its name. The mansion and Schwab's are gone, but their sites sit within a compact stretch of Los Angeles that keeps the film's geography remarkably intact.

Keep Exploring

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