Florida movie filming locations
Intro
Florida has quietly hosted more Florida movie filming locations than most travelers realize, and a lot of them are still standing exactly as the cameras left them. This isn’t just about driving past a generic Miami skyline that “looks like” something from TV. You can snorkel the same reef James Bond swam through, order coffee at the market from The Truman Show, or walk the exact Art Deco district that made Miami Vice iconic. This guide skips the vague “explore the vibe” advice and points you toward specific parks, streets, and buildings across the state, organized by region so you’re not zigzagging across Florida chasing one scene at a time.
Silver Springs: Where Bond and a Sea Monster Shared a Set
Silver Springs State Park near Ocala has some of the clearest natural springs in Florida, which is exactly why film crews kept coming back for decades.
Underwater crews shot creature sequences here for the 1954 classic Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the same crystal-clear water later stood in for ocean scenes in two Bond films, Thunderball (1965) and Moonraker (1979).
How to See It Yourself
Book the park’s Glass Bottom Boat Tour, since the captains point out the exact spots used for underwater filming, including Thunderball’s climactic fight scene.
Key West and the Florida Keys: 007’s Favorite Backlot
Key West shows up repeatedly across decades of Florida filming locations, most famously in the 1989 Bond film Licence to Kill.
The opening wedding scene was filmed at the Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea, and a private home on South Street stood in as Felix Leiter’s house for the reception. Both are still there today.
Bahia Honda and the Seven Mile Bridge
Further down the Keys, Bahia Honda State Park’s turquoise water and historic bridge also appear in Licence to Kill, while the Seven Mile Bridge near Marathon has starred in True Lies, Speed 2: Cruise Control, and Licence to Kill as well. You can still park and walk a surviving stretch of the old bridge.
Islamorada’s Netflix Moment
If you’re more of a streaming person than a Bond person, Islamorada is where Netflix filmed Bloodline. The Moorings Village and Spa, along with the town’s marinas, are the real-life backdrop.
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Miami Beach: Still the Same Neon Dream
Ocean Drive’s pastel Art Deco hotels are the reason Miami Vice looked the way it did, and the street hasn’t lost that character. Early morning or late afternoon light gives you the closest match to the show’s signature glow.
A few blocks over, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective filmed at the Cameo Theater and the Campton Apartments, both still standing on South Beach and easy to walk to from Ocean Drive.
Tampa Bay: Edward Scissorhands’ Suburban Streets
If you head northwest from Miami, about three and a half hours by car, Tampa Bay’s suburbs quietly played the pastel neighborhood in Edward Scissorhands.
Scenes were shot around Lutz and Lakeland, and while the houses have since been repainted in less cartoonish colors, the street layout and the neighborhood feel are unmistakably the same as what’s on screen.
The Space Coast: Real Rockets, Real Drama
Armageddon leaned on the real thing for its 1998 launch sequence, filming exterior shots at an actual shuttle launch at Kennedy Space Center, plus a pre-launch farewell scene at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Titusville.
Both sites are open to the public today, and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex makes an easy day trip from Orlando if you’re already in Central Florida.
Seaside: The Truman Show’s Too-Perfect Town
The Florida Panhandle town of Seaside was practically made for The Truman Show, which used its unnaturally tidy streets and pastel houses as the entire point of the film’s satire.
Modica Market and the Tupelo Street Gazebo are both still active and easy to find, and walking through town now feels less like satire and more like a genuinely nice place to grab lunch.
St. Augustine: History Doubling as a Movie Set
About 45 minutes south of Jacksonville, St. Augustine has shown up in productions including Key Largo and The Legend of Tarzan, largely thanks to the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the continental US.
Because the fort and the old town are genuinely historic rather than built for film, this stop works whether or not you care about the movie connection at all.
Orlando: More Than Theme Park Cameos
Beyond the parks themselves, Bring It On: In It to Win It filmed entirely at Universal Orlando Resort, using Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, CityWalk, and the resort’s Hard Rock Hotel.
Some attractions from that era, like Jaws: The Ride, are long gone, but Three Broomsticks now sits where the Enchanted Oak Tavern used to be, so you can still trace the old footprint through today’s Wizarding World.
Filming Locations by Region
| Region | Featured In | Real Spot to Visit |
|---|---|---|
| Ocala/Silver Springs | Creature from the Black Lagoon, Thunderball, Moonraker | Silver Springs State Park |
| Key West | Licence to Kill | Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea |
| Lower Keys | Licence to Kill, True Lies, Speed 2 | Bahia Honda State Park, Seven Mile Bridge |
| Islamorada | Bloodline | The Moorings Village and Spa |
| Miami Beach | Miami Vice, Ace Ventura | Ocean Drive, Cameo Theater |
| Tampa Bay | Edward Scissorhands | Lutz and Lakeland neighborhoods |
| Space Coast | Armageddon | Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral |
| Seaside | The Truman Show | Modica Market, Tupelo Street Gazebo |
| St. Augustine | Key Largo, Legend of Tarzan | Castillo de San Marcos |
| Orlando | Bring It On: In It to Win It | Universal Orlando Resort |
Planning a Multi-Region Trip
Florida’s size catches a lot of travelers off guard. Miami to St. Augustine is roughly a five-hour drive, and the Keys add another few hours south of Miami, so trying to hit everything on this list in one trip means a lot of windshield time.
Pick one cluster instead. South Florida and the Keys pair naturally together, while Orlando, the Space Coast, and St. Augustine make a solid Central Florida loop without much backtracking.
Frequently
Asked Questions
Most of the spots in this guide are public parks, historic sites, or open commercial areas, so you can visit them freely. A few, like private homes used briefly for exteriors, are best viewed from the street.
The Florida Keys, especially Key West and Bahia Honda State Park, cover the most Bond history thanks to Licence to Kill.
Yes. Seaside was the primary filming location, and landmarks like Modica Market and the Tupelo Street Gazebo are still open today.
Quite far. Miami to the Space Coast is about three hours, and Miami to St. Augustine is close to five, so most travelers focus on one region per trip.
For nearly all of them, yes. Public transit is limited outside Miami and Orlando, and several sites, like the Seven Mile Bridge and Silver Springs, are only practical to reach by car.