Where The First Movie Was Filmed
Olivia Owen A Nightmare on Elm Street was filmed in the idyllic suburbs of Los Angeles, chosen by Wes Craven for their stark contrast to Freddy's nightmares.
The first A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) movie was filmed on location in and around Los Angeles, California—the adoptive home of the mastermind behind the film, Wes Craven. It was also filmed on soundstages that were once part of Desilu Studios, where I Love Lucy and many other iconic television shows were filmed. All of the filming locations discussed here still exist and can be visited, with the exception of private residences, which can be viewed from the outside.
The film was originally intended to be set in Los Angeles, though this is never mentioned until the first sequel, where it was changed to Craven's true home state of Ohio—he originally hails from Cleveland—although in a fictional town called Springwood. Naturally, the fictional town has a lot of things in common with the idyllic suburban landscapes of Los Angeles where the movie was shot, including palm trees, canals, and the blend of diverse architectural styles typical of the city.
The most iconic filming location of the movie is Nancy Thompson's (Heather Langenkamp) home at the titular 1428 Elm Street, which is also the home of other protagonists in the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series and is a perennial hunting ground for the series' equally iconic antagonist, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). The fictional 1428 Elm Street in Springwood, Ohio, is a private residence in real life, located at 1428 North Genesee Avenue, near West Hollywood.
Where A Nightmare on Elm Street Was Filmed
The filming locations of A Nightmare on Elm Street are spread widely throughout Los Angeles and environs; however, many are located near one another, in Venice, California, for example: Tina's (Amanda Wyss) house and backstreet is a private residence located at 620 Milwood Avenue; the house Nancy passes on the way to school is a private residence located at 1622 Glyndon Avenue; the intersection where Rod (Jsu Garcia) is arrested is at Glyndon Avenue and Morningside Way; and the bridge where Nancy walks with Glen is the bridge that connects Linnie Canal Court and Court C over the Linnie Canal. Likewise, Nancy's house at 1428 North Genesee Avenue is right across the street from Glen's (Johnny Depp), which is also a private residence and is located at 1419 North Genesee Avenue, near West Hollywood.
The rest of the locations are more distant from one another: the exterior of the Springwood Police Station was filmed at the Cahuenga Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library and is located at 4591 Santa Monica Boulevard in East Hollywood; the exterior of Springwood High School was filmed at John Marshall High School, located at 3939 Tracy Street in Los Feliz. Leonardo DiCaprio attended John Marshall, and it was a filming location for original Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992). The interiors of Springwood High School and the Springwood Police Station were shot at John Burroughs Middle School, once attended by Tyra Banks, located at 600 South McCadden Place.
The cemetery where Rod was buried is the Evergreen Memorial Park & Crematory, located at 204 North Evergreen Avenue; the film's Katja Institute for the Study of Sleep Disorders, where Nancy went for treatment, is the American Jewish University, located at 15600 Mulholland Drive, in remote Bel-Air; and the famous boiler room scenes were shot at the Lincoln Heights Jail, located at 421 North Avenue 19 in Lincoln Heights, near Downtown LA. It's not certain exactly why Wes Craven chose these specific locations for the film; however, it is obvious that he chose the picturesque streets and suburbs of Los Angeles to create a contrast with Freddy Krueger's hellish dreamscapes in A Nightmare on Elm Street.
