“The Big Lebowski,” one of the great comedies of the Coen Brothers, shot all around the greater Los Angeles area. Several of the movie locations are surprisingly difficult to gain access to however, so if you’re a fan of the film and want to check out the places where it was shot, just be aware it may be a more difficult process than you’d expect.
First, we start with the apartment of The Dude, played famously by Jeff Bridges. The exterior apartment complex can be found in Venice, while the interiors were shot on a sound stage. The complex has since been renovated, but still bears some resemblance to how it appeared in the film. The entrance is gated with a tall hedges along the street, making views difficult.
LOCATION: 606 Venezia Ave, Venice, CA 90291
Here is a wider view of the apartment from the street.
The apartment complex across the street can also be seen in the film. This complex is frequently mistaken as being The Dude’s.
LOCATION: 609 Venezia Ave, Venice, CA 90291
Just outside of the apartments on Venezia Ave, looking down toward Zeno Pl, you’ll see where The Dude confronts Da Fino, the brother shamus.
LOCATION: Venezia Ave, Venice, CA 90291 (in front of The Dude’s apartment)
The famous bowling alley in the film no longer exists. It was the Hollywood Star Lanes, formerly located at 5227 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029. The building was torn down in 2002 to make way for a children’s elementary school.
The Big Lebowski’s mansion consisted of two locations. The exterior was shot at 10231 Charing Cross Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90024. It is a private, gated property, not visible from the street and has since been completely remodeled. The interior of the mansion is the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. The City of Beverly Hills actually owns the property, which is routinely used for filming. The outside grounds are open to the public, but getting inside is more difficult. Due to hosting productions and private events on a regular basis, only a few times a year does the city open the inside up for public viewing. It can be done if you are patient and keep an eye out for these select dates, however.
Inside the Greystone Mansion, this wall is where The Dude talks with Brandt, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, and looks at all of The Big Lebowski’s awards and achievements, including his “Little Lebowski Urban Achievers.” It’s known as the “Breakfast Room” inside the mansion.
LOCATION: Greystone Mansion, 905 Loma Vista Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Brandt is seen walking these hallways of Greystone Mansion several times in the film, as are The Dude and Walter, played by John Goodman.
Another famous location inside of Greystone Mansion; The Dude talks to the distraught Big Lebowski in front of this fireplace, where The Dude is hired to find the kidnapped Bunny Lebowski.
The very same room was used in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood,” as Daniel Plainview’s office, where his son visits him late in the film. It was also seen in “Air Force One” and “Flowers In The Attic.” A little tip for Lebowski fans, this room can usually be seen without access inside the Greystone Mansion. If you go to the front of the building and look through the windows, usually there are no curtains and this room, which is on the ground level, left of the main windows, can be seen. The hallway Brandt walks down can also be seen through a doorway window, just around the corner to the left of this room, near the fish pond. Only the Urban Achievers room truly requires access inside the mansion to be seen.
Walter accompanies The Dude on a money drop at this bridge, but things don’t go as planned. It is portrayed as a wooden bridge in the film, but this was set decoration added by the production.
LOCATION: Torrey Rd, Fillmore, CA 93015 (GPS coordinates: 34°23’40.9″N, 118°47’55.3″W
The coffee shop where Walter tells dude he can “get you a toe by 3 o’clock… with nail polish” is Johnie’s Coffee Shop Restaurant in midtown Los Angeles. The restaurant actually closed many years ago, but still operates as a filming location. It has appeared in “Reservoir Dogs,” “American History X,” “Miracle Mile,” “Gone in Sixty Seconds” and many more.
LOCATION: 6099 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
The Dude, Walter and Donny pay a visit to Larry Sellers’ house, “near the In-N-Out Burger.” It’s in front of this home that Walter destroys the red corvette. Today, the home is partially obscured by trees.
LOCATION: 1824 Stearns Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90035
Late in the film, The Dude pays a visit to Jackie Treehorn’s house. In the film, the property is shown as being right on the beach. Those beach scenes were filmed at Point Dume in Malibu. In reality, however, the house is located in the hills of Benedict Canyon, nowhere near the beach. It’s the Sheats-Goldstein House, one of the most unique and famous houses in Los Angeles. It’s actually located just above Cielo Dr, where the Manson Family’s infamous murder of Sharon Tate and four others took place. The house regularly hosts photo shoots for models and at one time even allowed porn shoots. In 2016, the property was donated to LACMA, which hosts occasional events there. The house is tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac, down a long, private drive and is not visible from the street. Unless you are a professional photographer or model, the only way to get onto the property is most likely, similar to Greystone Mansion, to keep your eyes peeled for a rare, public invitation.
LOCATION: 10104 Angelo View Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
The German nihilists order pancakes at Dinah’s Cafe in Culver City, where it is revealed the woman, played by Aimee Mann, has severed her toe. The same restaurant has also appeared in such films as “Nightcrawler” and “The Limey.”
LOCATION: 6521 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Related articles: Fargo (1996), No Country For Old Men (2007), Hail, Caesar! (2016)
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