The Lady Bird Guide to Sacramento
First thing, if you haven't see the movie Lady Bird you NEED to watch it. I'll admit, I was hesitant at first because it didn't seem like my type of movie. But let me tell you, it didn't break the Rotten Tomatoes record for best score for nothing. In case you've been out of the loop, the film won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture and was nominated for a slew of Oscars. The cinematography is so smooth and enjoyable to watch, it seriously felt like a calming lullaby.
Top 10 Sacramento Lady Bird Filming Locations
Almost the entire film takes place in Sacramento and it has been dubbed "a love letter to the city." We just recently moved to Sacramento a few months ago and I am still very much exploring and discovering our new city. Watching this movie made me really fall in love and gave me so many ideas of places to visit when playing tourist in my own city.
1. The Blue House - Lady Bird's dream home is this stunning blue mansion (see photos) located in "Fabulous Forties" neighborhood of East Sacramento. Long considered one of the city’s most fashionable neighborhoods, it makes for a delightful stroll with hints of an older era of elegance and privilege. The streets are lined with Colonial and Tudor homes which appear several times in the film and quite honestly are even more stunning in real life. The blue house from the film is located on the 1200 block of 44th Street in East Sacramento.
2. Gunther's Ice Cream Shop - I cannot emphasize the popularity of this spot enough. The first time we attempted to get ice cream at Gunther's, the line was wrapped around the block with eager patrons. Plan ahead and try to find a quiet time to visit!
3. McKinley Rose Garden - Located at 3255 H St., this sprawling garden has over 1,200 rose bushes. The movie scenes where Lady Bird is running through the garden with her crush are what all teenage love stories strive to be.
4. Tower Theatre - While Lady Bird's popularity has soared nationwide after received multiple Oscar nominations, it still remains a local affair. Greta Gerwig held a local screening of the film at the Tower Theatre and her Sacramento childhood friends and family attended the showing. Clips of the iconic neon signs appear in the film as an ode to this local favorite.
5. Thrift Town - Thrift Town publicly announced: "We’re proud as punch of Lady Bird and Greta Girwig! We so enjoyed being part of this Lady Bird journey with Greta, movie-goers, the Academy Awards and Sacramento locals." We all know what a huge fan I am of thrifting and I really love the shopping scenes inside the thrift shop, Lady Bird had two scenes filmed at the 410 El Camino Sacramento Store.
6. American Market & Deli - Remember the scene where Lady Bird turns 18 years old and buys a Playgirl, cigarettes and a lottery ticket? Store co-owner Gurpreet Singh has become a local celebrity after his role in the film and can often be found posing for photos with Lady Bird fans. You can visit Gurpreet at 2331 N St. in Midtown, Sacramento.
7. The Rivers - The first night we ever spent in our home in Sacramento was Labor Day weekend last year and let me tell you, it was HOT! The temperature hit a high of 113 degrees and we quickly learned that the only escape from the sweltering heat was to go swimming in one of the many rivers running through Sacramento. "Floating" as the locals call it is probably the most popular summer past time in Sacramento. There are multiple shots of the rivers in the film and it always reminds me of summer days.
8. Railroad Tracks - Sacramento is one of the few modern cities with a very active railroad and it definitely adds old-time character. Lady Bird mentions in the film that she's from the "wrong side of the train tracks" and the irony in the film is that there are literal train tracks dividing the city. Along with the working train lines, visitors and locals alike can book a scenic afternoon riding the tracks in the cutest train cars through gold country.
9. Tower Bridge - The most prominent and eye-catching structure in Sacramento has to be the two gold towers on the Tower Bridge which bridges over the Sacramento River. The Tower Bridge serves as the backdrop for one of the most pivotal scenes in Lady Bird, and the symbolism of the grandeur of the bridge to the turning point in Lady Bird is not lost on me. While San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is named as such, the Tower Bridge is the truly glistening gold.
10. Tree-Lined Streets - One of the first things I noticed when we moved to Sacramento was the plethora of trees with colorful foliage scattered all over the city. California is mostly known as an "evergreen" state with year-round green leaves, but Sacramento is an exception. We have bold and colorful leaves in autumn with saturated shades of reds and orange. While the trees make subtle appearances in the film, they are still able to create a moody ambiance which sets the tone for the film.
