Catch Me If You Can filming locations span New York, Los Angeles, and Quebec City, where Spielberg recreated a globe-trotting 1960s con.
Catch Me If You Can (2002) follows teenage con artist Frank Abagnale Jr. as he poses as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, lawyer, and whatever else might impress a stranger with a cheque book.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, and Amy Adams, and is based on Abagnale’s 1980 autobiography.
The movie raced through an astonishing 147 filming locations in just 52 days, primarily across New York, California, and Quebec City. And yes, the production moved almost as quickly as Frank whenever an FBI agent appeared.
Table of Contents
🧑🏽✈️ Catch Me If You Can Filming Locations
From airport terminals and grand hotels to a Canadian square masquerading as France, these Catch Me If You Can filming locations prove Spielberg could turn North America into half the world without anyone asking for a passport.
🏙️ New York City, New York
New York supplied the film with many of its most recognisable urban backdrops, including Manhattan streets, Brooklyn landmarks, and the futuristic TWA Flight Center at JFK crafted by Eero Saarinen to capture the abstract “spirit of flight.”
The city helped recreate Frank’s glamorous, increasingly unbelievable East Coast adventures, where confidence, a sharp suit, and an official-looking uniform could apparently open almost any door.
What was filmed here:
- TWA Flight Center: Frank discovers pilot impersonation.
- Park Avenue: Glamorous Manhattan lifestyle exterior sequences.
- Brooklyn Borough Hall: Chase Bank check-forging scenes.
What to see & do here:
- TWA Hotel: Stay at Eero Saarinen‘s iconic terminal.
- Park Avenue: Stroll past classic Manhattan landmarks.
- Brooklyn Borough Hall: Admire grand civic architecture.
🏡 Yonkers & New Rochelle, New York
The suburban New York locations reveal the less glamorous side of Frank’s story, particularly after his family’s fortunes collapse.
Buena Vista Avenue in Yonkers became the cramped apartment replacing the Abagnale’s former lifestyle, while local streets and buildings helped establish the mid-century world from which Frank desperately tries to escape.
What was filmed here:
- Buena Vista Avenue: Abagnale family’s downsized Yonkers apartment.
- Lake Avenue: Carl’s weary laundromat investigation.
- Larkin Park: Now-demolished, used in Washington D.C. square scenes.
What to see & do here:
- Yonkers: Explore Hudson River attractions.
- New Rochelle: Wander Frank’s fictional hometown atmosphere.
Book a tour:
🎓 Pasadena, California
Pasadena played several roles in Frank’s increasingly chaotic coming-of-age story. Rose City High School doubled as New Rochelle High, where he hilariously begins his criminal career by pretending to be a substitute French teacher. A house on East California Boulevard also became Frank’s mother’s home.
Another residence at East Crary Street doubled as the New Orleans home of Brenda Strong‘s wealthy family as Frank tries to settle into something resembling normal life before his engagement celebrations become considerably more complicated.
For a man with several fake careers, domestic bliss was perhaps his boldest disguise.
What was filmed here:
- Rose City High School: Frank’s substitute French teacher scam.
- East California Boulevard: Frank’s mother’s upscale residence.
- East Crary Street: Brenda Strong’s family home.
What to see & do here:
- Old Pasadena: Explore Old Pasadena’s historic streets.
- Rose Bowl: Visit the legendary sporting landmark.
- Norton Simon Museum: See world-class art collections.
- Gamble House: Tour exceptional Arts and Crafts architecture.
Book a tour:
✈️ Ontario International Airport, California
Ontario International Airport, California doubled for Miami International Airport in one of Catch Me If You Can’s most unforgettable escape sequences where Frank arrives in his Pan Am pilot persona surrounded by eight young women dressed as flight attendants.
While the FBI focuses on the unexpected entourage, Frank slips through the airport and boards a flight, turning a carefully staged Pan Am promotional scheme into his latest escape.
What was filmed here:
- Ontario International Airport, Ontario, CA: The Miami airport escape sequence.
What to see & do here:
- Indoor Skydiving Experience: Defy gravity in a state-of-the-art wind tunnel
- Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park, California: Two lakes, fishing, picnicking.
Book a trip:
- ONT Ontario International Airport: Aspire Lounge Access
- Ontario, CA: Private Airport Transfer From/to Ontario area
🏦 Union Station, Los Angeles
Los Angeles Union Station became the Miami Mutual Bank, where Frank confidently charms bank teller Lucy while cashing a fraudulent cheque. Its dramatic architecture was ideal for a scene built on polished confidence and impending disaster.
What was filmed here:
- Union Station: Miami Mutual Bank fraud scene
What to see & do here:
- Union Station: Admire its Art Deco interiors.
- Olvera Street: Explore historic Los Angeles nearby.
- Chinatown: Eat and wander colourful streets.
Book a tour:
- Private Hollywood & Downtown Sightseeing Tour with a Local
- Hollywood: Ghost Hunt Tour with a Paranormal Investigator
🏨 The Hollywood Roosevelt, Los Angeles
The rear entrance of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Hawthorn Avenue became the exterior of the Tropicana Motel where Frank makes a narrow escape through the back door while Carl closes in.
Naturally, even a quick getaway in this film requires a little Old Hollywood glamour and excellent timing.
What was filmed here:
- Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel: Tropicana Motel escape exterior.
What to see & do here:
- Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel: Legendary Hollywood Boulevard history.
- TCL Chinese Theatre: Visit the famous forecourt.
- Hollywood Walk of Fame: Find cinematic stars.
Book a tour:
🏛️ The Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles
The now-demolished Ambassador Hotel pulled double duty as both a New York and Miami hotel. Frank peels stickers from miniature model aeroplanes to create fake Pan Am payroll cheques and later has a memorable hallway encounter with a high-profile model.
Even Spielberg’s locations were apparently skilled at identity theft.
What was filmed here:
- Ambassador Hotel: Hallway encounter with model & fake Pan Am cheque operation.
What to see & do here:
- Wilshire Boulevard: Explore historic LA corridors.
- LACMA: Browse major art collections.
- The Grove & Original Farmer’s Market: Shop and dine nearby.
Book a tour:
- Los Angeles: The Wilshire Boulevard Segway Tour
- LACMA Art Tour with an Art Specialist & Griffith Sunset
- Gourmet Farmers Market & Fairfax Food & Walking Tour
💃 The Ebell of Los Angeles
The Fine Arts Auditorium at the Ebell of Los Angeles became the ballroom of the Tamiami Resort Hotel where Frank auditions and recruits eight young flight attendants.
This created the famous entourage that later helps him walk straight past the FBI at the airport. Recruitment has rarely looked this suspiciously glamorous.
The venue also has a fascinating real-life connection – Amelia Earhart gave her final public speech here.
What was filmed here:
- The Ebell of Los Angeles: Flight-attendant audition ballroom.
What to see & do here:
- The Ebell: Admire its historic architecture.
- Larchmont Village: Browse independent shops and cafés.
- Wilshire District: Explore nearby cultural landmarks.
- Academy Museum of Motion Pictures: Trace the evolution of filmmaking.
Book a tour:
- Los Angeles: The Wilshire Boulevard Segway Tour
- Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Ticket in Los Angeles
🕵️ Downey, California
The former North American Aviation Downey Plant in Downey was transformed into the FBI offices where Carl Hanratty and his team study bank routing codes and coordinate their pursuit of Frank.
The site also has a remarkable piece of aerospace history – it was the birthplace of major U.S. space milestones, including the X-15 rocket plane, the Apollo command and service modules, and structural components for the Space Shuttle fleet.
Its industrial setting gave the investigators a convincing headquarters, where mountains of paperwork battled one teenager with an astonishing amount of nerve.
What was filmed here:
- North American Aviation Downey Plant: FBI investigation headquarters interiors.
What to see & do here:
- Columbia Memorial Space Center: Explore aerospace history.
- Downey Theatre: Catch a local performance.
- Downtown Downey: Browse shops and restaurants.
⛓️ Alcatraz Island, San Francisco
Alcatraz provided the grim prison interiors used for the French jail where Frank is temporarily held before Carl escorts him away.
The notorious former prison needed little help looking bleak, proving that some locations arrive with their own production design department. Spielberg simply had to point the camera and let the cells do the depressing work.
What was filmed here:
- Alcatraz Prison: Frank’s French prison confinement.
What to see & do here:
- Alcatraz Island: Tour the former federal prison.
- Fisherman’s Wharf: Explore waterfront attractions.
- SkyStar Wheel: Private ride in a fully enclosed gondola.
- Golden Gate Bridge: San Francisco’s famous landmark.
Book a tour:
- San Francisco: Alcatraz Ticket, Ferry, & Self-Guided App
- San Francisco: Alcatraz Night Ticket with North Beach Tour
- Alcatraz Island Prison Tour & Bay Cruise Combined Package
- Fisherman’s Wharf Hidden Gems Tour + Golden Gate Bay Cruise
🏙️ Orange, New Jersey
Orange, New Jersey, supplied various urban streets and banking backdrops that helped flesh out the film’s East Coast world and support the movie’s shifting 1960s geography.
What was filmed here:
- Orange, New Jersey: East Coast street & banking centre background scenes.
What to see & do here:
- Orange, New Jersey: Explore historic Essex County.
- South Orange, New Jersey: Visit shops and restaurants.
- Thomas Edison National Historical Park: Discover inventor history.
⛪ Québec City, Québec
Place Royale and the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church in Old Québec doubled as Montrichard, France, for the dramatic climax where Carl confronts a frantic Frank at a print shop before persuading him outside into the waiting arms of French police.
The real Frank Abagnale Jr. also makes an ironic cameo here as one of the officers arresting his cinematic counterpart.
What was filmed here:
- Place Royale: Arrest and print-shop climax in Montrichard, France.
- Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church: French town square backdrop.
What to see & do here:
- Place Royale: Photograph Old Québec‘s historic square.
- Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church: Visit the landmark church.
- Old Québec: Wander UNESCO-listed cobbled streets.
Book a tour:
- Quebec City: Old Quebec Historical Walking Tour
- Quebec City: Old Quebec Classic Walking Tour with Funicular
- Quebec: Old Quebec City Food Tour with 10+ Local Tastings
❓ Catch Me If You Can FAQs
Here are the answers for anyone who watched Frank bluff his way across the globe and immediately started questioning every résumé they have ever seen.
Who directed Catch Me If You Can?
Steven Spielberg directed Catch Me If You Can, bringing Frank’s globe-trotting story to the screen with an impressive combination of period detail, comedy, and increasingly stressed FBI agents.
Who’s in the Catch Me If You Can cast?
- Leonardo DiCaprio: Frank Abagnale Jr.
- Christopher Walken: Frank Abagnale Sr.
- Tom Hanks: Carl Hanratty
- Martin Sheen: Roger Strong
- Nathalie Baye: Paula Abagnale
- Amy Adams: Brenda Strong
- James Brolin: Jack Barnes
What’s the Catch Me If You Can true story?
The film is based on Frank Abagnale Jr.‘s autobiography, Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake, but modern investigations suggest his biggest con may have been convincing the world his extraordinary story was true.
Did the real Frank Abagnale Jr. pretend to be a pilot?
Frank Abagnale Jr. did obtain a Pan Am pilot uniform and impersonate a pilot, although many of his broader claims about his exploits have since been disputed.
Is Carl Hanratty a real FBI agent?
No. Carl Hanratty is fictional, but the character was loosely based on FBI Special Agent Joseph Shea, whose real name was changed at his request.
Does the real Frank Abagnale appear in the movie?
Yes. Frank Abagnale Jr. makes a brief cameo as one of the French police officers who arrests Leonardo DiCaprio’s version of him during the film’s Québec-shot climax. Talk about literally taking yourself into custody.
How many locations were used for filming?
Spielberg filmed Catch Me If You Can across 147 locations in just 52 days, a production schedule almost as frantic as Carl’s pursuit of Frank.
What year was Catch Me If You Can released?
Catch Me If You Can was released in 2002 and became both a critical and commercial success.
Is there a Catch Me If You Can musical?
Yes. Catch Me If You Can was later adapted into a stage musical, with music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and a book by Terrence McNally.
Is there a Catch Me If You Can 2?
No official sequel to the 2002 film exists, so Frank’s cinematic résumé remains a one-movie operation.
What are some movies like Catch Me If You Can?
- The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999): Identity games with dangerous consequences.
- Ocean’s Eleven (2001): Stylish criminals plan impossible casino heist.
- American Hustle (2013): Con artists improvise through corruption.
- The Sting (1973): Classic grifters engineer elaborate revenge scam.
- War Dogs (2016): Ambitious hustlers chase government contracts.
- The Wolf of Wall Street (2013): Excess, fraud, and spectacular self-destruction.
What books did Frank Abagnale Jr. write?
Curious about con artists, identity theft, and how to avoid being scammed? These books by Frank Abagnale Jr. are worth adding to your reading list:
- Catch Me If You Can: A legendary con artist’s autobiography.
- Stealing Your Life: Practical protection against identity theft.
- Scam Me If You Can: Outsmart today’s most common scams.
- The Art of the Steal: Protect yourself against fraud.
📺 Where to Watch Catch Me If You Can
Where can I watch Catch Me If You Can on streaming? Here’s where to find this slick, globe-trotting cat-and-mouse caper.
From a vacant airport terminal to a Canadian square pretending to be France, Catch Me If You Can turns its filming locations into one more expertly crafted illusion, and fortunately, this one really is worth believing.
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is provided for entertainment purposes only. We don’t guarantee the accuracy of any of these facts and don’t recommend making important life decisions based on them. All referenced titles, names, and related intellectual property are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.
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