Where Was Forrest Gump Filmed? Savannah, South Carolina and Beyond

Forrest Gump (1994, directed by Robert Zemeckis) was filmed mostly in Savannah, Georgia, and the South Carolina Lowcountry, with extra stops in Washington, D.C., Vermont, Maine, California and the western mountains for the cross-country run. This guide covers 15 filming locations, the scene shot at each, and what to expect when you visit. Exact pins are in the Go On Set app. The stops below start with the Savannah bench and work outward.

In this guide

Bus Stop

The bench scene was shot at Chippewa Square in the heart of Savannah's historic district. A bronze statue of General James Oglethorpe stands at its centre, and the Savannah Theatre and First Baptist Church face the square. Here Forrest (Tom Hanks) waits for his bus and tells a nurse (Rebecca Williams) his life story, offering her a chocolate and delivering the "life is like a box of chocolates" line. The bench was a prop. The original now sits in the Savannah History Museum, so the square is worth seeing for the setting rather than a bench to sit on. It is a public square you can walk straight into.

Savannah City Park

Forsyth Park is a 30-acre park in Savannah's historic district, shaded by oaks hung with Spanish moss. Its large fountain dates to 1858. Forrest learns he is a father here, after meeting Jenny's young son (Haley Joel Osment). Jenny (Robin Wright) then tells him she is ill and asks him to marry her. The park is open to everyone and easy to explore on foot.

Loves Girls Girls Girls

The film's gentlemen's club exterior is Love's Seafood and Steaks, a rustic restaurant on the Ogeechee River outside Savannah. The Love family has run it since 1949. Jenny and Forrest walk away together after he fights patrons who were harassing her. The interiors were shot at the old Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. It is a working restaurant, so a meal is the natural way to visit.

Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial sits at the western end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Forrest joins a group of Vietnam War veterans at an anti-war protest and is brought on stage to speak. His microphone is cut off, so the crowd never hears his speech. The memorial is a public monument, open to visitors.

Tidal Basin

The Tidal Basin area of Washington, D.C., is best known for its spring cherry blossoms. Jenny Curran (Robin Wright) and Forrest meet again here after years apart. They spend the evening walking the water's edge, catching up. It is an easy stroll, and spring is the time when the setting looks its best.

The White House

The movie's White House stop is credited to Reading, a small town in Vermont's Green Mountains region. The depicted setting is Washington, D.C., where Forrest and Jenny spend an evening walking and rekindling their connection. Reading is rural, with covered bridges and fall foliage, so expect countryside rather than a landmark.

The Gump Home

Yemassee, a Lowcountry town of around 1,000 people, stood in for the Gump family home in Alabama. Spanish-moss oaks and marshland surround it. Two beats were shot here. Jenny and Forrest marry at the family home. After his mother dies and Jenny leaves, Forrest runs to the end of his driveway, the first step of a run that ends up crossing the country. It is a short, quiet stop, and a good base for the nearby church.

Foursquare Baptist Church

McPhersonville Church, a small rural chapel in the community of McPhersonville near Yemassee, plays the Foursquare Baptist Church. Forrest donates part of his fortune from the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and an early Apple investment, enough to pay for a new steeple. Stoney Creek Independent Presbyterian Chapel, about 4 miles west of Yemassee, is another local landmark.

Bayou La Batre

Beaufort, on Port Royal Island in South Carolina's Sea Islands, doubles for Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Forrest starts a shrimping business to honour his friend Bubba (Mykelti Williamson). He returns to the dock one day and finds Lieutenant Dan (Gary Sinise) waiting to become his first mate. Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park gives views of the Beaufort River and the Woods Memorial Bridge.

The Mississippi River

The Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge is a swing bridge linking downtown Beaufort to Lady's Island. It stands in for the Mississippi River during Forrest's run, one of the many places he passes across the United States. The bridge carries traffic and is open to pedestrians, with marsh views along the Beaufort River.

Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Pier in California is the westernmost point of Forrest's run. He pauses at the edge of the Pacific, then turns back and runs east. The pier has Pacific Park, the Looff Hippodrome Carousel and an aquarium, and sits near Muscle Beach, an outdoor gym dating to the 1930s. It is a public pier, so you can walk out to the same ocean edge.

The East Coast of America

Port Clyde is the southernmost village on Maine's St. George peninsula, with lobster boats in the harbour. It plays the farthest point east on Forrest's run. After three years, two months, 14 days and 16 hours, he pauses, takes in the view and heads back west. Marshall Point Lighthouse nearby also appears in the film.

Monument Valley at Grandfather Mountain

Grandfather Mountain State Park in North Carolina is steep country, with cliffs and trails that use cables and ladders. It is depicted as Monument Valley during the run. After his mother's death and Jenny leaving, Forrest decides to go for a run and keeps going for over three years, covering more than 5,000 miles (8,047 km). Followers join him. The parkland lies between the privately owned Grandfather Mountain attraction, which charges admission, and National Park Service trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Monument Valley at Flagstaff

Flagstaff, Arizona, is the gateway to the San Francisco Peaks and Humphreys Peak, the state's tallest mountain. It is also depicted as Monument Valley. On the run, Forrest helps a man with a T-shirt business, giving rise to the smiley face, and gives another man a bumper-sticker slogan. Wupatki and Walnut Canyon National Monuments are nearby.

Monument Valley at Going-to-the-Sun Road

Going-to-the-Sun Road crosses Glacier National Park in Montana's Rocky Mountains. The run takes Forrest past it among the other landscapes of his 5,000-mile journey. The park has more than 700 miles of trails, including the route to Hidden Lake, and wildlife from mountain goats to grizzly bears.

How to plan the visit

Savannah holds three stops: the bench square, Forsyth Park and Love's, so one day covers them.
Yemassee, McPhersonville and Beaufort in South Carolina make a second cluster of four.
Washington, D.C., has two stops at the Mall and Tidal Basin, and the run locations sit across several states.
Treat private homes, working restaurants and rural churches as exterior-only, keep your voice down and stay on public ground.
Exact pins for every stop are in the Go On Set app.

Quick answers

Where was Forrest Gump filmed?

Mostly in Savannah, Georgia, and the South Carolina Lowcountry, with other stops in Washington, D.C., Vermont, Maine, California, North Carolina, Arizona and Montana.