What movie is filmed at Cherokee Rock Village?

Posted in Alabama Attractions February 04, 2021 by Jennifer Young

These days, more and more movies are being filmed right here in Alabama. In fact, you can visit many of these filming locations. Listed below, we’ve mapped a road trip that’ll take you to eight of Alabama’s most famous filming locations. With a driving distance of 672 miles, and an estimated drive time of 12 hours and 24 minutes, this road trip is perfect for a weekend adventure.

Now, let’s get started.

Click here for complete driving directions.

1. U.S. Space & Rocket Center - Huntsville

Your first stop will be Huntsville's U.S. Space & Rocket Center. The 1986 movie "Space Camp," starring Kate Capshaw and Lea Thompson, was filmed here.

2. Cherokee Rock Village - Leesburg

Your next stop will be Cherokee Rock Village in Leesburg. Some of the outdoor scenes from the movie "Failure to Launch," starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker, were filmed at this unique park.

3. Talladega Superspeedway - Talladega

Following a short drive, you'll arrive at Talladega Superspeedway. This famous race track has been featured in several movies, including "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," starring Will Ferrell.

4. Golden Cherry Motel - Opelika

If you've ever seen the 1979 film "Norma Rae," which earned Sally Field an Oscar, you're probably familiar with hotel scenes. These were filmed inside Opelika's Golden Cherry Motel, which will be your next stop. This motel was also mentioned in the 2002 film "Sweet Home Alabama," starring Reese Witherspoon.

5. Shorter Mansion - Eufaula

Speaking of Reese Witherspoon, your next stop will bring you to the historic Shorter Mansion in Eufaula. At the beginning of the film "Sweet Home Alabama," Reese Witherspoon's character is seen driving past several antebellum homes, including Shorter Mansion.

6. Edmund Pettus Bridge - Selma

Following a scenic drive, you'll arrive in Selma. This town's historic Edmund Pettus Bridge was a main feature in the 2014 film "Selma," which is based on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1965 Selma to Montgomery March.

7. Town of Spectre - Jackson Lake Island

Your next stop will be the fictional town of Spectre, which was used as the setting in Tim Burton's incredible film "Big Fish." Since its release in 2003, this film set, which is located on Jackson Lake Island in Elmore County, has been left abandoned.

8. Rickwood Field - Birmingham

Following a scenic drive north, your final stop will be Rickwood Field in Birmingham. This historic baseball field was used in the film "42," starring Chad Boseman. It's also the oldest baseball field in America (1910).

Have you been to any of these eight filming locations? If so, what did you think? Please share your experience(s) with us in the comments below.

For more information about Cherokee Rock Village, be sure to take a look at the following article: Walk Through 200 Acres Of Rock Formations At Alabama’s Cherokee Rock Village.

Address: U.S. Space & Rocket Center, 1 Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL 35805, USA

Address: Cherokee Rock Village, 2000 County Rd 70, Leesburg, AL 35983, USA

Address: 3366 Speedway Blvd, Lincoln, AL 35096, USA

Address: 1010 2nd Ave, Opelika, AL 36801, USA

Address: The Shorter Mansion, 340 N Eufaula Ave, Eufaula, AL 36027, USA

Address: Selma, AL 36703, USA

Address: Town of Spectre, Dirt road near, Cypress Ln, Millbrook, AL 36054, USA

Address: 1137 2nd Ave W, Birmingham, AL 35204, USA

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Thomas V. Ress, Athens, Alabama

Cherokee Rock VillageCherokee Rock Village is a 200-acre public park located in northeastern Alabama in Cherokee County, near the town of Leesburg. Also known as Sandrock, Little Rock City, and Sand Rock, Cherokee Rock Village sits atop a large outcropping on the southern end of Lookout Mountain, overlooking Weiss Lake. Its narrow slot canyons meander among high cliffs, natural arches, caves, and huge freestanding sandstone islands rising above a maze of passages and overhangs. Its most notable features are massive, house-sized sandstone boulders and stone formations up to 200 feet high that date back 300 million years to the Pennsylvanian Period. One outcropping closely resembles a cluster of homes, earning the site its "village" appellation. Scenes for the 2006 film Failure to Launch, starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker, were filmed at the park.

The area was home to Native Americans almost continuously from 8000 BC until 1838, when the resident Cherokee and Creek Indians were forcibly removed by the Indian Removal Act and the resulting Trail of Tears. The site was believed to be of religious and ceremonial importance to these Native American groups. In fact, the site lies along an old Indian trail that later became a route for white settlers. The trail also was used by both northern and southern troops during the Civil War and is now known as Lookout Mountain Trail.

Before the 1970s, the general public had no easy access to the site, but many rock climbers were drawn to the climbing opportunities afforded by the site's huge rock faces and

Rock Formations at Cherokee Rock Villageboulders. Local officials came to recognize the tourist potential of the area, and in 1973, then-president of the Cherokee County Historical Society, Col. Robert N. Mann, was authorized by the Cherokee County Commission to negotiate with the landowner, the Georgia Kraft Company, to purchase the site. After much negotiation, in 1974, Georgia Kraft donated 20 acres of land that encompass the major sandstone formations, with the stipulations that the site was to be developed into a park and an access road had to be built for the public. Talks resumed with Georgia Kraft when the county sought to acquire additional acreage to protect as many of the natural sandstone formations as possible. The Nature Conservancy became involved in the negotiations in 1976 and in April 1977 purchased 200 acres from Georgia Kraft for $15,000. The Conservancy then transferred title to the land to Cherokee County. With the completion of an access road in the 1980s, the site quickly became very popular with hikers and campers and emerged as one of the Southeast's most popular rock-climbing venues. The park is now owned by Cherokee County and administered by the Cherokee County Parks & Recreation Board. The area has been unofficially "adopted" by the Southeastern Climbers Coalition (SCC), and SCC volunteers have picked up litter and cleaned parking areas. Additionally, the SCC sponsors an annual competition that typically attracts more than 100 climbers.

Weiss Lake ViewThe "village" dominates a high ridge, affording spectacular panoramic views of Weiss Lake in the valley below. On weekends, climbers from Alabama and neighboring Tennessee and Georgia dominate the vertical rock walls. The variety of climbing routes and rock faces provides challenges that accommodate climbers of every ability, from novice to the hard-core expert. Some routes have permanent anchors bolted to the rock. Some of the more popular sport climbing routes have been named by first ascenders and are well-known to climbers. These include Champagne Jam, Comfortably Numb, White Gold, Split Cracks, and Whammy.

Facilities were minimal, with the exception of a few hiking trails and a large number of free primitive campsites as well as a limited number of portable toilets and trash dumpsters, throughout much of the park's history. In 2010, however, in an effort to expand recreational opportunities, the county government constructed bathrooms, a pavilion, playgrounds, a storm shelter, and a camp store. A helipad provides access for medical emergencies. Campsites remain first come, first served and a fee is required to use them. There are no hook-up facilities for RVs but they may use the campsites.

Additional Resources

Watford, Chris. The Dixie Cragger's Atlas: A Climber's Guide to Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. Roswell, Ga.: Market Place Press, 1999.

Published: July 12, 2011 | Last updated: October 21, 2021