James, an NYC cop, is hired by Agent K of a secret government agency that monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth. Together, they must recover an item that has been stolen by an intergalactic villain.
69th Regiment Armory, 68, Lexington Avenue, Rose Hill, Manhattan Community Board 5, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10010, United States of America
Grand Central Terminal, 89, East 42nd Street, Midtown South, Manhattan Community Board 5, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10017, United States of America
Empire Diner, 210, 10th Avenue, Chelsea, Manhattan Community Board 4, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10011, United States of America
Queens-Midtown Tunnel, Tudor City, Manhattan Community Board 6, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 11109, United States of America
The alien-agency comedy hides its secret headquarters in plain sight in New York – inside a real Battery Park tunnel-vent building – and stages its finale among the flying-saucer observation towers of the old World’s Fair grounds in Queens.
Where was Men in Black filmed?
Men in Black was filmed across New York City – Manhattan and Queens – with scenes in New Jersey and California.
Every Men in Black location, explained
1
MIB headquarters – the tunnel vent
The agency’s secret HQ used the real Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel ventilation building in Battery Park, Manhattan.
2
The finale – Flushing Meadows
The climax used the observation towers of the old World’s Fair grounds in Flushing Meadows, Queens, as disguised spaceships.
3
Manhattan landmarks
The film uses real New York, from Bleecker Street to the Guggenheim area.
4
New Jersey and California
Some scenes used New Jersey (Liberty State Park) and California (Simi Valley).
Planning a visit
The Flushing Meadows World’s Fair towers in Queens – the film’s disguised spaceships – and the Battery Park tunnel-vent building are both real, recognisable New York landmarks.
Men in Black Fun Facts
1
HQ is a tunnel vent The MIB headquarters used the real Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel ventilation building in Battery Park.
2
World's Fair spaceships The finale used the old World’s Fair observation towers in Queens as disguised flying saucers.
3
Real New York throughout The film grounds its aliens in recognisable Manhattan and Queens locations.
4
The neuralyzer The memory-wiping neuralyzer became one of the film’s most beloved gadgets.
5
A blockbuster comedy The Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones pairing spawned a franchise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the MIB headquarters?
It used the real Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel ventilation building in Battery Park, Manhattan.
Where is the finale filmed?
At the old World’s Fair grounds in Flushing Meadows, Queens.
Can you visit the locations?
Yes – the Flushing Meadows towers and Battery Park are recognisable New York landmarks.
