Hilton Garden Inn Long Island City/New York, 29-21, 41st Avenue, Court Square, Queens, Queens County, City of New York, New York, 11101, United States of America
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 33, Liberty Street, Financial District, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10045, United States of America
Rockefeller Center, 45, Rockefeller Plaza, Midtown East, Manhattan Community Board 5, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10111, United States of America
The Hotel Edison NYC, 228, West 47th Street, Hell's Kitchen, Times Square, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10036, United States of America
Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral, 263, Mulberry Street, East Village, NoHo, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10012, United States of America
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, 462, 1st Avenue, Kips Bay, Manhattan Community Board 6, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10010, United States of America
Scene: (Don Corleone takes his son's body to undertakers)
Castle Gould, 127, Middle Neck Road, Catalina at Sands Point, Village of Sands Point, Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, 11050, United States of America
2nd Avenue & East 13th Street, 2nd Avenue, East Village, Manhattan Community Board 3, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10035, United States of America
Best Case Leads, 276, 5th Avenue, NoMad, Manhattan Community Board 5, Manhattan, New York County, City of New York, New York, 10001, United States of America
Scene: (Exterior, Michael and Kaye do Christmas shopping at Macy's)
Lincoln Regional Center, 801, West Prospector Place, Old Mill Village, Yankee Hill, Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska, 68522, United States of America
Scene: (Vito being transported in Ambulance from Hospital)
Ross Grammar School, Lagunitas Road, Ross, Marin County, California, 94957, United States of America
Doña Manuela Diez de Duarte, Avenida Independencia, Ciudad Nueva, Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Distrito Nacional, 10209, República Dominicana
Scene: (Cuba outside scenes)
6, Libes Lane, Centereach, Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York, 11720, United States of America
Scene: (deserted airstrip)
6, Libes Lane, Centereach, Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York, 11720, United States of America
6455, West Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, 90028, United States of America
Placer County, California, United States of America
Scene: (The early scenes of the Wedding, and family business, were filmed at a private mansion on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe in the fall of 1971. Fleur de Lac. The vintage automobiles were from the Harrah car collection in Reno, Nev.)
377, 3rd Avenue, City of Watervliet, Albany County, New York, 12189, United States of America
Scene: (Exterior where Sollozzo kidnaps Hagen)
New Jersey
Sicily
Long Island
The Godfather is a New York story with a Sicilian soul, and it filmed on both sides of the Atlantic: the Corleone empire in and around New York City, and Michael’s exile in the hill towns of eastern Sicily. Savoca and Forza d’Agro became the ancestral village of Corleone, while Staten Island and Little Italy built the family’s American world.
Where was The Godfather filmed?
The film was shot in New York and in Sicily. New York and its suburbs supplied the Corleone compound, the streets of Little Italy and the civic landmarks, while the Sicilian scenes were filmed in the mountain villages of Savoca and Forza d’Agro near Taormina.
Every Godfather location, explained
1
Staten Island – the Corleone compound
The famous wedding and the walled family compound were shot on Staten Island, with more of the family’s New York in the outer boroughs and Long Island.
2
Little Italy and Manhattan
The film’s New York street scenes used Little Italy and Manhattan landmarks, including the Federal Reserve Bank, the Queensboro Bridge and Rockefeller Center among the establishing shots.
3
Savoca, Sicily – the village of Corleone
Michael’s Sicilian exile was filmed not in the real Corleone but in Savoca, near Taormina – Bar Vitelli, where he asks for Apollonia’s hand, is a real cafe you can still visit.
4
Forza d’Agro – the church and streets
Nearby Forza d’Agro supplied the church and hill-town streets for the wedding and other Sicilian scenes, its piazza instantly recognisable to fans.
Planning a visit
The Sicilian pilgrimage is the highlight: Bar Vitelli in Savoca still serves granita to Godfather fans, and Forza d’Agro is a short drive away, both easy day trips from Taormina. In New York, Little Italy and the Federal Reserve are part of any downtown wander.
The Godfather Fun Facts
1
Corleone was filmed in Savoca The real town of Corleone looked too modern, so Michael’s village scenes were shot in Savoca, near Taormina.
2
Bar Vitelli is real The cafe where Michael meets Apollonia’s father, Bar Vitelli in Savoca, is a genuine bar you can still visit.
3
A Best Picture winner The Godfather won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1973.
4
Little Italy did double duty The film used real Little Italy streets alongside Staten Island for the Corleone family’s New York.
5
Coppola's landmark The film launched a trilogy and reshaped American cinema, with Francis Ford Coppola directing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was The Godfather filmed in Corleone?
No – the real Corleone looked too modern, so the Sicilian scenes were filmed in Savoca and Forza d’Agro instead.
Can you visit Bar Vitelli?
Yes – Bar Vitelli in Savoca, where Michael meets Apollonia’s father, is a real cafe still open to visitors.
Where is the Corleone compound?
The walled compound and wedding were filmed on Staten Island, New York.
Can you visit the Sicilian locations?
Yes – Savoca and Forza d’Agro are easy day trips from Taormina in eastern Sicily.
