Sci-Fi Movie Locations You Can Visit

It's every sci-fi lover's dream to visit the incredible worlds of our favorite shows, movies, and books. Whether it's a foreign planet, an important government building, or even a famous landmark, there is something absolutely majestic about the idea of standing where your favorite characters once stood. But alas, science fiction is just that—fiction.

But luckily, those beloved movies and shows had to be filmed somewhere. And so there are actually many sci-fi movie locations you can visit, whether for their alien-esque landscape, an iconic building, or another mark of the place's fictional role.

MetCentre, Sydney, Australia ('The Matrix')

The ultimate, archetypal example of the corporate world, the MetaCortex (or MetaCortech) from The Matrix is in fact a real building (which I supposed opens up the old question, "Is the Matrix real?" in the process). You probably won't find Keanu Reeves there (well, especially now that he's out of the Matrix), but you can visit the building—and do some shopping.

This building is not just an empty set built for the movie—it was actually built in 1980, and currently houses an expansive shopping mall.

In The Matrix, the building is an office complex for the software company that Neo works for. It's dim, dry, and just so appalling corporate. In sharp contrast, you'll find the real-life area bustling with life in Sydney, Australia, as the building houses the MetCentre shopping mall, located right in the heart of Australia's largest city.

Finse, Norway ('Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back')

Though the rebel base was destroyed, you can still visit the planet Hoth, from Star Wars Episode V. The scenes on Hoth, most notably Luke Skywalker's near-death blizzard experience and Han Solo's dedicated rescue mission, were filmed in the brutal winter cold of Finse glacier, part of the small town of Finse, Norway. Cold though it may be, this area is truly one of the most beautiful sci-fi movie locations, with truly stunning landscapes, even in snow-covered winters.

In addition to seeing the setting where these iconic scenes were filmed, you can even stay at the same hotel in the village where many of the cast and crew stayed. Certainly anyone looking to pay tribute to the career of Carrie Fisher should find the location especially meaningful.

Lake Powell ('Planet of the Apes')

Lake Powell, which spans the border of Arizona and Utah, provided much of the scenery for Planet of the Apes. The space crew first lands in the lake itself, giving us a beautiful first shot of the natural world they have re-entered after their cryogenic sleep in space. Once ashore, the arid deserts surrounding this lake made for many stunning settings, as well as providing a distinctly alien feel through its barrenness.

Though perfect for the desired effect on screen, you will want to bring the sunscreen and water bottles—in Charlton Heston's own autobiography, he recalls a time when one of his fellow cast members passed out from the heat.

Westward Beach, Malibu, LA ('Planet of the Apes')

Okay, so no spoilers here for any of you who haven't seen it (although, please do that), but for those of you who have, I'm sure understand why I would include two sci-fi movie locations from the same movie here.

As mentioned, much of the film is set in Arizona. But the final scene, that scene, the scene that places this film firmly among the ranks of the greatest films of all time, well, that scene was filmed on a secluded part of Westward Beach in Malibu, California.

I'm sure you know what scene I'm talking about.

Though it is beautiful in the way that all Malibu beaches are beautiful, this filming location will send chills down your spine as you stand where Taylor (Charlton Heston) kneeled in that iconic moment.

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park, Agua Dulce, California ('Star Trek')

The unique rock patterns in California's Vasquez Rocks park make for the perfect alien landscape—and the rocks themselves make for excellent battle grounds. As far as sci-fi movie locations go, this area is ideal. So it's no wonder that it has been used for various different episodes and locations of the Star Trek franchise, with the first episode filmed here airing in 1966, and the most recent filming happening not long ago for the 2013 reboot Into Darkness.

Though it is probably most recognizable as planet Vulcan, these rocks and landscapes actually appeared as a number of different planets (and moons), in nearly all of the Star Trek series, as well as a number of the films. (And now that the original Star Trek is coming to Netflix, you'll have plenty of opportunities to mark down specific landmarks.)

Kauai, Hawaii ('Jurassic Park')

Much of Spielberg's original Jurassic Park film, as well as much of the sequels, were filmed in Hawaii. Different scenes were of course filmed in different locations, but the majority of the iconic landscape and jungle can be found on the small, beautiful island of Kauai.

In order to preserve the island's beauty and wildlife, many of these areas are not accessible to tourists. However, you can take a helicopter tour of the island, which will show you just about all of those familiar settings.

For the hikers and adventurers out there, you can visit the site of the main "Jurassic Park" gates. Though the gate itself is no longer there, the poles remain at the end of an 8-mile trek. Definitely worth it, if you ask me.

Griffith Observatory, LA ('The Terminator' and Others)

The Griffith Observatory is a one-stop shop for all your interests. Free to enter, the observatory has many fascinating scientific exhibits, as well as breath-taking views of the Hollywood sign and the surrounding Griffith Park—also a popular filming site.

But that doesn't even begin to cover the interest for movie buffs. It has been one of the most popular sci-fi movie locations, featured in everything from The Terminator to Transformers to Star Trek: Voyager.

Perhaps most notably, the Griffith Observatory is both the filming location and canonical location for the landing of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator.

Ennis House ('Blade Runne,' and Others)

Obviously, many of the best sci-fi movie locations are in the Hollywood area—especially for indoor scenes. So it's no surprise that another of the most popular filming locations is pretty much walking distance from the Griffith Observatory.

Like Griffith Park and the Observatory, The Ennis House has been featured in many movies and TV shows, both science fiction and otherwise.

It is perhaps most recognizable from its exterior due to its appearance in Blade Runner. The design may also be familiar from other movie and television sets, which were inspired by the style of the Frank Lloyd Wright building.

Valldalen, Norway ('Ex Machina')

Perhaps for its isolated, rural areas, perhaps for its stunning landscapes, perhaps for a combination of the two, Norway is certainly one of the most popular sci-fi movie locations.

So while you're in Norway to visit the filming locations for Star Wars' planet Hoth, be sure to make a stop in Valldalen, Norway. The small town's stunning Juvet Hotel provided much of the scenery for Ex Machina, which is canonically set in the similarly stunning rural areas of Alaska.

The Juvet Hotel, where much of the movie was filmed, is actually open to the public. With a concept design intended to bring people and nature together, the gorgeous hotel is worth a visit, Ex Machina fan or not.

Hell's Half Acre, Wyoming ('Starship Troopers')

The best sci-fi movie locations tend to involve bizarre rock formations. Not surprising, as the creators want to give these scenes an alien feel. Which is why this uniquely formed area of Wyoming made a perfect setting for battles on a foreign planet in Starship Troopers.

As with many of these sci-fi filming spots, what makes it an ideal landscape for filming purposes also makes it a worthwhile place to visit in its own right. So for the outdoorsy sci-fi lovers (we don't all just sit around watching Star Trek, I swear), a visit to these beautiful areas is a double-win.