Stripes Movie (1981) Then and Now: 2022 Louisville, Kentucky Filming Locations 

This is so cool, my uncle is Harold Ramis (Russell Ziskey). His favorite scenes to shoot were with Bill Murray and John Candy during bootcamp, and he has some really funny stories that took place on set. Most people assume the scenes taking place in Europe were filmed in Europe, when they were actually filmed in rural Kentucky. Glad that was shown most people only know about the Louisville locations. I will have to show my uncle this!!

I just wanted to say thank you for filming, editing and uploading this. It's so neat to see filming locations and how much things have changed from the time of the original filming. I appreciate your work!

This is awesome. Thank you for uploading the photos of the filming locations from Stripes which was released in theaters 42 years ago in June 1981.

The part where Bill throws the keys in the river was actually his idea and wasn't in the original script. He thought it would help portray John as someone who has truly given up and showing a point of no return with his taxi job. During that scene he actually threw the real keys off the bridge instead of the "dummy" keys, leading to the film crew having to hotwire the cab just to get it off the bridge so real world traffic could resume. It was amazing you all found the exact spot that scene happened! 👍

Thanks for the memories. I saw that movie four times when I was a high school sophomore in 1981. They were better days for America.

When the movie got green-lit from Columbia Pictures it was originally supposed to be filmed in Atlanta Georgia with the military segments filmed at Fort Benning. It had to be filmed in Kentucky due to the "Atlanta Child Murders" of 1979-1980. Basic training in the film takes place at the fictional "Fort Arnold", which was the name of an actual Army fort during the 18th century. It was named for Gen. Benedict Arnold. After he was unmasked as a traitor, it was renamed "West Point". The barracks in the film were still at Fort Knox, but were gutted since then and converted into an urban warfare training course. They stayed that way until there demolition in 2015 due to the Armory School being moved to Fort Benning years earlier. They were torn down and replaced by the Maude Human Resources Command Headquarters, which is the 2nd largest military building next to only the Pentagon in D.C. When the soldiers bus drives into the fort this was actually the Chaffee Gate entrance to Fort Knox and the "Fort Arnold" sign covered up the "Fort Knox" sign. The tanks on the bases are still there, but the entrance gate no longer is. Bill Murrays character "Winger" throws the keys to the cab into the Ohio River at the exact same place boxer Muhammad Ali threw his Olympic Gold Medal. Also when Winger is getting back his basketball while in his apartment, the pilothouse and the stacks of the 1914 rear-wheel steamboat "Belle of Louisville" can be seen. The antique riverboat docks on the Ohio River in Louisville Kentucky and is still in operation to this day! This is one of my all time favorites, so many interesting facts about the cast and locations featured in the movie. This is a great idea and execution of this video! You should do more of these "Then and Now" videos, you just earned a new subscriber!!! Maybe the next video can be THEN and NOW "Good Morning, Vietnam" or "The Dirty Dozen" !!

Great video. We were in the fort knox area for the last knob creek MG shoot(supposedly). It's funny walking past some of these places and you'd never guess that's where the movie was filmed. Good work.

I own an original "Stripes" movie poster signed by the cast. I got it from a friend who worked on the film. He said the most difficult scenes were whenever they had to use stunt doubles during the action scenes at the enemy base. When we talk about the movie he always mentions how nice Kentucky is and how hospitable the locals are. Paramount really needs to make a sequel with Bill Murray while he is alive. I believe it would be a gold mine like Top Gun 2 was!

Very cool!

Cool video, I can't believe they painted the bridge yellow😡. It doesn't make sense why the city would change something so iconic from the movie and pop culture!

The film I watched the night before I went into the army. It's a classic

Who could guess Egon could be so 😎 ....he really seems that he's having a great time doing this movie...

Some things change, others stay the same. It always bothered me how Winger and Ziskey didn't have to get their hair buzzed cut like they would of if they ACTUALLY joined the army. Those things take you out of the viewing experience and make this movie seem too far fetched. I wonder when they renamed Fort Arnold to Fort Knox?🤔

Awesome job well thanks

Bill Murray is the man, its hard to believe they wanted Chevy Chase in this role. Chevy couldn't for obvious reasons. If I could add 1 point of critique I think it would be cool to have the Stripes theme music lightly playing in the background throughout the video.

This is the video I was looking for. I arrived at Fort Knox last month and was trying to figure out the filming locations. I recognized the tanks at the old Chaffe gate (which is now an exit only gate). The scene where the bus turns the corner at Apache St I was out for a run on the Knox trails and decided to detour in that overgrown abandoned street area. Nature is reclaiming it fast. I don't know where the obstacle course would be but those areas are usually off limits unless you have business there. Interestingly enough, on the hiking trail that parallels Wilson Ave there are old and deteriorating obstacles. I checked out the Tioga Falls and Bridges of the Past Trails parking lot (Czech border). It looked familiar but I wasn't sure if that was it or not. Obviously in 1980 the RR trestle was a steel structure, unlike the concrete one today. On another note, for Goldfinger (1964) other than the gold depository the only recognizable landmarks are the two water towers next to a building with a white bell tower which is the education center at Dixie and Spearhead Div Ave. They also filmed vehicles turning a cornor in the small town of Muldraugh, but I think only the houses there remain. Now don't ask me to look for anything else. Today was my last day TDY on post. I also did drive over the 2nd St bridge last month and plan to do so on my way home telling myself "Bill Murray was here."

This is awesome I love this film. Has any local radio stations or news reached out to you? This video show alot of Louisville and surrounding area history. Thanks for making this.

Wow… Great job documenting the details, Sam… So interesting and hard to believe it’s 40 years later… Most places look better, but Chezslovenia or whatever they called it was also pretty interesting. Love that I was just there in Louisville to see it in person.😍 now I have to watch the movie again🤩Way to go!

Love this movie, this then and now video is great.

Didn’t realize that the border was filmed at Tioga falls and that they rebuilt the bridge. Here is it in 2006. Stripes is one of my favorite movies. (Can’t seem to post the pic from my phone)

Right area 2 blocks over for the buses pulling up to SGT Hulka. The buses traveled NE up E Dakota St turned right on S. Apache St, turned left on E. Utah St, next turned left on S Delaware l, then where stopped by SGT Hulka on E. Dakota St. His character then tells everyone to go inside. The water tower and road (over grown) in the bus shot is still there, even though everything else has been torn down.

I found Bill Murray, and why are the stores turned into tennis courts now?

went there right after filming finished

Good job! It's interesting to see how things have changed, yet stayed the same.

Where exactly is the Czech base wit irin bridge and water tower?

This is so cool, I grew with this film, love it classic 80's.

Stripes put Louisville on the map