Which landmarks in new film ‘Sacramento’ were — and were not — filmed in town?

A new comedy film “Sacramento,” starring Kristen Stewart and Michael Cera, made its theater debut Friday.

The story follows two longtime friends from Los Angeles, Glenn and Rickey, played by Michael Cera and Michael Angarano, who reconnect and end up persuading themselves to take a road trip to California’s capital.

The film features a number of landmarks familiar to Sacramento residents. However, some scenes claiming to depict the city were filmed elsewhere, raising questions about authenticity.

The Sacramento Bee reviewed the film’s locations, comparing them to actual Sacramento sites. Moviegoers are encouraged to see the film and spot their favorite landmarks.

Here are the Sacramento locations featured in the movie:

• The city water tower that’s emblazoned with the slogan “America’s Farm to Fork Capital” along Interstate 5 in the Pocket, which remember better when it proclaimed us as “City of Trees”;
  
  

• Tower Bridge, shown multiple times as the characters drive along Capitol Mall;

• The Q Street exit on northbound Interstate 5;

• The R Street corridor;

• K Street, often marketed as The Kay;

• Dive Bar;

• The Ziggurat building in West Sacramento, seen in several backdrops;

• The I Street Bridge;

• Old Sacramento’s river walk and boat docks;

• Joe’s Crab Shack in Old Sacramento, seen in background shots;

• The former Rio City Cafe in Old Sacramento;

• Gunther’s Ice Cream in Curtis Park;

• Stop & Shop gas station on Folsom Boulevard.

Uncertain landmarks

The film opens at Sly Park, just east of Sacramento, about a year before the road trip. Angarano’s character, Rickey, makes another trip there at a point in the movie when he could have been in Sacramento.

There was also a bar-hopping scene when the two friends got to Sacramento but it’s unclear which bar it was. It had a resemblance to the Old Tavern Bar and Grill on 20th Street.

One unmistakably Sacramento moment came in a restroom scene where a sign reads, “Please don’t do coke in the bathroom.” This scene stood out for its local flavor as Cera’s character, Glenn, stepped away to call his wife.

What was depicted as Sacramento but actually wasn’t?

While many scenes captured authentic Sacramento landmarks, some were filmed elsewhere.

In one breakfast scene, the characters dine at a restaurant that is not in Sacramento.

The giveaway? A blue street sign visible outside the window. Sacramento’s city street signs, especially in midtown, downtown and East Sacramento, are almost always green, and never blue. County street signs, for the most part, are white.

Blue street signs are a notable feature of the city of Los Angeles.

The film’s final scene also strays from local authenticity. Rickey is shown driving back to Sacramento, but the actual location is Agua Dulce Canyon Road, a few miles north of the L.A. basin and well south of the capital city.

This story was originally published April 12, 2025 at 12:08 PM.