Ironic Sans: The Google Maps Guide to Ghostbusters

April 18, 2006

The Google Maps Guide to Ghostbusters

~~NOTE: After two years working just fine, the map is having problems. I’m trying to fix it. Sorry for the inconvenience.~~ Should be fixed now. Let me know if you have any problems!

Click to launch map in new windowHey! There’s a Ghostbusters symbol in my Google logo! What’s going on? One’s a movie, and one’s a search engine. Next thing you know, fish will be flying, trees will be swimming, cats and dogs living together — mass hysteria!

Welcome to the Interactive Google Maps Guide to Ghostbusters. You can click the Google logo above or the map image below at any time to launch the map in a new window, or read on for more info.

Click to launch map in new windowI’ve created a mashup of Google Maps and every New York City location used in filming the movie Ghostbusters and its sequel Ghostbusters 2 that a person might be likely to visit on a trip to Manhattan. It’s my first time using the Google Maps API, but I think I’ve come up with a slick way to use it. But still, let me know if anything doesn’t work right.

Also, if you’d like to link to the map, please link to this entry’s permalink instead of the map itself. Thanks.

Ready? Check it out! The map will open in a new window.

Comments

Nice map. Where’d ya find all those locations? Some seem pretty obscure there.

Also, looks like you’re missing a few.

Posted by: Logan | April 20, 2006 9:18 AM

Hey. Ghostbusters is a cool movie. Thanks for the great site!

I’m trying to set up a map site for all the hangouts on the old TV show “Spencer for Hire”. This site has been inspiration. Maybe you guys can assist me too? Obviously there’s “Knot’s Bar” in Brooklyn, and Spencer’s apartment across the street. Check it out if you want: www.chanticleer.con. Peace out man!

Posted by: Slack-mandu | April 20, 2006 10:31 AM

“Spenser for Hire” was in Boston, not NY.

Posted by: db | April 20, 2006 3:09 PM

My son is going to love this map. Thanks for putting it together!

Posted by: CorkyMuldoon | April 20, 2006 3:15 PM

Awesome !!!

Posted by: Bob Wright | April 21, 2006 1:12 PM

How about making a Google Earth file with placemarks showing the same information for use within Google Earth? It’s pretty simple to do from within Google Earth, or even easier if you find a tool to convert your waypoints from Google Maps into KML.

Posted by: Frank Taylor | April 21, 2006 3:18 PM

“I like this plan!! I’m excited to be a part of it! Let’s do it!!”

This absolutely Rocks! You’re so my new hero. :) Thanks for putting this together.

I’m a big fan and actually was on site (and maybe on camera?) for a crowd scene in the sequel. Email me if you ever want to gab GB sometime. Thanks again!

Posted by: Joe Mancuso | April 22, 2006 10:08 PM

How about The Real Ghostbusters cartoon series? See here.

Posted by: Ant | April 22, 2006 10:44 PM

OMG that is the sweetest thing I have ever seen!!!!!

Posted by: Hugh Jorgan | April 27, 2006 2:10 AM

OMG that is the sweetest thing I have ever seen!!!!!

Posted by: Hugh Jorgan | April 27, 2006 2:11 AM

GB fan…very nice work. Try this one http://www.paperinside.com/ecto-1

Posted by: cubert | April 30, 2006 5:37 AM

I don’t know who you are, but I think I may be in love with you. This is awesome.

I love this town.

Posted by: Slim | May 4, 2006 6:43 PM

Hey, it’s “Onassis”, not “O’Nassis”. Ari was Greek, not Irish!

Posted by: Nit Picker | May 12, 2006 8:30 AM

Nice work, this is cool!

Posted by: Dan | May 12, 2006 9:35 AM

if you like this sort of thing, you’d probably like googlesightseeing.com, check out the movie locations (Link) - or submit some of your own! :)

Posted by: russ | May 13, 2006 2:50 AM

i weep with glee :)

Posted by: steve c | May 16, 2006 4:54 PM

Hey, great site! I’m about to visit NYC from Melbourne, Australia, and was planning to track down some Ghostbusters sites. I hadn’t found their HQ till now, so thanks.

Posted by: Peter Norrish | June 4, 2006 2:04 AM

A thousand Thank You’s! The Missus and I are visiting New York in October and now I can actualy visit the Ghostbuster HQ! Now I have even more to look forward to.

Posted by: Steve Burrell | September 17, 2006 4:58 PM

I forget which one it is in, but there’s a scene of a huge ghost ducking under the arch at Grand Army Plaza. You should throw that one on there too.
Here’s the location:
http://www.thisplaceiknow.com/place_view.cfm?placeID=140

Posted by: briercan | October 25, 2006 10:03 AM

I am really pleased with this Map , I live in the UK and i am off to NY for the first time in december this year .

Big Ghostbusters fun when I was a Kid

MANY THANKS

Scott

Posted by: Scott | November 18, 2006 3:39 AM

You are my hero for making this. I’ll be sure to use it when I visit NY for a GB tour.

Posted by: Andrew | January 10, 2007 1:46 PM

If you want to actually visit Dana’s building, you’ll need to hit Philadelphia. Exterior scenes were shot on top of the Drake Tower, on Spruce Street between 15th and 16th.

Posted by: Kent Brewster | January 12, 2007 2:48 PM

Hey, Kent. I’m pretty sure that’s incorrect. While the Drake Tower may have been inspiration for Dana’s building, I don’t think anything was actually shot there. The exterior views of the roof were sometimes matte paintings, and sometimes a set on a soundstage. I don’t think anything was shot at the Drake. Does anyone have any documentation anywhere that would support the Philadelphia story? -David

Posted by: David | January 19, 2007 10:00 PM

Yeah Kent.. you are actually wrong.

Posted by: AJ Quick | February 16, 2007 11:24 PM

wow.. awesome .. thanks for putting this masterpiece together. im a big big fan of the films and ill definatly visit all the sites when i ever get to nyc

p. g.
england

Posted by: p gul | February 17, 2007 7:08 PM

great map, tho dana’s apt in gb2 is at the wrong location. the building is on the southside of the street, almost directly in between 1st and 2nd ave. the sceen was chopped up a lot and made the street look a lot longer then it actually is. the bus stop where slimmer picks up louis is also in that area. at 75 and 1 on the SE corner, though there is no stop there but more north on the next corner

Posted by: jasonponty | March 8, 2007 12:47 AM

Fantastic site and very accurate - Can’t wait to go back with the Google Earth version and GPS on laptop to revisit some of the sites.

The exterior roof shots from above (and from CP / Grand Lawn) were matte paintings superimposed on to the real 55 CPW (misnumbered by one in the film). Some of the art directors and painters were walking around the matte set after the Zuul and Vinz Clortho meeting (the creation of the “stairs” to the roof from Dana’s 2206 residence) to create an effect of movement at that time. The actual rooftop shooting location for the cast was on one of Universal’s lots in Hollywood where they constructed (and destroyed several times) a three flight addition to the building on 55 CPW to include the Summerian / gothic architecture. Most of the architecture for the rooftop set was from a book titled “Rooftops of New York” or something similar to that. They also created a facade of the entrance to 55 CPW at Universal which was used in the scenes where the pavement ruptures and the cast falls in before entering the building. Various other locations were used for inside filming such as a very uncharacteristic set (for set filming) where Dana and Louis’ appartments were actually across from each other, hallway and all, on a single set. The interior firehouse shots were at an abandonded LA Firehouse (built in the same year as the NYC firehosue which is still in operation to my knowledge, and has the “No Ghost” logo panel sign on the inside) - both built 1912, etc, the list goes on. In total about 4 1/2 weeks were spent shooting in NYC (which is usually a very hard place to film, especially from a sound point of view). Tavern on the Green, however, actually allowed filming there, which was a bit of a surprise. Hope this added at least some knowledge…

Posted by: Scott | April 11, 2007 7:58 AM

dear diary,
this site helped me find the still functioning firehouse that was ghostbusters hq yesterday. the firemen let me take as many pictures as i wanted. there is a painting on the sidewalk of the gb logo, and inside the fire station it looks like they have the original hanging sign. life is good

Posted by: jessica | October 1, 2007 10:10 AM

broing

Posted by: Anonymous | December 11, 2007 2:31 PM

i can’t get the map to work :( shows the map, but no locations. help!

Posted by: melissa | May 9, 2009 9:14 PM

Have you seen this map too:

http://www.themoviemap.com/movies/gg/ghostbusters/index.php

Posted by: Darren Langley | May 10, 2009 11:22 AM

Umm…it’s not showing anything…just the map…

Posted by: Anonymous | June 3, 2009 5:44 PM

Not sure what’s up with the map, but it no longer shows any locations.

I’d love for this to be working again as it was real damned comprehensive.