The Sting (1973) was filmed primarily in Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California, with several specific locations used for key scenes. Key locations
- Chicago
- Union Station (Near West Side)
- 43rd Street El station
- LaSalle Street Station and surrounding downtown Chicago areas
- Brownstone Street (on Universal Studios backlot) used to evoke Chicago streets
- Additional local Chicago spots used for exteriors and period flavor
- Los Angeles area
- Universal Studios backlot, including the Main Street-like sets and backlot streets
- Various Los Angeles locations to stand in for period scenes
- Pasadena locations such as the Castle Green (used for interior/exterior set pieces)
- Santa Monica Pier (Looff Hippodrome) for the carousel sequence
Notes
- Much of the production was completed on studio backlots in Los Angeles, with careful art direction to recreate 1930s Chicago on those sets.
- Some exterior shots and set pieces were filmed on location in Pasadena and Santa Monica, particularly for the museum-like and carousel sequences.
- The film’s Chicago exteriors and the illusion of the “el” were achieved through a combination of actual Chicago locations and backlot constructions.
If you’d like, I can extract a precise list of all credited shooting locations with city-by-city breakdown and approximate dates.
