Pasadena City Hall in California

Completed in 1927, the Pasadena City Hall in Pasadena, California is a stunning piece of architecture. From its impressive dome to its ornately manicured courtyard, this impressive landmark is part of Pasadena's Civic Center District. In 1980 this entire district, including the Pasadena City Hall, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This location has long been popular with filmmakers, however there are two notable examples where the Pasadena City Hall stands out in my mind. One is where it featured prominently as a backdrop in Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator (1940) and the other is as the City Hall of Pawnee, Indiana in NBC's Parks and Recreation. Given how beautiful the building is, it's easy to see why it's still such a popular location. 

A Christmas Story House in Cleveland, Ohio

Earlier this year I found myself in Cleveland, Ohio. While there were a number of (arguably) more obvious things to capture here, a long standing love of this movie meant I had to see the house from the 1983 holiday classic, A Christmas Story in person.

With the iconic leg lamp in the front window and the Bumpus House next door, the house from A Christmas Story has since been transformed into a year round museum dedicated to the movie. Complete with a tour and a gift shop across the street, you can even pay to spend the night in the Bumpus House (and thankfully, unlike in the movie, you can avoid the dogs).

Naturally, there is some trickery going on here. During production the house was used for exteriors, but as is often the case, was not actually where the interior scenes were filmed. A Christmas Story is also set in Indiana, but was filmed in Cleveland and Toronto. 

Regardless, the house has been beautifully restored and turned into a really unique Christmas landmark. For fans of this classic or movie locations in general, the house from A Christmas Story is definitely worth a look the next time you're in Cleveland, Ohio.

It's a major award!

Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana

A few visual highlights from downtown Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis

From history and pop culture to artwork and noteworthy artifacts, there's no place quite like a state museum to soak up the visual tapestry of a location. The Indiana State Museum does just that with an impressive collection located in White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Here are a few highlights from this museum in the Hoosier state.

Of course, fans of the hit TV show Parks and Recreation will also know that no visit to Indiana would be complete without a visit to Pawnee City Hall. It is a beautiful structure, however it's also located a couple thousand miles away in Pasadena, California.

Michael Jackson tour outfit. He was from Gary, Indiana.

One of jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery's Grammy Awards.