Where Was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Filmed?

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Most of the filming for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid took place in none other than Zion National Park, Utah. Known for its rugged, desert-like landscape, Southern Utah has been featured in several films over the years, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is another notable example.

You can visit several of the locations today to experience the adventures of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in real time.

Grafton, Utah, is a well-preserved ghost town within the park that was featured in some memorable shots throughout the film. Butch and Sundance hide out with schoolteacher Etta Place in the small town, which is actually a deserted Mormon community on the Virgin River. Etta’s home was built specifically for the film, but the schoolhouse in the movie is Grafton’s abandoned church, which was restored and now exists as the Ballard barn.

Cave Valley in Zion National Park’s Kolob Region is the backdrop of the intense face-off between Butch Cassidy and Harvey Logan to establish his leadership of the Hole-In-The-Wall Gang.

Apart from Zion, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’s cross-country trek was filmed in Snow Canyon, near St. George, Utah—this location was also used for John Wayne’s The Conqueror.

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Some of the most memorable scenes of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were filmed in and around Durango, Colorado. With winding rivers, towering mountains, and railroad tracks, it made the perfect backdrop for the Western.

Pack your bags and head to southern Colorado to step into the risky and rebellious ways of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway in southwest Colorado, about 24 miles north of Durango, was used for the action-packed railway robberies. The railroad tracks run through canyons and mountains, with breathtaking views of nearby alpine forests and desert mesas. The railway tracks pass by historic mining towns like Silverton, making it even more memorable. The tracks were also used in films like Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade and Around the World in 80 Days.

Trimble Bridge in Durango, Colorado, perfectly captured the characters’ daring, slightly dangerous, free spirits. In the film, they have to flee the law and leap into the river canyon. Overlooking the Animas River, Trimble Bridge was the perfect filming location for the action sequence. The jump was also filmed at Century Lake on Century Ranch in Agoura Hills, California. The stunt performers jumped off the bridge, and a matte painting was used to obscure the crane, allowing for the capture of close-up shots of the daredevils. The stuntman then completed the dive by landing in Century Lake, giving the audience an adrenaline rush and a sense of realism.

Colorado’s rocky terrain provided the exhilarating backdrop needed to bring Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’s action sequences to life—but filming didn’t stop there. Two other regions played a significant role in the filming of the Western.

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Near the end of the film, Butch, Sundance, and Etta escape to Bolivia, but filming didn’t take place in the South American country—it took place in Mexico.

South of Mexico City served as the South American scenes in the movie. When Butch, Sundance, and Etta flee to Bolivia in search of fortune, the Bolivia scenes in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were actually filmed in Taxco and Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City, Mexico.

The Market Square of Tlayacapan, located in the northeastern part of the state of Morelos, central Mexico, served as the backdrop for the last showdown against the Bolivian army.

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Newman and Redford enjoyed their time in Durango, Mexico, where they stayed during filming, and photos of them playing ping-pong during breaks were later released. Unfortunately, the rest of the crew didn’t have such a good time. Most suffered from food poisoning, which halted production, as well as extreme heat during the complex final shoot.

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While a majority of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was filmed in Utah and Colorado, select, memorable scenes were shot in studios in Los Angeles, California.

The 20th Century Fox backlot in Los Angeles was used for several interior and exterior sequences that needed controlled settings. The crew recreated the bank and office interiors where Butch and Sundance planned their robberies, and also filmed the iconic scenes with Sheriff Bledsoe. The backlot allowed filmmakers to focus on character interactions and story details while maintaining the polished look of the film.

Stage 16 at Century Fox Studios handled the more elaborate indoor scenes. Here, the crew filmed the dramatic scene where Butch and the Sundance Kid hide in a brothel to escape the law. The stage made it possible to capture intimate close-ups of the cast, giving the audience a sense of immediacy and realism in the story’s quieter, dramatic moments.

Today, Century Fox Studios is known as Fox Studios and is owned by Disney. Visitors can even take a guided tour departing from Culver City, California.

Now that you’ve seen where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was filmed, do you feel inspired to make your own movie? With the right production company and crew, you could create an epic Western with a breathtaking backdrop.

Avalanche Studios is a Utah-based video production company that offers comprehensive services, from script to screen. Our team of writers, filmmakers, directors, and creatives is here to help you scout for locations, put together a stellar cast, and produce a movie that wows audiences. Request a quote from our team to create your own film inspired by blockbuster hits like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.