Ready For Your Closeup?

Set-jetters can take their pick of movie locations across the state.

Spring/Summer 2026 Issue

set of the movie smokin aces filmed in lake tahoe nevada

BY ROBIN HOLABIRD

Movies often inspire travelers to visit bucket list destinations. I saw this point frequently emphasized during the more than 20 years I spent putting Silver State sites on screen as a part of the Nevada Film Office, now Film Nevada. We call it “set-jetting”—the trend of visiting places seen in the movies.

With Nevada’s glamorous and sparkling side and its rugged, vast landscapes, it’s no surprise set-jetters can find a jackpot of screen locations across the state.

Need a few examples? How about spies racing through glittering Las Vegas, ace mavericks flying over endless deserts, or the U.S. president protecting the world from space aliens?

While the number of movies filmed in the Silver State is in the thousands, we’ve chosen a handful from the last few decades and shared some of the locations where you can have your own celebrity moment.

Las Vegas

“Anora” (2024)

Like the title character, millions party hard in Las Vegas—though most don’t end up winning the Oscar for Best Actress like Mikey Madison. Anora shows up in Las Vegas with her boyfriend and ends up getting married, which proves key in the Best Picture-winner’s twist on the Cinderella story, blending humor, pathos, and plenty of lap dancing. Set-jetters easily find Anora’s hangouts at the Palms Casino Resort, the Little White Wedding Chapel, and the Fremont Street Experience—the latter is shown in the movie’s poster.

“The Last Showgirl” (2024)

Pamela Anderson and Las Vegas take center stage in a film that avoids the beloved, salacious tackiness of 1995’s cult favorite “Showgirls”—which filmed in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. Filmed at the Rio Hotel & Casino, director Gia Coppola captures the habits of a woman who feels pride in the work of what she calls “ambassadors of style.” Keep an eye out for street performers dressed as showgirls who pose with visitors for a tip.

cast of anora at the toronto international film festival — Cast of “Anora”
Photo: Frank Sun

pamela anderson at the last showgirl q and a in las vegas nv — Pamela Anderson at “The Last Showgirl” Q&A
Photo: Raph_PH

top gun fallon naval air base nevada — Set of “Top Gun: Maverick”
Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Larry S. Carlson, USN (Ret.)

“Jason Bourne” (2016)

Director Paul Greengrass puts star Matt Damon on a familiar path, forced by amnesia to go on the run and figure out why everyone is after him. Chases include one along The Strip, ending with a crash into the Riviera Hotel and Casino—empty at the time and since torn down. The high-profile project also hired 1,600 extras to play convention attendees at the Aria Resort & Casino.

Fallon

“Top Gun” (1986) and “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022)

Nevada skies offer ideal space for flyboys exercising their need for speed. Pulsing music and the star magnetism of Tom Cruise fire up the screen, propelled through phenomenal visuals filmed from real aircraft. Decades since the first film, “Maverick” again used Naval Air Station Fallon. Set-jetters will find NAS Fallon closed to the public but open to current and retired military personnel/spouses bearing appropriate identification. Those curious to see Top Gun training flights can park on the opposite side from the military fence line at Fallon’s Pasture Road.

Pyramid Highway, Empire & Gerlach

“Nomadland” (2020)

Like many people and stories that fit a Nevada setting, this Best Picture Oscar winner resists traditional systems. The story stems from Jessica Bruder’s best seller, and director Chloe Zhao takes her camera to many of the book’s locations, including Empire (outside of Gerlach) and Fernley. Set-jetters will easily find the movie’s vistas along State Route 447 and can stop in the remnants of the town of Empire. Though the Amazon warehouse used in the movie closed after filming, the Desert Rose RV Park remains in business with a sign clearly visible from U.S. 50 in Fernley.

“Sin” (2003)

Director Michael Stevens could have filmed the story of a retired cop dealing with a past mistake in many places, but he chose northern Nevada for sentimental reasons. His grandfather George Stevens directed “The Greatest Story Ever Told” at Pyramid Lake in 1965. The younger Stevens makes Pyramid shine in opening and closing shots, and he also used the privately-owned Capurro Ranch on the northwest end of Pyramid Highway as a peaceful landing spot for Ving Rhames until violence sets him on the trail of Gary Oldman. The men finish business on a desert expanse featuring quicksand—not a typical danger in Nevada, so filmmakers went to the privately owned Misfits Flat near Stagecoach, where the owner let them dig a pit and fill it with sludgy sand.

Genoa

“Misery” (1990)

Movie magic used Sierra Nevada peaks in place of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain summits for Stephen King’s tale of a writer imprisoned by a psychotic fan. Facades were added to Genoa’s town front, and in Carson City, a house exterior was built in a meadow banked by looming mountains off Clear Creek Road. Director Rob Reiner told me on one of our scouts Kathy Bates would win an Oscar for her performance. I gave a non-committal answer because I knew little about her. Turns out he was right.

little aleinn rachel nevada — Little A’Le’Inn

Rachel & West Wendover

“Independence Day” (1996) and “Independence Day: Resurgence” (2016)

Nevada’s Area 51 is woven into the story about a hostile alien invasion, and set-jetters can catch ties to the two films by visiting regions associated with the real and reel location.

Extraterrestrial enthusiasts should land in Rachel—the closest town to the actual top-secret area—to visit the Little A’Le’Inn, which boasts burgers and an official movie monument. As for the reel Area 51, cast and crew stayed in West Wendover and shot local scenery. Filming occurred a mile over the border at Utah’s Historic Wendover Airfield and the Bonneville Salt Flats. Nevada shows up in the sequel with a glimpse of Wendover Will, a 64-foot metal cowboy who greets visitors near Interstate 80.

Carson City

“The Mustang” (2019)

The story features a state prison’s wild horse training program, pairing two similarly reticent characters—neither of whom plays well with others. The movie presents the healing bonds between human and animal in an unsentimental manner. Set-jetters can book a tour of the film location with Nevada State Prison Preservation Society. Try to catch a glimpse of the wild horses at nearby Washoe Lake State Park.

Lake Tahoe

“Smokin’ Aces” (2006)

“I just love the lake,” writer/director Joe Carnahan told me as we discussed his project, which brings assassins to Tahoe in a race to kill (smoke) a comedian nicknamed Aces. Carnahan’s vision drew an impressive cast: Ryan Reynolds and Ray Liotta, among others. Bit parts brought in Chris Pine and Ben Affleck, who both played Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan in other movies. Carnahan used the Hard Rock (now Golden Nugget) and Caesars (now Bally’s). The two Jack Ryans meet at Cave Rock State Park on Highway 50.