Locations
Scene: ACL Live at the Moody Theater
Faye (Mara) and BV (Gosling) walk through the patio of ACL Live at the Moody Theater, one of Austin’s most famous music venues.
Location: ACL Live at the Moody Theater (310 W Willie Nelson Blvd, Austin, TX 78701)
Scene: Fun Fun Fun Fest
There are a number of musical performances filmed at the Fun, Fun, Fun Fest, a music festival that used to take place at Austin's Auditorium Shores. Faye (Mara), BV (Gosling) and Cook (Fassbender) hang out back stage and watch the artist from side stage, including a band fronted by a wild Val Kilmer.
Location: Auditorium Shores (900 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78704)
Scene: Omni Austin Hotel Downtown
Faye (Mara) wanders through the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown property after ending things with BV (Gosling) and Cook (Fassbender). Scenes from "Spy Kids" were also filmed at the Omni Hotel.
Location: Omni Austin Hotel Downtown (700 E Eighth St, Austin, TX 78701)
Scene: ASTI Trattoria
ASTI Trattoria in Austin's Hyde Park neighborhood is where record executive Cook (Fassbender) meets Rhonda (Portman), who is waiting tables at the amazing Italian restaurant.
Location: ASTI Trattoria (408 E 43rd St C, Austin, TX 78751)
Scene: Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
Cook (Fassbender) and Rhonda (Portman) take in a University of Texas football game.
Location: Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium (2139 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78712)
Scene: Mueller Austin
Rhonda (Portman) and her mother Miranda (Hunter) look on at the construction of the house that Cook (Fassbender) bought for Miranda. This location is part of the (now completed) Mueller Austin neighborhood which includes residential, shopping and dining options and is just east of the beautiful Mueller Lake Park walking trails.
Location: Mueller Austin (4550 Mueller Blvd, Austin, TX 78723)
Scene: Enchanted Rock
Faye (Mara) and BV (Gosling) have a romantic adventure dancing on the large granite rock in the heart of the beautiful Hill Country, just outside Fredericksburg.
Location: Enchanted Rock (16710 Ranch Rd 965, Fredericksburg, TX 78624)
Scene: Austin City Hall
Cook (Fassbender) looks down into Austin City Hall from the third floor. Austin City hall was also a location in "We Can Be Heroes" as home-base to the superheroes.
Location: Austin City Hall (301 W Second St, Austin, TX 78701)
Scene: ACL Fest
During a sequence filmed at the annual ACL Festival, BV (Gosling) hangs out with musician/actress Li Lykke and Faye (Mara), while Cook (Fassbender) charms Rhonda (Portman) as they watch the show from the VIP area above the stage. Cook and his friends also wander around the Zilker Park crowd and meet up with the Red hot Chili Peppers. Scenes for the first episode of "Walker" were also filmed at Zilker Park during a quieter time.
Location: Zilker Park (2207 Lou Neff Rd, Austin, TX 78746)
Scene: Abandoned Building
Rhonda (Portman) and her mom Miranda (Hunter) are working on rehabbing an empty building. A few years later, this location became the amazing YETI Austin Flagship store, just south of the famous Congress Avenue Bridge where the Austin colony of bats make their nightly outing for dinner from May-September.
Location: YETI Austin Flagship Store (220 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704)
Scene: Hike-and-Bike Trail Pier
Faye (Mara) walks her dog along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, onto one of the wooden piers on the north side of Lady Bird Lake. Located almost directly behind the Four Seasons Hotel, the spot is a fantastic place to view the Congress Avenue bats from Spring through early Fall.
Location: Hike-and-Bike Trail - Pier
Scene: The Long Center for the Performing Arts
BV (Gosling) and Lykke Li dance on the Long Center lawn, with the beautiful Austin skyline in the background.
Location: The Long Center for the Performing Arts (701 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78704)
Scene: Emma S Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center
Faye (Mara) and Cook (Fassbender) wander through the grounds of the Emma S Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center.
Location: Emma S Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (600 River St, Austin, TX 78701)
Scene: Downtown Austin Sequences
There are so many wonderful, quick shots highlighting downtown Austin in "Song To Song," it’s worth mentioning a few that stand out (if only for a glimpse), including:
- Faye (Mara) and BV (Gosling) driving down Sixth Street in a convertible.
- Amanda (Blanchett) walking down Second Street.
- BV rowing on Lady Bird Lake underneath the MoPac Bridge.
Location: Sixth Street and Congress Avenue (600 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701)
Location: Second Street and Congress Avenue (200 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701)
Location: Lady Bird Lake under MoPac
Scene: Under I-35
At sunset, Faye (Mara) and BV (Gosling) watch two swans swimming under the duel north and south IH35 bridges, located on the Hike-and-Bike Trail at East Avenue.
Location: Under I-35 at East Avenue
Scene: Vespaio
Faye (Mara) and her father (Coleman) can be seen dining at Vespaio, a popular wine bar and Italian restaurant on South Congress. Visit the restaurant yourself, which is regarded as one of the best Italian spots in Austin.
Location: Vespaio (1610 S Congress Ave S, Austin, TX 78704)
Scene: Hotel San Jose
Faye (Mara) and her father (Coleman) visit her seemingly bare-bones apartment, which is actually a room at the chic bungalow-style Hotel San Jose. This hotel is located on the vibrant South Congress Avenue.
Location: Hotel San Jose (1316 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704)
Scene: Hotel Saint Cecilia
Hotel Saint Cecilia, a stylish boutique hotel off South Congress Avenue, served as a major set during the movie. Scenes included singer/songwriter Patti Smith and Faye (Mara) chatting at length as well as BV (Gosling) and Lykke Li playing the keyboard on the black-and-white striped terrace.
Location: Hotel Saint Cecilia (112 Academy Dr, Austin, TX 78704)
Scene: Lustre Pearl
The scene where Rhonda (Mara) and Miranda (Hunter) talk near a jukebox was filmed at the original Lustre Pearl bar on Rainey Street. The structure was moved to East Austin after filming.
Location: Lustre Pearl East (114 Linden St, Austin, TX 78702)
Scene: Shangri-La
BV (Gosling) and Faye (Mara) make out in front of the distinctive Shangri-La bar on East Sixth Street.
Location: Shangri-La (1016 E Sixth St, Austin, TX 78702)
Scene: Neon Grotto
Formerly known as the Hangar Lounge, this rooftop bar on Colorado Street is where BV (Gosling) and Cook (Fassbender) get into an argument over the direction of BV's record. During the scene, BV smashes a beer bottle and spits on the ground.
Location: Neon Grotto (318 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701)
Scene: Rain
In the middle of the Warehouse District, BV (Gosling) and Cook (Fassbender) continue to have a drawn out argument over BV’s record. This scene was shot down the street from one of Austin’s best clubs, Rain on 4th.
Location: Rain (217 W Fourth St, Austin, TX 78701)
Scene: Cenote
BV (Gosling) and Faye (Mara) awkwardly sip cups of coffee on the couch inside the East Cesar Chavez cafe, Cenote.
Location: Cenote (1010 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702)
Scene: Perla’s
BV (Gosling) and Amanda (Blanchett) dine at Perla's, a laid-back seafood and oyster bar on South Congress with a shaded patio and distinctive blue-and-white striped umbrellas.
Location: Perla’s (1400 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704)
Scene: Home Slice Pizza
Faye (Mara) and Zoey (Marlohe) dance in the street on South Congress Avenue, just outside of Home Slice Pizza.
Location: Home Slice Pizza (1415 S Congress Ave, Austin TX 78704)
Scene: Mohawk Austin
The film is bookended with Faye (Mara) at the Mohawk music venue. At the beginning, she is taking in a show from the patio deck at the Red River venue. At the end of the film, she is alone in the empty club.
Location: Mohawk Austin (912 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701)