Traveling to iconic filming locations, or set-jetting as it’s called, remains one of the coolest ways to immerse oneself in the IRL settings of beloved movies and TV shows. Though Los Angeles and New York City may seem like prime shooting destinations, these days, unexpected locales often claim the spotlight as key filming locations. 

Take Fort Worth, Texas: The area’s architecture and cowboy culture have attracted Hollywood time and again (including for seminal films like Logan’s Run and shows like Walker, Texas Ranger). Now, thanks in part to competitive incentives offered to productions — and the area becoming a favorite hub of auteurs like Taylor Sheridan (whose series 1923, Lioness, The Madison, Landman, and Frisco King all use the Dallas-Fort Worth area as a home base for filming) — Cowtown has become the place to spot A-list stars like Michelle Pfeiffer, Samuel L. Jackson and Zoe Saldana at work. What’s more, the shining city often stands in for larger metropolises, like NYC, on film. 

Unlike when set-jetting in expensive LA or Brooklyn, those doing so in Fort Worth can access key filming locations without breaking the bank: many of the area’s celluloid hotspots are public places and cultural landmarks that are free or affordable to visit.

Downtown & Central Fort Worth: Make Believe NYC & More

Some of today’s hottest shows are shot in Fort Worth. Here are a few can’t-miss filming locations from the most binge-worthy series, all centered near the Kimpton Harper Hotel.

The Madison

Fans of The Madison may think Michelle Pfeiffer’s chic social settings were shot in the Big Apple itself, but thanks to Hollywood magic, the Fort Worth area stands in as NYC. Night shoots for the show were held on 7th Street between Taylor Street and Lamar Street, just blocks from the Kimpton Harper Hotel. Pfeiffer’s character, Stacy, and others are seen dining at Wicked Butcher (just a block and a half from the hotel), Clay Pigeon Food & Drink, and Cherry Coffee Shop, all of which stand in for design-forward NYC eateries. 

The Madison fans will also recognize several exteriors from the show in and around Fort Worth, including the building at 3001 W. 5th Street, which serves as a coroner’s office.

In Fort Worth’s Cultural District, just a ten-minute drive from downtown, you’ll find the incredibly chic place where Pfeiffer’s character is seen at a luncheon in the pilot episode. The sleek concrete, glass, and steel structure, designed by Tadao Ando, is actually the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Walk through the gallery in which the show was filmed and catch the museum’s world-class collection of art, which includes works by Marina Abramović, KAWS, Cindy Sherman, Kehinde Wiley, Francis Bacon, Marilyn Minter and Jean-Michel Basquiat, among others. Once you’ve got your visual fill, hit up the museum’s Cafe Modern for a stylish bite (think: burrata with pickled peach, mustard seeds and focaccia) that surely costs far less than what Stacy and her socialite friends shelled out for their lunch.¹

Lioness

The Madison isn’t the only show to make smart use of downtown’s modern environs. A scene from the first episode of season two of Lioness was filmed at il Modo Italian Restaurant inside Kimpton Harper Hotel. In spring of 2026, local news stations spotted filming for season three of Lioness in and around Wicked Butcher and the Sinclair Hotel at 512 Main Street.² The production was also reported as filming outside of restaurant Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse (812 Main Street).³

Frisco King

In spring of 2026, production for the series Frisco King (a spinoff of the popular show Tulsa King) shut down 4th St. between Commerce Street and Houston Street and near 505 Main Street,⁴ where star Samuel L. Jackson filmed scenes just steps from the Kimpton Harper Hotel. 

The series also filmed scenes in Downtown Fort Worth’s Tarrant County Courthouse (100 W Weatherford Street) in April of this year.⁵ The historic building, completed in 1895, is made of pink Texas granite and showcases American Beaux Arts Design through its restored dome, clock tower, and west portico. The building was also used as Rangers headquarters in the filming of the long-running television series Walker, Texas Ranger (April 1993-May 2001).⁶

Music Video Hot Spots

It’s not just TV series highlighting Fort Worth on screen: Hometown hero and Grammy winner Leon Bridges filmed his music video for his 2024 single, “That’s What I Love,” in Record Town.⁷ The legendary purveyor of new and vintage vinyl since 1957 is located near Trinity Metro’s T&P Station (where Robert Redford shot his final leading role). Meanwhile, the musician himself has been regularly spotted at favorite burger joint Kincaid’s. (His order? Bacon cheeseburger with extra pickle⁸).

Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar shot scenes from his 2022 “N95” music video all over Fort Worth, including at the cinematic Fort Worth Water Gardens (a free, immersive landmark just blocks from Kimpton Harper Hotel); Renzo Piano Pavilion at the Kimbell Art Museum; the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; and the Fort Worth Botanic Garden in Trinity Park.⁹

Nostalgic Film Classics

Logan’s Run (1976)

Kendrick Lamar isn’t the first creative to use the Fort Worth Water Gardens as an architectural backdrop. The cinematic location also served as a storytelling device in the post-apocalyptic film Logan’s Run. It’s here that Logan, Jessica, and an elder continue their quest while walking the steps of the fountains.¹⁰

Necessary Roughness (1991)

This comedy starring Scott Bakula as an underdog college football team’s great (but aging) hope filmed a bar brawl scene at IRL bar, Billy Bob’s Texas (2520 Rodeo Plaza¹¹). The unique watering hole, located in the Fort Worth Stockyards, houses music memorabilia (alongside the handprints of Ringo Starr and Willie Nelson); offers entertainment that spans live bull riding and line dancing; and serves a menu of elevated BBQ items, such as brisket elote.

Pure Country (1992)

In this nineties film, superstar George Strait plays (what else) a country star who gives it all up in search of love. In the movie, Strait’s character performs at Fort Worth’s Will Rogers Auditorium,¹² a historic venue adorned with art deco features. Check out the downtown hotspot for performances from acts that vary from Trey Songz to the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.

Walker, Texas Ranger (1993-2001)

In addition to featuring Tarrant County Courthouse, this Chuck Norris vehicle also filmed at White Elephant Saloon in the Fort Worth Stockyards – 106 E. Exchange, a venue that stood in as CD’s Bar.¹³

The Old Man & The Gun (2018)

In his final leading role as a San Quentin escapee in The Old Man & The Gun, Robert Redford filmed in plenty of locations in and around Fort Worth, such as the now shuttered Leonard Subway Tunnels, Tarrant County Jail and Trinity Metro’s T&P Station. But also on the call sheet were locations that make for intriguing visits. Topping our list are the Whiskey Ranch (a 112-acre property with a distillery that offers tours and tastings); Fort Worth Stockyards (a national historic district that features a farmers market on Saturdays, daily cattle drives, live music in historic dancehalls, western wear shops, and slow-smoked barbeque joints); and Thistle Hill (a three-story Georgian Revival manse¹⁴ with plenty of curb appeal).¹⁵

Where to Stay in Fort Worth

With architecture that goes neck and neck with NYC, it’s no wonder downtown Fort Worth has become a bustling filming hub. Situated right at its center is the Kimpton Harper Hotel, a contemporary haven within a thoughtfully restored, deco-era skyscraper. Whether taking in a bird’s-eye view of the city and surrounding plains from the hotel’s 24th-floor lobby (and lively bar scene) or hitting the surrounding streets for chic eateries, storefronts, and towers that mark today’s hottest shows, guests can’t help but zoom in on film and TV’s most notable locations. When calling a wrap on sightseeing for the day, return to guest rooms that feature handcrafted furniture and local art or enjoy bold, contemporary Italian cooking at il Modo Restaurant.

After touring Cowtown’s most iconic on-screen backdrops and storied streets, unwind at Kimpton Harper Hotel in the heart of Downtown Fort Worth. Want more cinematic magic? Check out our set-jetting guides to Brooklyn and Manhattan.

¹dfwi.org/item/downtown-fort-worth-transformed-for-filming-of-the-madison

²star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article314936557.html

³instagram.com/reel/DU6Nk65gh8R/?hl=en

⁴dfwi.org/item/paramount-series-filming-in-downtown-fort-worth-to-close-down-2-streets-this-week

⁵star-telegram.com/entertainment/fort-worth/article315564977.html

⁶star-telegram.com/opinion/bud-kennedy/article315127966.html

⁷fwtx.com/culture/leon-bridges-shoots-new-video-at-record-town/

⁸fortworth.com/explore/fort-worth-five/leon-bridges/

⁹cbsnews.com/texas/news/kendrick-lamars-latest-music-video-features-iconic-north-texas-locations/

¹⁰gov.texas.gov/film/trail/fort-worth-water-gardens and youtube.com/watch?v=_Iu7XGo_M9

¹¹filmdallas.org/about-us/dallas-film-tourism/

¹²gov.texas.gov/film/trail/will-rogers-auditorium

¹³filmdallas.org/about-us/dallas-film-tourism/

¹⁴tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/thistle-hill

¹⁵instagram.com/p/DQFj0h7Ec8q