Eureka is a historic Gold Rush town high up in Northern California, known for its dramatic redwood forests and charming Victorian homes. It also happened to serve as a primary filming location for Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which took home the Oscar for Best Picture at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday!
The epic action thriller was filmed almost entirely in California, from the streets of Sacramento to Anza‑Borrego Desert State Park. Scenes were captured in several historic small towns in Northern California, including Trinidad, Arcata, Cutten, and, of course, Eureka.
Here’s a closer look at the on-screen locations in Eureka from the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn, and Chase Infiniti…
🚨 Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD!
Eureka filming locations from One Battle After Another
Eureka High School
One prominent filming location was Eureka High School, which stood as the fictional “Baktan Cross High” where Willa (Infiniti) is a student. According to SFGATE, Anderson visited the school’s actual prom, took notes of fashion trends and the songs played, and even used actual Eureka High School students as extras for the high school dance scenes in the film.
The school also served as the backdrop for scenes where Bob (DiCaprio) speaks to Willa’s teacher, and where students are pulled in for questioning.
Sequoia Park
After Bob (DiCaprio) escapes through an underground tunnel, he emerges into a forested area with abandoned cars, a sequence which was recorded at Eureka’s Sequoia Park.
Bob and Willa’s off-the-grid cabin is reportedly located in Kneeland, a rural community several miles from Eureka.
Visiting Eureka
While the Eureka cameos in One Battle After Another were exciting to watch, the city has plenty to offer that didn’t make it to the screen.
One of Eureka’s most memorable attractions is the Redwood Sky Walk, located in the aforementioned Sequoia Park. It’s an ADA-accessible, elevated pathway suspended 100 feet up in the redwood canopy, where guests can wander for nearly a quarter mile through some of the tallest trees on the planet.
The historic seaport on Humboldt Bay dates back to the mid-1800s as a fishing and logging port, and it still has over 150 historic structures preserved in the Old Town Eureka Historic District.
