Almost Nobody Knows That Parts Of The Iconic Movie Witness Were Filmed In These Pennsylvania Towns
By Beth Price-Williams|Updated on April 14, 2024(Originally published April 27, 2023)
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Beth Price-Williams
Author
A professional writer for more than two decades, Beth has lived in nearly a dozen states – from Missouri and Virginia to Connecticut and Vermont – and Toronto, Canada. In addition to traveling extensively in the U.S. and the U.K., she has a BA in Journalism from Point Park University (PA), a MA in Holocaust & Genocide Studies from Stockton University (NJ), and a Master of Professional Writing from Chatham University (PA). A writer and editor for Only In Your State since 2016, Beth grew up in and currently lives outside of Pittsburgh and when she’s not writing or hanging out with her bunnies, budgies, and chinchilla, she and her daughter are out chasing waterfalls.
Pennsylvania is certainly no stranger to Hollywood. Pittsburgh, in fact, has often been called Hollywood East while film crews are also a familiar sight in the Philadelphia area. That was the case in the mid-1980s when the iconic movie “Witness” was filmed in several Pennsylvania towns (and in Philadelphia). You might even recognize some of the Witness movie filming locations.
Starring Hollywood heavyweights Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis, "Witness" hit movie theaters nationwide in February 1985. The film intertwined a harrowing tale of murder with a sweet love story.
Filming in Pennsylvania took place over several months in 1984.
A young Amish boy witnesses a murder, which leads to Ford’s character, a police officer named Book, becoming his protector. As he watches over the boy and his mother, played by McGillis, the officer discovers some unsavory information about the police precinct.
Some of the scenes from the award-winning movie were filmed in Philadelphia, while others were shot in nearby small Pennsylvania towns, including Strasburg, where the farm where the family hid is set.
While tours of the farmhouse were once available, it has since been sold to an Amish family and is off-limits to tourists.
Witness also filmed in the small Pennsylvania town of Intercourse, including on Queen Street. Look for the scene where Ford’s character gets into a fight with several locals.
If you've been wondering, "Where was Witness filmed," now you know and can plan a visit to these memorable sites.
Unfortunately, the grocery store, W.L. Zimmerman & Sons, a grocery store that was also featured in "Witness," closed down nearly a decade ago. It, too, was a popular stop with movie buffs.
There’s still a W.L. Zimmerman & Sons in Intercourse; today, it’s a hardware store. The original shop, used in the film, was more than a century old.
The film features Amish characters, but they aren’t portrayed by Amish actors as the Amish believe it is against the Second Commandment to be filmed or photographed.
However, local Amish did work on the iconic Hollywood film by building sets, for example.
Did you know about the Witness movie filming locations in Pennsylvania? Have you seen the movie? What did you think? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! Then take a peek at these breathtaking views in Pennsylvania that belong on the silver screen.
If you’re planning to check out the filming locations of Witness, why not book a Vrbo and make a weekend getaway of it?
