Where Was Jingle All The Way Filmed?

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As a lifelong Midwesterner, I have always been proud of our region’s diverse landscapes and charm, but it wasn’t until watching “Jingle All the Way” that I truly appreciated just how film-worthy Minnesota is. Growing up here, I never thought much about the Mall of America or Nicollet Island Pavilion beyond a few shopping trips or summer concerts. But now, seeing these familiar places transformed into the backdrop for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Christmas escapades, it feels like I’ve stumbled upon a secret gem hidden in plain sight.

Instead of traditional favorites like “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “Elf,” some families opt for the less conventional choice, “Jingle All the Way.” This holiday movie, filled with humor, features Arnold Schwarzenegger as a busy dad trying to make up for missing his son’s karate graduation. To complicate things further, he overlooked buying the coveted Turbo Man doll that his son Jamie (Jake Lloyd) desperately wants for Christmas morning, mirroring a real-life toy craze from the ’90s.

In this storyline, Howard (Schwarzenegger), due to a chain of mistakes, unlawful acts, and encounters with authorities, finds himself starring in a Christmas parade, dressed as the active Turbo Man character. He subsequently battles Dementor, Turbo Man’s arch-nemesis. Contrary to appearances, this is not an actor in a costume; instead, it’s Myron (Sinbad), a postman who has developed a rivalry with Howard throughout the movie and is on a quest to find a Turbo Man action figure for his son. The boy ends up getting a real Turbo Man doll due to Howard’s accidental involvement in the parade, but eventually gives it to Myron, acknowledging that he already has the genuine article at home.

This movie, while having some flaws, is still a delightful choice for many during Christmastime. One reason people love it could be its small-town feel – you’ll notice scenes set in suburbs, on main roads, in warehouses, and even at a large shopping mall. Since the filmmakers used real locations extensively, viewers often ask where “Jingle All the Way” was actually filmed. The surprising answer is that it wasn’t shot in Hollywood!

Jingle All The Way Was Shot In Minnesota

Most of the movie ‘Jingle All the Way’ was filmed on location throughout Minnesota, with many scenes captured in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Edina. If you’re a local, it won’t be a shock to discover that the mall sequences were shot at the Mall of America (the nation’s largest mall) in Bloomington, Minnesota. Other shots were taken at 7th Place Mall and Mickey’s Diner in St. Paul. Mickey’s Diner played a significant role in one scene, as did the Nicollet Island Pavilion in Minneapolis, with the Hennepin Avenue Bridge nearby often featured. The radio station scenes were filmed at 360 Wabasha Street in St. Paul, and Linden Hills in Minneapolis made a brief but memorable appearance in one scene. The graduation scene for Jamie’s karate class was shot at Falcon Heights Elementary School in Minnesota.

In 1996, Andrew Peterson, a location assistant on the movie, shared with CBS that they chose Minnesota as their shooting location following numerous positive recommendations from fellow film industry professionals. As he explained, “Everyone was still asking, ‘Where’s the perfect place to shoot?’ And everyone adored shooting here; they simply couldn’t get enough of it.” It is worth noting that in the previous year, three films, including “Beautiful Girls,” “Fargo,” and “Feeling Minnesota” with Keanu Reeves, were all filmed in this region for approximately $18 million. Furthermore, according to Anne Healy-Shapiro, another location scout for “Jingle All the Way,” the film’s main actor played a significant role in their decision to come to this area. She stated, “It was Arnold Schwarzenegger who drew them here because he is fond of the Mall of America.” The parade scene was the only part of the movie filmed outside of Minnesota, taking place at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.

Are you curious about how many of these locations from the movie you can identify? Here are some streaming options for “Jingle All the Way” this festive season.

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2024-12-05 12:59