Fire Station No.23 - Ghostbusters HQ

Equipment Other Props
1

I discussed with Ron where best to put this, and after a while he figured that this would be the most sensible place to post this topic (until we deign it worthy to create a subforum for buildings).

Here, I’d like to dedicate a topic to the cateloguing and discussion of LAFD Fire Station No.23, used as the interior of Ghostbusters HQ.

The station was built in 1910 and was the first concrete structure in the greater Los Angeles area. It also happened to be not particularly popular with the public of the day nor very practical, it was built with horse stalls in mind despite the fact at the time the horse drawn engines were being phased out, and at a cost of $60,000 in 1910 with features such as a marble fireplace, imported Italian tile in the engine bay, French bevel mirrors and imported Honduras and Peruvian Mahogony for the Captain’s Quarters.

Despite these, however, Station 23 has become one of the most frequently seen Fire Stations thanks to its numerous Television and film appearances since it was decommissioned back in 1960.

The lengthy roll call of film and TV cameos is as follows:

Firehouse - 1960

Hammett - 1982

Ghostbusters - 1984

The A-Team* - 1985

Big Trouble in Little China -1986

Ghostbusters II - 1989

A Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder - 1990

Flatliners - 1990

V. I. Warshawski - 1991

The Mask - 1994

Mother (AKA The Haunted Heart) - 1996

Set It Off - 1996

Lost Highway - 1997

Suicide Kings - 1997

Flashpoint - 1998

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - 1998

National Security - 2003

RE(e)volution - 2005*

CSI: New York - 2008

Shows/films marked with an asterix are ones I haven’t had the opportunity to watch and see what shots of the station they have.

I’ve got a nice collection of images, ranging from a plethora of screenshots from the above sources, as well as candid shots of the station which I’m planning to post here in the next couple of days which I’ll kick off with some shots from Flashpoint:

2

You would post screen caps from the only ADULT film shot in that place, you old horndog! Just kidding. It’s actually interesting to see all of the films shot there. I didn’t recall a firestation in “Big Trouble in Little China”; I’ll have to look for it the next time I watch that. I love that movie!

3

Shortly before Burton and Egg Shen’s forces enter Lo Pan’s hideout, they gain entry to the San Fransisco sewars via a access hatch in the hose tower of a disused firehouse (LA 23). :slight_smile:

4

I didn’t think it was disused, I thought it was Egg’s base of operations for his bus tours. I haven’t watched it in awhile either - might be time again.

5

cool

6

Well, disused to the point where it’s no longer a active Firestation. :slight_smile:

7

What was RE(e)volution Ben?

Not like a sequel to Evolution was it :-?

8

Not as far as I’ve seen, I’ve found pretty much nothing of it online, which makes me wonder if it was even released in the US… a shame as I would’ve liked to have seen what potential material it had… but these things happen.