National Treasure

National Treasure was created in 2004 and stars Nicholas Cage, Diane Kruger, and Justin Bartha.  I love movies like this, that combine history with adventure -- and luckily, most of this movie's historical information is accurate -- although not completely.  They did have to bend history in the case of a few specifics in order to make the plot work.  For instance, the Silence Dogood letters aren't really housed in the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.  And obviously there is not really a treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence, or spectacles hidden at Independence Hall, etc.  But this movie will keep the interest of history buffs anyway, and it's really fun to have been to some of the filming sites from the movie.  The first National Treasure movie was filmed in a variety of locations, including Boston, Massachusetts, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and others.

*    Boston, Massachusetts

*    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

*    Washington DC

*    New York City

*    Strawberry Reservoir in Utah  

Boston, Massachusetts

I visited Boston in October 2025 and was specifically interested in the Old North Church because of its significance in the film.  The church is located at 193 Salem Street in Boston.  Their official website is here:  Old North Church  The google maps location is here:  Old North Church location  It costs $10 to visit the church in combination with the Crypt.  In the movie, Ben Gates throws off the villain Ian by making him believe the treasure was hidden underneath Old North Church.  He used a false clue about the two lanterns used as a signal by Paul Revere.  Here is the scene from the movie at Old North Church:  National Treasure at Old North Church

Old North Church in Boston:

Old North Church

Inside Old North Church

The window that Robert Newman escaped through

This is said to be the most correct likeness of George Washington anywhere

The area outside the church

Inside the crypt of Old North Church

Washington DC

Filming sites for National Treasure in Washington DC include:

*    Washington Monument

*    Jefferson Memorial

*    Lincoln Memorial

*    National Archives Museum

*    Library of Congress

You could walk between the five Washington DC filming locations in about an hour and a half.

We went on a Segway Tour through Washington DC several years ago.  We went to several different locations on segways, which was a unique way to tour DC.  The Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln monuments/memorials were part of the tour.  We've also just walked around Washington DC to see the various sights.  

This scene from the movie shows Washington DC sites such as the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives where the Declaration of Independence is housed:  National Treasure in Washington DC

our rainy Segway tour through Washington DC.  That's actually the White House behind us, which wasn't in this National Treasure movie, but it was in the second one!

Washington Monument

The Washington Monument appears in the background of the movie when Ben and Riley are discussing their plan for obtaining the Declaration of Independence.  I've visited the Washington Monument multiple times, but these photos are from our visit in 2018.  The Washington Monument is located here:  Washington Monument and their official website is here:  Washington Monument

When I visited Washington DC with my oldest son in 2008, we had fun pretending to hold the Washington Monument in our hands

I took this very grainy photo with my camera in the late 1980's when my family went to visit DC

Lincoln Memorial

Ben and Riley sit on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial while they plan how they will acquire the Declaration of Independence.  The Lincoln Memorial is directly across the reflecting pool from the Washington Monument, so both important Washington DC destinations are visible in this shot.  On our trip to DC in 2018 we were lucky to see the Lincoln Memorial multiple times, including on our Segway tour and when we did a walking tour at night.  The Lincoln Memorial is located here:  Lincoln Memorial and their official website is here:  Lincoln Memorial

my son on his segway - we toured in the rain, so we each had plastic rain covers over us

myself, my son, and husband at the Lincoln Memorial in 2018

The Lincoln Memorial on a rainy day in 2018

These are the steps that Ben and Riley sat on to discuss how to acquire the Declaration of Independence

inside the Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial at night

This photo at the Lincoln Memorial is of my dad, brothers, and I at the Lincoln Memorial back in the late 1980's when we visited DC

The National Archives Museum

The National Archives Museum is where the Declaration of Independence is held.  You can't actually take photos of the Declaration of Independence itself, so Riley video taping in the room & using a laser on his camcorder to overheat the sensors in the document is probably not something that would ever happen in real life.  Still, it makes a great movie plot.  The National Archives is located here:  National Archives Museum and their official website is here:  National Archives Museum

2018 with my son and husband at the National Archives Museum

The Heritage Statue outside the National Archives

Guardianship Statue outside the National Archives Museum

I went with another of my sons to Washington DC in 2008 and we visited the National Archives

2008

The Library of Congress

The Library of Congress only appears in the movie for a few moments as Riley is explaining to Ben the complexities of breaking into the National Archives Museum.  The Library of Congress is located here:  Library of Congress and their official website is here:  Library of Congress

The Library of Congress building in 2008

The Jefferson Memorial

The Jefferson Memorial was only shown briefly in the movie to establish that they were in Washington DC.  The Memorial is located here:  Jefferson Memorial and their official website is here:  Jefferson Memorial

The Jefferson Memorial in 2008 as we drove past it on a tour of Washington DC

I took this very grainy photo in the late 1980's when my family went to visit Washington DC and I was in high school.  This may have been the only time I have been inside the Jefferson Memorial, because it is a little bit more out-of-the-way than the other monuments and memorials and places of interest to visit in Washington DC

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Filming sites for National Treasure in Philadelphia include:

*    Independence Hall

*    The Franklin Institute

*    Old Pine Street Churchyard

You can walk to the three filming locations in Philadelphia in less than an hour:

The Franklin Institute

The Franklin Institute is where the Silence Dogood letters are housed. They are letters created by Benjamin Franklin when he was sixteen years old. He wanted to write for his brother's newspaper, but his brother wouldn't allow it, so he used this pseudonym.  The letters play a very important plot in the film.  In the movie, the letters are kept at the Franklin Institute, which is located here:  Franklin Institute  In real life, the letters are housed in the archives of the Massachusetts Historical Society.  You can read the original letters at this website:  Silence Dogood Letters  We visited Philadelphia in 2018, and although we didn't go inside the Franklin Institute, we did get some photos of the outside and of the Swann Memorial Fountain in front of it.  Here is the National Treasure Scene at the Franklin Institute:  National Treasure at Franklin Institute

The Swann Memorial Fountain is located in Logan Square right next to the Franklin Institute

The fountain was created in 1924 in honor of Dr. Wilson Cary Swann who built fresh water sources for the city.

From this viewpoint you can see the Philadelphia Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints behind the fountain.  

The Franklin Institute is visible in this photo

The Franklin Institute is viewed behind the fountain in this photo

The Franklin Institute on our visit to Philadelphia in 2018

Independence Hall

When we visited Philadelphia in 2018, we wanted to see the Liberty Bell and visit Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.  In the National Treasure movie, Ben Gates finds hidden spectacles at Independence Hall, and uses them to read "the map" on the back of the Declaration of Independence in the room it was originally signed in.  The official website of Independence Hall is here:  Independence Hall and its location is here:  Independence Hall  The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall appear in the movie in this scene:  National Treasure at Independence Hall

View of Independence Hall while standing in Independence National Historic Park

My husband, son James, and myself in 2018 standing in front of Independence Hall and the statue of George Washington

My son at the John Barry statue at Independence Hall.  He was the first commissioned officer of the US Navy.

My son at Independence Hall in 2018

George Washington in front of Independence Hall

The Liberty Bell, my husband, son, and myself in 2018

The Liberty Bell was created in 1753.  It cracked in 1846 and has not been rung since.  The bell originally hung in Independence Hall, but now resides in a nearby building, the Liberty Bell Center. The Centennial Bell now hangs in Independence Hall.

The official website of the Liberty Bell Center is here:  Liberty Bell Center

New York

Filming sites for National Treasure in New York include:

*    The Statue of Liberty

*    Trinity Church at Broadway & Wall Street

*    The Intrepid

Broadway Street used to be named Heere Street, so when Ben Gates discovers the clue that says "Heere at the Wall," he knows that it is actually referring to Broadway.  Trinity Church does not actually have five levels of winding staircases hidden beneath it, but you can visit the church here:  Trinity Church and their official website is here:  Trinity Church New York  In case you're wondering, there is not any real person named Parkington Lane.  He was created for the movie.  Also, the Freemasons that are buried at the church are not buried inside the church, but rather in the grounds outside the church.  Here's one of the scenes inside Trinity Church:  National Treasure Ben with FBI in Trinity Church

The USS Intrepid is located here:  Intrepid Museum  The USS Intrepid is a WWII aircraft carrier that was highlighted in the movie when Ben Gates jumps off its deck into the Hudson River, to be met by Ian Howe.  The official website is here:  Intrepid Museum  Here is a film from the movie at the USS Intrepid and Hudson River:  National Treasure at USS Intrepid

The Statue of Liberty is only shown for a few seconds in the movie, just to represent that they are in New York.  All 3 of the New York filming sites are located within a one hour drive of each other:

The official website of the Statue of Liberty is here:  Statue of Liberty  I haven't ever been on Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty up close, although I have admired it from the New York coast line many years ago when I was in high school:

My daughters at the Statue of Liberty in 2022

My view of the Statue of Liberty on a family trip to New York in the 80's

Utah

Only one filming site for National Treasure was located in Utah:

*    Strawberry Reservoir

Here is the scene from the movie filmed at Strawberry Reservoir:  National Treasure in Utah

Strawberry Reservoir is located near Heber, Utah and is a popular fishing spot.  It is the fifth largest lake in Utah.  Strawberry Reservoir was created by damming the Strawberry River, so it is a completely man-made reservoir.  It is located here:  Strawberry Reservoir