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Bastrop is a treasure trove for movie fans. From the gas station featured in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" to the backdrop to scenes in “Bernie,” several spots in Bastrop County have been featured on the big screen over the years.
Take a tour around some of the sites to complete the Bastrop County Film Trail:
“Hope Floats”
1. McCollum-Chapman-Trousdale House, 201 NE 8th St., Smithville
The McCollum-Chapman-Trousdale House is the principle house in the film “Hope Floats” featuring Sandra Bullock.
2. Honey’s Diner, 113 NE Second St., Smithville
Featured in the 1997 film, Honey's Diner can be found in downtown Smithville.
“The Tree of Life”
3. Main home, 709 Burleson, Smithville
Also filmed in Smithville, the principle house in “The Tree of Life” featuring Brad Pitt can also be found in Bastrop County.
4. Historic downtown, 200 Main St., Smithville
Downtown Smithville is the backdrop for many of the small-town Texas scenes in the film.
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
5. The Gas Station, 1073 Hwy. 304, Bastrop
A popular visitor stop, the gas station featured in the popular 1974 American horror film “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” sells Leatherface and other movie merchandise.
“Prince Avalanche”
6. Bastrop State Park, 100 Park Road 1A, Bastrop
Following the 2011 wildfires, writer-director David Gordon Green set scenes for his movie “Prince Avalanche” in the ashy aftermath as a setting for the American comedy-drama.
“Fireflies in the Garden”
7. T. A. Hasler House, 1109 Pecan St., Bastrop
Starring Julia Roberts and Ryan Reynolds, much of the movie was filmed at the T.A. Hasler House in Bastrop.
“Bernie”
8. Bastrop County Courthouse, 804 Pecan St., Bastrop
The Bastrop County Courthouse features as the San Augustine County courtroom in the film. Several scenes were also shot in the gazebo on the courthouse lawn.
9. First United Methodist Church, 1201 Main St., Bastrop
Filming also took place in the Bastrop Methodist Church on Main Street.
“Angels Sing”
10. Elbert S. Orgain House, 1704 Main St., Bastrop
The colonial-style Angels Sing Elbert S. Orgain house on Main Street is the setting of the film “Angels Sing.”
“Transformers: Age of Extinction"
11. Silo area, 301 E. First St., Elgin
Michael Bay's popular series “Transformers” featured scenes shot in Elgin.
“The Great Waldo Pepper”
12. Downtown Elgin, Main Street, Elgin
Incorporating various flying stunts, the 1975 drama adventure "The Great Waldo Pepper" was filmed in Elgin.
Also of note
Bastrop County is designated the film hospitality capital of Texas.
“The reality is that Bastrop County—all three cities in the county, Bastrop, Elgin and Smithville—are all certified film friendly, and they are very hospitable to project small to large, big budgets to little,” said Adena Lewis, Bastrop County tourism and economic development director.
According to Lewis, moviegoers flock to Bastrop County to see where scenes from some of their favorite films were filmed. Filming also helps support the local economy.
“It's fun to see your community up in the film or in the commercial, but it also brings a lot of economic development to the area,” Lewis said. “They just just spread their business all around the community.”
