Friday Night Lights Filming Location Tour

     Last week we finished watching the TV series “Friday Night Lights” on Netflix.  I’m not sure why we didn’t watch it when it was actually on TV, but I’m kind of glad because getting we liked getting to watch multiple episode in a row.  I think one of the reasons we loved this show so much is because it really captured the essence of High School Football in Texas.  Really not just football, but Texas High School in general.  Jonathan and I met when I was a freshman and he was a Sophomore.  I think it took us back to “the good ‘ol days.”  Revisiting memories and remembering how it all started can be great for a relationship.  Needless to say, we really enjoyed watching this show together over the past few months.  

     One of the really cool things about this show is that it was pretty much all filmed on location and not on a sound stage. I had forgotten until we started the first episode that it was actually filmed all around the Austin area.  A lot of the first season was shot at Kuempel Stadium in Pflugerville, right in our backyard!  We decided that after we watched the entire series we would do a tour of all the primary filming locations around Austin.  We took our tour last Thursday and Friday.  Call us nerds, but we have been super excited about this and it definitely lived up to our expectations.  It’s the little things that make life exciting! 

  Our tour began Thursday evening with a stop at the football field and field house that they used for seasons 2-5.  It was an old field that they made to look like the stadium they used in the first season.  I didn't take a picture, but the field house is panther blue on one side and lion red on the other. 

 

This was the Panther's field, the Lion's field was an old run down field on the other side of it.  

We had dinner at the Applebee's that they used in the show.  It is where both Tyra and Julie worked.  They have since remodeled the Restaurant so it doesn't really look like it did in the show, but it was still really neat to eat there and of course we enjoyed the yummy food.  

Across the street from Applebee's is the dealership that they used for Garrity Motors.

Friday morning we headed out for the rest of out tour.  First we stopped by Kuempel Stadium, where a lot of the first reason was filmed. 

Can't you just picture Coach Taylor and the Dillon Panthers out on the field!

As I mentioned before, most of the show was shot on location.  They actually rented out houses around Austin for filming.  They all looked just like they did on the show (from the outside at least). This is Coach Taylor's house.  

Vince Howard's apartment

The Riggin's house

The Saracen's house

This DQ was "The Alamo Freeze" where Matt and Smash worked.  

Here is the "City Market" (now Arlan's Market) that was shown several times in the last two seasons.

We actually ate at the teen's popular hangout "Fran's Hamburgers" a while back.  We had no clue how significant the place was at the time lol. 

Trophy's bar and grill is right down from Fran's and is a club that Landry's band "Crucifictorious" played at on the show.

This was Buddy's Bar, where Tim Riggins ends up working in the last season of the show.

The Landing Strip is actually a real men's club.  Who would have thought?

This baseball field was used in some scenes as a practice field. 

These pictures are where my least favorite part of the series was shot.  When Landry and Tyra try to cover up their accidental murder by dumping the body in the river.  

We made a stop at Ray's BBQ, where Jess and Vince both worked and a popular East Dillon hang out.  The minute we stepped in the door and smelled the meat that Ray himself was cutting we regretted our decision to eat lunch at Subway.  We did treat ourselves to some yummy Blue Bell though.  

This place looked just like on the show both inside and out!!!

I wanted to save our favorite place for last and thought it only appropriate since this is where the show ended.  Tim Riggin's little piece of Texas!  It really is breathtaking and pictures don't begin to do it justice.  

I hope you enjoyed our tour of Dillon.  I know we sure did!  Below I have a map of all the locations in case you're in the area and want to see everything for yourself.  TEXAS FOREVER!

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