Nearly four decades after Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America debuted, fans are still retracing Prince Akeem’s unforgettable journey from the fictional African kingdom of Zamunda to the streets of New York City. Although the beloved 1988 comedy is largely set in Queens, movie magic tells a different story. From Brooklyn neighborhoods standing in for Queens to Hollywood studios creating royal palaces, the film cleverly stitched together locations across New York and Los Angeles. Here’s where Coming to America was really filmed, and what many of those iconic places look like today.
Zamunda Was Created In Hollywood, Not Africa
The lavish kingdom of Zamunda may have looked like an African paradise, but nearly all of its royal interiors were built on soundstages at Paramount Studios in Hollywood.
The ornate palace where Prince Akeem, Eddie Murphy, lived under the watchful eye of King Jaffe Joffer, James Earl Jones, was entirely constructed for the film. Production designers filled the sets with towering columns, extravagant décor, and elaborate costumes that helped establish Zamunda as one of cinema’s most memorable fictional kingdoms.
The palace gardens were filmed hundreds of miles away at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. The lush Palm Garden, complete with exotic landscaping, elephants, and zebras, provided the perfect backdrop for the early scenes between Akeem and his father.
The Huntington Gardens have also appeared in several other productions, including Memoirs of a Geisha, The Wedding Singer, The Nutty Professor, and American Wedding.
The Movie’s “Queens” Was Actually Partly Brooklyn
One of the biggest surprises for fans is discovering that the neighborhood Akeem proudly asks to visit, the “most common part of Queens”, wasn’t always Queens at all.
After arriving at Terminal 7 of the John F. Kennedy International Airport, Akeem and Semmi ask a taxi driver to take them somewhere ordinary. Although the story is set in Queens, director John Landis filmed parts of these scenes in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, using the neighborhood to portray where the prince begins his new life.
The apartment building where Akeem and Semmi rent their modest home still stands at 392 South 5th Street at the corner of Hooper Street. In the film, the ground floor housed the lively My-T-Sharp Barbershop, where much of the comedy unfolds through memorable conversations featuring several characters played by Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall.
Today, the building has been renovated as Williamsburg has transformed dramatically over the past several decades. The old storefront has become an art gallery, while the once-gritty block now sits within one of Brooklyn’s most fashionable neighborhoods.
The contrast makes the location all the more fascinating for longtime fans, who can still recognize the building despite its modern appearance.
McDowell’s Was A Real Fast-Food Restaurant Before It Disappeared
Perhaps no fictional restaurant has become more famous than McDowell’s.
Owned by Cleo McDowell, played by John Amos, the restaurant famously boasts that it has the “Golden Arcs” instead of the “Golden Arches,” poking fun at McDonald’s throughout the movie.
The exterior wasn’t built on a studio lot. Instead It was a functioning Wendy’s restaurant located at 85-07 Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst, Queens. Production crews temporarily transformed the building into McDowell’s by replacing the signage while leaving the structure itself intact.
For years after the film’s release, fans visited the restaurant simply because it had appeared in one of Eddie Murphy’s most iconic films.
Unfortunately, the original building no longer exists. The Wendy’s was demolished during redevelopment, and a large residential complex now occupies the site. The neighboring row of businesses which once featured the unforgettable Soul Glo billboard has also disappeared, leaving old photographs and scenes from the film as the only reminders of what once stood there.
New York Landmarks Helped Tell Akeem’s Love Story
Beyond Queens and Brooklyn, Coming to America showcased several famous New York landmarks that remain recognizable today.
Akeem’s arrival in America was filmed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, helping establish the excitement of his first visit to the United States.
His relationship with Lisa McDowell, Shari Headley, unfolds across several memorable locations. Their double date includes a basketball game at Madison Square Garden, one of the world’s most famous sports arenas.
Later, the couple enjoys one of the film’s most romantic moments while dining at The River Café beneath the Brooklyn Bridge. The acclaimed waterfront restaurant continues to operate today and remains a popular destination thanks to its spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline.
Nearby, Empire-Fulton Ferry Park provided the setting for one of Akeem and Lisa’s quiet walks together, adding another scenic Brooklyn location to the film.
Meanwhile, King Jaffe Joffer and his royal entourage naturally choose luxury accommodations at Manhattan’s legendary Waldorf Astoria Hotel, reinforcing the striking contrast between Akeem’s royal upbringing and the humble life he chooses to experience in New York.
Movie Magic Changed More Than Just The Neighborhoods
The filmmakers also relied on clever production tricks throughout the movie.
One of the biggest examples comes during the emotional subway sequence after Lisa learns Akeem’s true identity. Although the scene is meant to take place in Queens, much of it was actually filmed on unused platforms inside Brooklyn’s Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets Station.
The rarely used tracks have appeared in numerous productions over the years because they allow filmmakers to shoot without disrupting everyday subway service. The station has also been featured in The Warriors and Michael Jackson‘s iconic “Bad” music video.
Even the McDowell family home wasn’t located in New York. The elegant residence used for exterior shots sits in Los Angeles’ Hancock Park neighborhood, proving once again that Hollywood often finds creative ways to recreate New York without ever leaving California.
Why Fans Still Visit These Locations
Although many of the filming locations have changed since 1988, Coming to America continues to inspire movie lovers to seek them out.
Some landmarks, including Madison Square Garden, The River Café, JFK Airport, and the Williamsburg apartment building, remain instantly recognizable. Others, like the original McDowell’s restaurant, survive only through the film itself.
The success of 2021’s Coming 2 America also introduced a new generation to the original comedy, sparking renewed interest in the places where Prince Akeem’s journey unfolded.
Whether it’s standing outside the famous apartment building in Brooklyn or imagining the Golden Arcs where McDowell’s once welcomed customers, these filming locations remain an enduring part of one of Eddie Murphy’s most beloved comedies. Nearly 40 years later, they continue to remind fans that a fairy tale about a prince searching for love found its perfect home in the streets of New York, and a little bit of Hollywood magic.
