Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)





Friday Night Lights premiered on NBC and ran from October 3rd, 2006 to February 9th, 2011. Filming locations include Austin, Hutto, Manor, Pflugerville and Round Rock, Tx. The series was developed by Peter Berg, who directed two episodes as well, the season one Pilot and season four episode East of Dillon. He would also star in season two episode May the Best Man Win. Two years prior to the start of the series, Berg also directed the film adaption of Friday Night Lights which also starred Connie Britton and Brad Leland, who basically played the same roles as they would on the television series. Both the film and series, were inspired by the 1990 nonfiction book of the same name by H.G. Bissinger. The score was done by W.G. Snuffy Walden and Bennett Salvay. 


Montage scene - Round Rock Ave. Round Rock, Tx. 78681

In this quick season one shot the camera is looking east down Round Rock Ave. The historic 140 foot tall Round Rock water tower, which was constructed in 1935, can be seen in the distance.


2019


Montage scene - 101 FM 685 Hutto, Tx. 78634
(Hutto High School)

This was another quick montage shot from season one. It would also end up being used in the shows opening credits for every episode. It's Hutto Memorial Stadium, which was renovated in 2010 adding more seats, therefore widening the bleachers. Interestingly enough, Hutto High School sits directly next to the road where the van picks up the hitchhiker in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974).


2019


Herrmann Field - 1301 W. Pecan St. Pflugerville, Tx. 78660
(Kuempel Stadium)

This was the Dillon Panthers home field, named Herrmann Field after Pflugerville Panthers head coach at the time, George Herrmann. In 2016, Pflugerville built a new twenty-five million dollar football stadium directly across the street, so they no longer play their games at Kuempel Stadium. At some point in 2017, the east-side press box shown in my first comparison picture, was removed for some reason. Pflugerville High School was also where the prom scenes from Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation were filmed.


All "Now" pictures taken in 2019.




Saracen house - 3009 Kuhlman Ave. Austin, Tx. 78702

In 2016 the house was demolished and another one now stands in it's place.


2019


Riggins house - 2604 Lehigh Dr. Austin, Tx. 78723

The 1,477 square foot house was built in 1964. During my visit, the current owners had a Riggins #33 replica team yard sign in their front window, just like the one seen in his yard on the show. I thought it was really cool of them to embrace the fact their house was on a television show, unlike some owners who don't like that fans may want to visit a location from one of their favorite films or shows. Also, the house is just a stones throw from the Taylor house.


2019



Williams apartment - 2501 Rosewood Ave. Austin, Tx. 78702

Their apartment number was 1505.


2019


Taylor house - 6805 De Paul Cove Austin, Tx. 78723

The 1,846 square foot house was built in 1967.


2019

All "Now" pictures taken in 2022.



Garrity Motors - 6200 Interstate 35 Frontage Rd. Austin, Tx. 78745
(Capitol Chevrolet)

The dealership has been at this location since 1994.


2019


East Dillon football field/fieldhouses - Flow Ln. and Del Valle St. Austin, Tx. 78617

This was the former site of De Valle High School. The school was built in 1956. In 2000, it was demolished after a new school building was built at another location. The football and baseball fields were left abandoned, but mostly intact. The former baseball field was used as East Dillon's football field. Bleacher's, goal posts and a scoreboard were brought in for filming and then removed after filming concluded. Both Dillon and East Dillon's fieldhouses were at this location. That building still exists, however it's gated off. The Panthers entrance was in the front of the building while the Lions entrance was in the rear of the building. The old De Valle football field was used as Dillon's football field in the later seasons of the series. That same field was re-painted and also used as an away teams field when East Dillon played at the Mavericks in season four. When I visited this location I was somewhat amazed at how much it had changed and become overgrown during the eight years since the final season was filmed. I arrived to a large number of deer hopping and leaping through the fields. The stands to the old football field were still partly intact, however quite gutted. No bleachers and no press boxes. The wood was so rotten that I had to be careful where I stepped. There were even trees growing up through the stands. There's a Quality Inn close by and I bet that 99.9% of the people who stay there have no idea that scenes from one of the best television dramas ever were filmed right behind where they're staying the night.


All "Now" pictures taken in 2019.







Panther Fieldhouse


Tim Riggins' land - 7615 Burleson Manor Rd. Manor, Tx. 78653

At the time of my visit, the land still hadn't been developed and looked almost exactly as it did on the show. If you look toward the left sides of  both the screenshot and the comparison picture, you can barely see the skyscrapers from downtown Austin way off in the distance.


2019


Ray's B-B-Q - 6301 Monsanto Dr. Austin, Tx. 78741

At the time of my visit, it was the Jimenez Guerrero Tire Shop.


2022


Howard apartment - 2611 E. Cesar Chavez St. Austin, Tx. 78702


2022


The Landing Strip - 745 Bastrop Hwy. Austin, Tx. 78741

It was built in 1985. It can be seen at various points throughout all five seasons of the show. It can also be seen in Planet Terror and Varsity Blues.


2022


Covered basketball court - 2407 Canterbury St. Austin, Tx. 78702
(Metz Neighborhood Park)

The court has been there since at least the early 1980's. Most of the Holly Power Plant, seen in the background, was removed in 2018.


2022


Dillon Bus Depot - 4822 E. Cesar Chavez St. Austin, Tx.78702

The location makes two appearances in the series, Season 4 episode 6 "Stay" and Season 5 episode 13 "Always".


All "Now" pictures taken in 2022.



Coach Taylor kicks Luke & Vince out - northeast corner of* Shady Ln. and E. 5th St. Austin, Tx. 78702

There's now a bus stop at the location.


2022

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

2 comments:

  1. I am a 1991 graduate of Permian High School and attended Permian while the book was being researched, written and released. I now live in Pflugerville with my family and my son attends PHS. As you stated the high school now plays football games across the street at the new The Pfield Stadium but Keumpel Stadium is still used by Pfleugerville Middle School football team as their home stadium. My son played football while at PMS and it was pretty cool and a little nostalgic to see him in the Panther jersey on that field. Fun fact, he now plays Percussion in the PHS Pfightin Panther Band and they use Keumpel for all their marching practice. His Band Director is OD Wilson who is a former classmate of mine and was the Drum Major at Permian High School Band during the 1988 and 1989 football seasons.

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  2. My wife and I drove to Austin this weekend to visit the filming sights. We've watched the show 3 times. We had an ice cream cone at the DQ. Sorry the Saracen house is no longer there. The Riggings house looks really nice and the "Riggins" sign is still in the window. The Taylor house looks a little rough. We re-created Julie's route when she drove Ito the mail box. LOL. I've always enjoyed visiting filming sights. Thanks for your photos of past and current.

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