Albuquerque is the home to most of the iconic “Breaking Bad” filming locations. Also, it’s one of the biggest cities on Route 66 and warrants a few days of exploration. In addition to all the Route 66 attractions, many folks enjoy driving around the city and visiting as many “Breaking Bad” filming locations as possible.
Self-Guided “Breaking Bad” Tour
It’s been so long since filming wrapped up, so sadly most sites look very different. Gus’ industrial laundromat that housed the underground superlab felt the most recognizable. Nevertheless, it’s still exciting to see familiar places, imagine the filming taking place, and look for memorabilia left by the crew and fans.
Here are the seven iconic “Breaking Bad” filming locations you have to visit b*t⊂h!
- Walter White’s House
- Gustavo Fring’s Laundry Business & Meth Lab
- Los Pollos Hermanos (Gustavo Fring’s Chicken Restaurant)
- Saul Goodman’s Office
- A1A Car Wash
- To’hajiilee (Navajo Reservation)
- Walter White’s Gravestone
1. Walter White’s House
If you only have time to visit one location, make it Walter White’s house. Honestly, the most exciting part of our “Breaking Bad” tour took place in front of Walt’s house, located in Albuquerque’s Loma del Rey neighborhood. Owner Frances Padilla had no idea what she was getting herself into by agreeing to let film crews use the exterior of her home for filming. Moreover, Frances has lived in the home for over 40 years.
Fans would come by and throw pizzas on her roof and steal landscaping rocks for souvenirs until the fence was put up. Most days, visitors will find her sitting outside on the chair in her garage (pictured here) where she harasses anyone who drives near her home. For this reason, some say her goal is to ruin fan photos taken of the famous house.
The exchanges have gotten so bad that folks leave humorous/disgusted reviews online which are very funny/amusing to read. Interestingly enough, her husband is rumored to “sometimes” be a pure delight when sharing “Breaking Bad” stories and interacting with fans.
Reports indicate the older couple will NEVER sell the property. In the past, fans could see photos of the lady scowling at passing cars on Google Maps captures. Therefore, it makes you wonder if she simply lives to give any fan or passerby a hard time.
Update 2024: Unfortunately, the house is now blurred out on Google Maps and reviews have been turned off.
Location
3828 Piermont Dr. NE., Albuquerque
4 Popular Tours in Albuquerque
Below are the four most popular tours in Albuquerque. We recommend the hot air balloon ride, it’s stunning!
- 🎈 Albuquerque > Hot Air Balloon Rides at Sunrise 🌅
- 👻 New Mexico’s oldest Ghost Walk – Since 2001 > Ghost Tour of Old Town
- 💎 Turquoise Museum Visit > Self-Guided Tour
- 🍻 Curated Craft Beer Experience in the Land of Enchantment > ABQ Beer Tour
2. Gustavo Fring’s Laundry Business & Meth Lab
Owned by Gustavo Fring in the series, Lavandería Brillante is half industrial laundromat half meth lab. This is one of the few locations that look exactly like it did in the TV show. As a result, it’s easy to imagine Walt and Jesse strolling in to go to “work.”
Location
1617 Candelaria Road Northeast, Albuquerque
3. Los Pollos Hermanos (Gustavo Fring’s Chicken Restaurant)
Twisters, which proclaims to have the best breakfast burrito & hamburger in Albuquerque was replaced by the fictional Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant in “Breaking Bad.” This was the site of Gus’ restaurant and office. Also, you may go inside and sit in Walt’s booth and check out the memorabilia left by the fans and crew.
Location
4257 Isleta Blvd SW, Albuquerque
4. Saul Goodman’s Office
The Offices of Saul Goodman & Associates was where Saul Goodman, Attorney at Law, conducted most of his business. It is located in a strip mall in Albuquerque. Due to some renovations done on the exterior, the office doesn’t look very similar to the one in the show. However, it’s still fun to imagine Walt, Jesse, Saul, and Huell running around the parking lot.
Location
9800 Montgomery Blvd NE, Albuquerque
5. A1A Car Wash
Don’t forget to “Have an A1 day.” This was the phrase that Walter and Skyler created after purchasing the car wash. A1A Car At the time of filming, A1A’s real-life business name was “Octopus Car Wash.” It was one of the six Octopus brand locations scattered around Albuquerque. However, a few years ago it was purchased by Mister Car Wash. Visitors enjoy getting their car washed and taking a look at the memorabilia while they wait.
Location
9516 Snow Heights Cir NE, Albuquerque
6. To’hajiilee (Navajo Reservation)
Season 5, Episode 13 was named To’hajiilee, which refers to the Cañoncito Band of Navajos that are found in the western parts of Bernalillo, eastern Cibola, and southwestern Sandoval counties in the U.S. state of New Mexico, west of the city of Albuquerque. It is a Navajo phrase roughly translated into English as “Dipping Water”.
The “To’hajiilee” episode is perhaps the most important place in Breaking Bad‘s mythicism. It’s where Todd, Jack, and the rest of the white power Nazis get into a shootout with Hank and Gomez. Also, it’s where Walt hid his money from the world. Finally, and most importantly, it’s where Jesse and Walt first cooked together.
Location
Canoncito Indian Reservation
35.101965,-107.137223
7. Walter White’s Gravestone
The Walter White gravestone also has another crazy story behind it. As a fundraiser, local fans organized a mock funeral, mourning procession, and headstone placement at the city’s Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery. The headstone stayed at the cemetery until relatives of the deceased complained and the headstone had to be removed. As a result, it sits on a wall near one of the organizer’s steakhouse restaurants.
A mock funeral for the fictional meth-cooking star of “Breaking Bad,” Walter White, aka “Heisenberg” (played by actor Bryan Cranston) was held on October 19, 2013, shortly after the conclusion of the show. When the mourning procession placed a headstone at Albuquerque’s Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery, however, the relatives of the actual dead buried in the cemetery started to complain. Afterward, the grave was relocated to a strip mall where one of the fan funeral organizers owns a steakhouse.
The headstone avoids any direct mentions of Heisenberg’s criminal activities, only describing him as a “Beloved Husband, Father, Teacher, and Entrepreneur.” Another reference is found in the epitaph, which quotes from Percy Shelley’s poem Ozymandias, the title and theme of the AMC series’ antepenultimate episode.
Location
The grave is located outside Vernon’s Hidden Valley Steakhouse in the village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque about 7 miles from downtown Albuquerque. 6855 4th St NW, Albuquerque
Bonus – Walter White’s “New Hampshire” Cabin
In season 5, Ed, from Best Quality Vacuum, drives Walt in a propane truck to a remote New Hampshire cabin. However, the location is all Hollywood smoke and mirrors. Viewers who carefully watch the show may notice a snow-covered cactus tree in the outdoor shots. That’s because the cabin and bar/restaurant scenes were filmed in New Mexico!
Under the pseudonym Mr. Lambert, Walt kills several months in a backwoods cabin waiting for the nationwide manhunt to end. Moreover, on the show, the cabin is situated on two acres of property and the closest town is about 8 miles away.
In reality, the filming location for the cabin and New Hampshire snow scenes was filmed in the Sandia Mountains, a few miles outside Albuquerque. They were filmed near the peak, above 10,000 feet. Funny enough, the cabin is located only about 1 mile from the Sandia Peak Ski Area.
Location
The cabin was only used for exterior shots and quickly dismantled after shooting. Below is the location of the cabin.
Sandia Peak, New Mexico, GPS: 35.211379°, -106.443491°
Where to Stay
Do you want to visit Albuquerque to see “Breaking Bad” filming locations? If so, below are the best places to stay in the city by budget.
Budget: Quality Inn and Suites >indoor pool and hot tub, or Econo Lodge > located in the Old Town
Mid-Range: Hotel Albuquerque > one-of-a-kind experience
Luxury: Hotel Chaco > the best, most luxurious hotel in the city
What to Do
Are you visiting Albuquerque? Don’t forget to book a hot air balloon ride in the hot air balloon capital of the world. Especially, if you’re visiting in October when the largest hot air balloon festival in the world takes place, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta!
“Breaking Bad” diehards may be interested in taking the highly popular “Breaking Bad” RV Tour. As a result, this tour is considered a must for all fans of the series strolling through Albuquerque B*T⊂H!
There’s little doubt that even after all the years, Albuquerque is still Breaking Bad’s town. Also, everywhere you go, there’s some object or memorabilia that relates to the show.
Ironically, Albuquerque wasn’t chosen as the original filming location, it was originally supposed to be filmed in Riverside, California. Nevertheless, it’s hard to think of it being filmed anywhere else. Use the map below to visit every “Breaking Bad” filming location!
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