After visiting Frame of Mind Pictures in Glendale, California to see the David Lynch-themed art exhibit, I quickly stopped by the film location that served as the Buckhorn Police Department exterior in Twin Peaks. This historic building is now home to the Los Angeles Police Museum and it appears a few times throughout Season 3.
WHERE IS BUCKHORN POLICE DEPARTMENT EXTERIOR LOCATED?
This building is found at 6045 York Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The approximate coordinates are 34°07’04.3″N 118°11’15.8″W. Most likely the crew set up across the street in front of Coco’s to capture some of the exterior shots.
Most likely the exterior scenes were captured on November 6, 2015 as this was the same day that several interior scenes were shot inside the building.
I first identified this location on June 21, 2017, just a few days after Part 7 had aired on Showtime . I found it by searching for “Police Station Number 11” which was seen on the building’s exterior. Results immediately returned images of the Highland Park Police Station. For some reason, I listed the wrong street number in that tweet (should be 6045 York Blvd., not 6056).
HISTORY OF THE HIGHLAND PARK POLICE STATION
The Highland Park Police Station Number 11 opened in April 1926 after more than a year under construction. The two-story, Renaissance Revival-style building was designed and built by the City of Los Angeles Construction Department.
Estimated costs for construction were $67,500 but the actual costs, with furnishing and equipment, ballooned to $94,500 (approximately $1.4 Million in 2020).
Once the station opened, 50 personnel were assigned including, clerks, five detectives and two traffic investigators.
According to a Los Angeles Times article from September 7, 2003, the building was declared a city historical landmark in 1972. Nearly a decade later, the Los Angeles County Grand Jury reported that the “building was so dangerously deficient in safety measures that a fire or earthquake ‘would almost certainly result in a loss of lives.’
The building sat vacant until it was saved by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission. In January 1984, the building was declared a Historic Cultural Monument (HCM #274), and was added to the National Register of Historic Places two months later in March 1984. It is the only precinct police station in California listed on the National Register.
In 1989, the Los Angeles Police Historical society was formed with the mission of “creating a world-class museum that would display the rich history of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).” Known today as the Los Angeles Police Museum, the organization took over the historic building in 2000.
Throughout the years, active LAPD officers have worked out of the office. It’s also been featured in numerous films and television shows. I would have gladly toured the museum the day I visited but it’s temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
APPEARANCES OF BUCKHORN POLICE DEPARTMENT IN TWIN PEAKS
The station appears early on in Part 1 from Season 3.
This is the only time we’ll see “Buckhorn Police Department” splashed across the screen.
Here’s a similar shot from my brief visit on October 15, 2020. The curb still hasn’t been repainted, and an American flag still flies outside.
The same previously used establishing shot is shown again later in Part 1.
The camera then cuts to a closer view of the station’s front door.
I didn’t have my reference photos the day I visited as this was a last minute trip. I remembered there was a closer shot but I couldn’t recall how it was set up. I should have ran across the street to capture it, but I guess that means I’ll have to return again one day.
The same establishing shot from Part 1 will be used again two more times in the series in Parts 7 and 9.
For my next visit, I really need to wear this Buckhorn Police tee-shirt from BoxLunch.com.
