Ghostbusters

When three disgraced parapsychology professors decided to go into the ghost-catching business, they set up shop in a decommissioned Tribeca firehouse — giving one of New York’s finest Beaux-Arts buildings its most famous role.

Hook & Ladder Company No. 8 at 14 North Moore Street became the Ghostbusters’ headquarters. The firehouse was scouted by Dan Aykroyd, who knew the Tribeca neighbourhood well and was drawn to its distinctive arched entrance and ornate brickwork.

„Ray, when someone asks you if you’re a god, you say yes!”

Built in 1903, the firehouse was originally twice its current width. In 1914, the widening of Varick Street forced the building to be literally cut in half — making it one of the rare single-ladder companies in the city.

Only the exterior was used for filming. The Ghostbusters’ interior was built inside a decommissioned Los Angeles firehouse. The film’s climax was shot at 55 Central Park West, a 1929 Art Deco tower known to fans as „Spook Central.”

In 2011 the firehouse was threatened with closure but saved by Steve Buscemi and future mayor Bill de Blasio. A $6 million renovation completed in 2018 restored it fully. It still bears the Ghostbusters logo above its entrance.