What Street Did the Cruise in American Graffiti?

If you are a fan of classic American movies, you may remember the iconic 1973 film “American Graffiti.” The movie is set in Modesto, California, in the early 1960s and follows a group of teenagers as they cruise around town on their last night before leaving for college.

One of the most memorable scenes in the movie is the cruising sequence. The cars drive up and down the main street of Modesto, revving their engines, honking their horns, and showing off to each other. But what street did they actually cruise on?

The answer is 10th Street. In real life, 10th Street was the main cruising spot in Modesto during the early 1960s. It was a wide boulevard that ran through the heart of downtown and was lined with shops, restaurants, and theaters.

During the cruising era, 10th Street was closed to traffic on weekend nights so that teenagers could drive up and down without interference. The street would be packed with cars bumper-to-bumper as teens showed off their hot rods and classic cars.

The cruising culture was not unique to Modesto; it was a national phenomenon that swept across America during the 1950s and 60s. Teenagers would spend hours driving up and down their local main streets, listening to rock and roll music on their car radios, and socializing with friends.

In “American Graffiti,” director George Lucas captured this nostalgic era perfectly. The movie is filled with classic cars, oldies music, and teenage romance. It’s a love letter to a bygone era when life seemed simpler.

So next time you watch “American Graffiti,” remember that those iconic cruising scenes were filmed on 10th Street in Modesto. It’s a reminder of a time when cars were king and cruising was a way of life for American teenagers.