A Real-Life 'Breaking Bad' Tour of Albuquerque
From Walt's house to the candy shop that produced the blue meth, see the Alburqueque spots that have starred in 'Breaking Bad.'
Steven St. John/NWDB
As the final season of 'Breaking Bad' comes to a close, anxious fans desperately wait to see what will become of Walter White. In the real world, however, the show has taken it's host city—Albuquerque—by storm. From tours to viewing parties, fans have been pouring in to see the real-life spots where the show's action comes to life. Albuquerque resident and professional photographer Stephen St. John takes us on a tour of Breaking Bad around the city.
Here, journalists from Brazil film in the Albuquerque driveway of the show's anti-hero Walter White. According to neighbors, the elderly couple who live in the home have had to add security fences to their property to keep over-zealous fans out of their backyard.
Steven St. John
A customer drives into The Octopus Carwash in Albuquerque. The carwash is featured prominently on the show as the business Walter and Skyler White purchase to launder their illegally-gained fortune.
Steven St. John
The Octopus has embraced its Breaking Bad fame, displaying headshots (some signed) of the cast, promoting artwork of the show on an outdoor wall near the office trash cans, and reminding customers to leave a tip for employees in a clear, plastic tip box adorned with an image of Heisenberg in his signature black shades and Pork Pie hat.
Steven St. John
Numerous scenes from the show were filmed at Albuquerque Studios in the new Mesa del Sol development. New Mexico offers a 30 percent rebate to television series under the so-called Breaking Bad Law signed by Governor Susana Martinez in April 2013 to help lure more productions to the state.
Steven St. John
The Crossroads Motel, notoriously known on Breaking Bad as "The Crystal Palace," has been featured on the show several times throughout its five seasons. It is most notably associated with the character of Wendy, a prostitute who lives in one of the rooms and works the ally behind the building.
Steven St. John
The neon dachshund sign for The Dog House is reflected in the hood of a customer's car at the Route 66 eatery, one of Jesse Pinkman's favorite haunts.
Steven St. John
In the first season, Marie Schrader, the wife of Hank, shoplifts a necklace for her sister Skyler White from Gertrude Zachary jewelry store.
Steven St. John
Downtown Java Joe is a popular breakfast spot in Albuquerque and is also known to Breaking Bad fans as crazy drug dealer Tuco Salamanca's hideout.
Steven St. John
Tourists snap pictures of Jesse Pinkman's house as the "BaD Tour," a 3.5 hour open-air trolly ride that "tours Walter White and Jesse Pinkman's Albuquerque," makes it's way through the Hunning Castle neighborhood. The house changed owners during season two and was remodeled. The "BaD" tour is currently sold-out through the end of September.
Hooligans Tavern moved into the building that was used to film the exterior of Saul Goodman's law office, which Walter White and Jesse Pinkman frequent whenever they are in desperate need of help. Their shady lawyer will be getting his own spinoff show Better Call Saul.
Hooligans Tavern hosts viewing parties of the final episodes of the series. The events, sponsored by Yelp, are organized by Miguel Jaramillo, bottom right wearing the Vamonos Pest t-shirt, who started an Instagram fan site which currently has over 9,000 followers.
Steven St. John
A packed crowd at the Hooligans Tavern viewing party reacts to the final scene of Season 5's "Rabid Dog" episode.
Steven St. John
During a cross-county drive from Oregon to Philadelphia, Asia Myers and Mary Elizabeth Smith take photos in front of local eatery "Twisters," which was home to "Los Pollos Hermanos," Gus Fring's chain of fast food chicken restaurants that served as a front for his illegal activities.
Steven St. John
Debbie Ball, aka "The Candy Lady," talks on the phone while bagging Breaking Bad candy which she sells for $1 in her Albuquerque retail shop. Ball created the prop blue crystal meth used in the filming of the first two seasons of Breaking Bad. "We didn't really think (the show) was going to succeed. We thought, nobody's really going to watch this, but I was wrong" said Ball. "Everybody is so excited about just being around the props that they used. People are excited about the show, and I've never seen this in anything else."
Steven St. John
Custom Pez candy dispensers featuring characters from Breaking Bad by local Albuquerque artist Steve White are for sale at The Candy Lady retail store and on the internet. White says the Breaking Bad characters are his most popular, and he has even sold some of them to crew members from the show.
Steven St. John
Breaking Bad-inspired products are displayed at a viewing party in Albuquerque. Brian Bailey, a local vendor who works at Guerrilla Graphix creating and selling the items, says, "People come from all over the world, and they might be grappling with english, but they know the Breaking Bad icons, and they're hot on it."
Steven St. John
The John B. Robert Dam in Albuquerque, known to Breaking Bad fans as "the pickup point" used by Walter and Jesse in season 5.
Steven St. John/NWDB
Gardunos restaurant, where the Whites and Schraders met for dinner, which lead to the popular social media hash tag #awkwardguacamole.
Steven St. John
The Civic Plaza in downtown Albuquerque, which figures prominently in one of the final few episodes of the show.
Steven St. John
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