Twin Peaks Location – FBI Room at Hotel in Buckhorn, South Dakota

Collage of the FBI Hotel room in Buckhorn, SD

The exploration of the film locations used for the hotel in Buckhorn, South Dakota continues with a look at the FBI Room. Seen in Parts 14, 16, and 17, this location was shot in the same building in Los Angeles as the Blue Rose Task Force meeting scene in Part 12.

WHERE IS THE FBI ROOM AT HOTEL IN BUCKHORN, SOUTH DAKOTA LOCATED?

Google Maps Aerial view of Downtown Los Angeles
Google Maps

Located at 431 West Seventh Street in downtown Los Angeles, California, the Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC) is a private club with state-of-the-art athletic facilities. The Los Angeles Athletic Club Hotel occupies the top three floors of the 12-story historic landmark building. The hotel includes a variety of Signature Suites as part of their 72 room.

Oyster.com image gallery
Oyster.com

When researching this location, I stumbled upon Oyster.com which had 42 images of the Racquet Club Suite in room 1115 at the hotel. I immediately recognized the carpet which lead me to conclude this was the room they used.

I first shared my findings on October 15, 2017 via Twitter.  But here is a deeper dive into the three episodes that used this location.

FBI ROOM AT HOTEL IN BUCKHORN, SOUTH DAKOTA FROM PART 14

Agents Present and Rosenfield sitting at a desk with MacBooks
Part 14

The room first appears in Part 14 when Agents Preston and Rosenfield discuss the first Blue Rose case from 1975.

Agents Preston and Rosenfield discuss
Part 14
Agents Preston and Rosenfield discuss
Part 14

They discuss the significance of the last words said by Lois Duffy, the dying woman from that first case. As an aside, I would give anything to see a series about the early Blue Rose cases featuring a younger Gordon Cole and Phillip Jeffries!

Oyster.com Hotel Room with bed and desk
Oyster.com

This image from Oyster.com shows the same room where this scene took place. Notice the carpet and curtains. The bed and other furniture was removed and replaced with set pieces.

Oyster.com - Desk and Chair in hotel room
Oyster.com

It appears that Albert was seated in front of the window that is partially covered by the television screen. Tammy sat in the spot where the chair was located.

Part 14 - David Lynch at the door
Part 14

Gordon Cole enters and announces that it’s “coffee time!”

Agents Preston and Rosenfield at a desk surrounded by computer equipment
Part 14

Tammy proceeds to get coffee as Cole tells Albert that Diane Evans is on her way to the room.

Oyster.com - Hotel room with bed and desk
Oyster.com

Here’s another look at the room from Oyster.com.

Window in hotel room
Part 14
Window washer seen through curtains in hotel room
Part 14

Suddenly a window washer appears outside the window behind Tammy’s seat.

Gordon Cole grabbing ears
Part 14

The noise from the window washer’s work drives Cole nuts. He subsequently turns down his hearing device.

View from the balcony of a hotel room
Oyster.com

The balcony details faintly seen in the episode are more pronounced in this image from Oyster.com.

Diane Evans entering the hotel room
Part 14
Diane Evans sitting in a chair in a hotel room
Part 14
Diane Evans standing in a hotel room
Part 14

Diane enters the room and speaks with Cole and team about Garland Briggs and her estranged half-sister Janey-E who is married to Dougie Jones and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Bed in a hotel room with a bench
Oyster.com

Diane sits along the wall where the bed is located in this photograph from Oyster.com. The framed artwork in the episode above Diane’s green chair could have been strategically placed to cover the holes made after the light fixtures above the bed were removed.

Gordon Cole remembering
Part 14
Gordon Cole speaking to Agent Preston
Part 14

The scene ends with Gordon Cole recounting his Monica Bellucci dream to Agents Preston and Rosenfield.

FBI ROOM AT HOTEL IN BUCKHORN, SOUTH DAKOTA FROM PART 16

Computer equipment on a desk
Part 16

The room is seen again in Part 16 as Gordon Cole quietly stands looking at the equipment throughout the room.

Computer equipment in a room
Part 16
Computer equipment in a room
Part 16
Computer equipment in a room
Part 16
Computer equipment in a room
Part 16

The camera pans across the room to mimic Gordon’s point-of-view.

Computer equipment in a room
Part 16

I combined some of those shots into this panoramic image of the machines.

Computer equipment in a room on a desk
Oyster.com

I thought the crew might have used the desk in the room to hold the equipment but it appears different in the episode.

Gordon Cole standing in hotel room
Part 16
Gordon Cole standing in hotel room
Part 16

I love this little scene of Cole contemplating the machines and sounds. He stands in front of the chair where Diane sat. I’m also even more convinced that those frames cover the light fixture holes. Their placement is too precise and really matches where the lights once existed.

Diane Evans in Hotel hallway by elevator
Part 16

Later in the episode, Diane is seen using an elevator after receiving a coded message from Mr. C. Notice the floor number – 11 – as she is seen exiting the elevator.

Hotel hallway
Part 16
Diane Evans in Hotel hallway
Part 16

Diane walks down the hotel hallway toward the FBI room. Notice the painting at the end of the hall.

Artwork on wall in Hotel hallway
Part 16

As Diane approaches the FBI Room the painting appears to be a mirror image of the one seen a few moment prior.

Artwork outside hotel room door
Oyster.com

This image from Oyster.com shows room the outside of 1115 – the Racquet Club Suite. The painting has clearly been replaced.  This now makes sense as to why Diane exited the 11th floor.

Hotel room door in hallway
Part 16

Notice as she approaches the door, the room number has changed to 1827.

Hotel Room Door in hallway
Oyster.com

Here’s another look at the outside of the Racquet Club Suite at Los Angeles Athletic Club from Oyster.com.

Gordon Cole sitting in hotel room looking at door
Part 16
Gordon Cole sitting in hotel room as Diane Evans enters
Part 16

Diane enters the room after Gordon Cole calls to her.

Hotel room with bed and large mirror
Oyster.com

This shot from Oyster.com gives another look at the room.

Diane Evans sitting in Chair
Part 16
Diane Evans sitting in Chair reaching for handgun
Part 16

Diane eventually attempts to shoot the FBI agents with a gun from her Minuet handbag.

Albert Rosenfield shooting a gun
Part 16
Tammy Preston shooting a gun and Albert Rosenfield holding a gun
Part 16

In one shot, Albert fires his gun at Diane but Tammy is missing. The scene cuts back and Tammy is seen firing her gun seated next to Albert. Weird.

Diane Evans disappearing
Part 16
Empty seat in hotel room
Part 16

Diane disappears to the Red Room and only there empty green chair remains.

FBI ROOM AT HOTEL IN BUCKHORN, SOUTH DAKOTA FROM PART 17

Gordon Cole seated in a hotel room and holding a handgun
Part 17

The FBI room at the Buckhorn hotel is seen one final time in Part 17. Gordon Cole is shown holding his gun and contemplating what happened to Diane Evans moments ago in Part 16.

Albert Rosenfield standing in hotel room
Part 17
Albert Rosenfield standing in hotel room
Part 17

Albert Rosenfield brings Cole a glass of red wine. It’s not the same wine from the Blue Rose Task Force Meeting in Part 12. After some searching on the internet, I found the wine.

Wine bottle and wine label

It appears to be a bottle of Château Bellevue Bordeaux Supérieur from 2013. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to find that particular wine for sale, but BevMo has a similar bottle available.

Hotel room with desk and chair
Oyster.com

One final look at the Racquet Club Suite from Oyster.com. Gordon Cole was seated in the spot by the mirror.

Gordon Cole holding up a wine glass
Part 17
Agents Tammy Preston and Albert Rosenfield holding up wine glasses
Part 17

Here’s to the bureau!

Author

  • Steven Miller at Twede's Cafe enjoying cherry pie and coffee

    A "Twin Peaks" fan since October 1993, Steven Miller launched Twin Peaks Blog in February 2018 to document his decades-long fascination with David Lynch and Mark Frost's wonderful and strange show. With his Canon camera in hand, he's visited numerous film locations, attended Twin Peaks events and conducted extensive historical research about this groundbreaking series. Along with fellow Bookhouse Boys, he dreams of creating a complete Twin Peaks Archive of the series and feature film. Steven currently resides in Central Florida.

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