The prom lobby and staircase from "10 Things I Hate About You"

LOCATION

The lobby, staircase, and landing of the Paramount Theatre, which stood in as the Padua Prom in the 1999 film “10 Things I Hate About You.”

ADDRESS

Paramount Theatre
911 Pine Street
Seattle, WA 98101
Website

The exterior of the Paramount Theatre in downtown Seattle, Washington.

1999’s “10 Things I Hate About You,” a teen rom-com classic adapted from William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, was filmed in and around Seattle, Washington, which totally tracks for the character of Kat (Julia Stiles). Much of the film builds to a classic high school experience: prom.

Heath Ledger as Patrick and Julia Stiles as Kat link arms and walk into the prom. This scene from 10 Things I Hate About You was filmed in the lobby of the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington.

The actual prom stage (where Save Ferris and Kay Hanley perform) and dance floor were filmed at the nearby Century Ballroom, but the grand lobby, stairs, and landing where Patrick and Kat greet each other before walking into prom, are part of the Paramount Theatre in downtown Seattle. The Paramount opened in 1928 and still operates today! (It was renovated in the 1990s.) It’s an absolutely gorgeous theatre (if you ever go, just check out the details on the walls, railings, chandeliers — incredible). The Paramount hosts concerts, comedy acts, touring Broadway productions, and even offers special film events several times a year (for instance, you can go see a silent film accompanied by music from the theatre’s 1920s organ).

The Paramount offers free two-hour tours at 10am on the first Saturday of each month. You can make a reservation on their website. They didn’t mention “10 Things” at all on the tour I took, but I was able to see and take photos in the spots from the film. When you first walk in you will recognize the sweeping staircases and balcony-style landing and lobby from the prom scenes. When Kat arrives at prom, she walks up the staircase (which will be on your right when you enter the theatre):

At the top of the stairs is a landing where she is greeted by Patrick (Heath Ledger) and you can see the ledge space across from the landing railing. Film productions are able to dress that up however they need to. In the film, it looks prom-y; when I toured, it held a prop from a past production of “The Lion King” and a Paramount sign made by some theatre employees.

Of course, Joey (Andrew Keegan) has to ruin Kat and Patrick’s magical evening by confronting Patrick about being paid to go out with Kat — in front of Kat. She flees back out to the lobby, where Patrick follows her and she confronts him. This time they are standing just beyond the previous landing and to the left.

You can see another staircase behind them, and more gorgeous chandeliers.

Despite Patrick’s protestations, Kat has had enough and leaves him behind as she runs back down the grand staircase and out of the prom.

He’s soon joined by Kat’s sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) and they both gravely watch Kat leave.

Though the Paramount only appears in this one scene of the movie, it’s a pivotal one, and the Paramount itself is visually gorgeous — perfect for film! If you are in Seattle on the first Saturday of a month and have time to take the tour, I recommend it. We were able to traverse the lobby, go on stage, go backstage, go under the stage, tour dressing rooms and VIP rooms, walk through the projection and spotlight room… it was really cool!