The Joker Stairs Six Years Later: A Bronx Batman Guide

The Highbridge Joker steps are still a draw. Here’s the quick history and a few other Batman locations to visit while you are in The Bronx.

Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck-Joker on The Highbridge Joker Steps: Image Courtesy of  Warner Bros Entertainment Inc

The steep West 167th Street steps in Highbridge became an overnight landmark after Joker (2019) sent Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck dancing down them in a full clown suit.

The “Joker Stairs,” as many visitors call them, connect Shakespeare and Anderson Avenues and still attract fans and selfie takers. The steps also appear in Joker: Folie à Deux (2024), which helped cement the spot in film history.

Neighbors long knew the passage as the Shakespeare Steps. Today, it feels part movie set and part neighborhood walkway. A colorful community mural completed in 2023 with CITYarts and local students adds pride and character with imagery of music and native flowers.

Most days, you will see a mix of visitors taking photos and locals on their way to work or school. For the best light and a little more space, late morning or midafternoon is a sweet spot. Grab a coffee from a nearby bodega, take your picture, and enjoy the neighborhood view.

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The steps sit on West 167th Street between Shakespeare Avenue and Anderson Avenue in Highbridge. The closest train is the 4 line at 167 St, which is a short walk west. The arched facade seen on screen is along 1150 Anderson Avenue.

Colin Farrell as The Penguin Image Courtesy of Macall Polay/HBO

Tip: Make it a Bronx Batman Day.

Start in Mott Haven, where the Max series, The Penguin, built parts of the fictional Crown Point. One of the show’s Bronx sites sits beneath the New York Connecting Railroad overpass on East 136th Street, Motthaven, a short walk east from the 3 Av 138 St station on the 4 line. The production designer has said the team used the South Bronx and Yonkers for Crown Point’s look, with five corner intersections as a nod to Five Points.

From there, ride the 4 north to 167 St for a short walking loop of the Joker block. Walk west to see the Anderson Avenue arches, then head to the steps on West 167th Street between Shakespeare and Anderson.

Next, head to the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse at 513 East 161st Street in Melrose. The Beaux Arts landmark is striking from the sidewalk and has real screen history. Gotham filmed interior scenes there during Season 2 in August 2015, and locals reported it as a main set for that shoot. It is an easy photo stop and a good reminder that Gotham City often lives in real Bronx buildings.

(L to R) Bronx Borough Courthouse and Edgar Allan Poe Cottage: Image Courtesy (L to R) Camilo J. Vergara/Library of Congress and Malcolm Pinckney/NYC Parks

Finish at Poe Park, a 10-minute drive from the courthouse, but well worth it. The Edgar Allan Poe Cottage at 2640 Grand Concourse is where Batman co-creator Bill Finger and Bob Kane met in the late 1930s to develop the character. It’s a fitting stop for fans, with a visitor center run by The Bronx County Historical Society.

Check for events; you may just be in time for a Poe reading. For a final photo, head up the Concourse to Bill Finger Way at East 192nd Street, a street sign honoring Batman’s co-creator and the perfect way to cap the day.

Honorable Mention: For hardcore fans, for a deeper cut, the former Twin Donut at 3396 Jerome Avenue appears in Joker during a quiet date scene. The spot is now a Starbucks, but the corner is easy to recognize.

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