The Oprah Show on Location
In 25 years, some of The Oprah Winfrey Show's most memorable moments happened away from Chicago's Harpo Studios.
![Oprah in West Virginia in 1987 Oprah in West Virginia in 1987](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/tows/201008/19871116-tows-aids-1-600x411.jpg)
Williamson, West Virginia
A small town in West Virginia went into a panic when a local man with AIDS jumped into a local swimming pool. Read what happened when The Oprah Show visited in 1987
And that's not the end of the story. Find out if anything in the town had changed when Oprah came back in 2010
And that's not the end of the story. Find out if anything in the town had changed when Oprah came back in 2010
![Oprah in Raleigh-Durham in 1988 Oprah in Raleigh-Durham in 1988](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/archive/201104/20110401-tows-on-location-3-600x411.jpg)
Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
What better way to get 4,000 people to swap their Southern fried chicken for skinless baked chicken breasts than to challenge their civic pride! That's exactly what The Oprah Show did in 1988, when they started a diet war between North Carolina neighbors Raleigh and Durham.
![The Oprah Show in New York City The Oprah Show in New York City](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/archive/201104/20110401-tows-on-location-4-600x411.jpg)
New York City, 1989
In 1989, The Oprah Show spent a week taping shows in the Big Apple at the Equitable Center Auditorium. Show topics ran the gamut from racial violence and crimes against women to New York's most eligible bachelors and Bill Cosby.
![Oprah tours Zsa Zsa Gabor's home Oprah tours Zsa Zsa Gabor's home](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/archive/201104/20110401-tows-on-location-5-600x411.jpg)
Los Angeles, 1989
After a successful week in New York, The Oprah Show flipped coasts and taped for a week in sunny Los Angeles, and the shows were pure Hollywood—hunks, home tours and housewives-turned-comics.
![Oprah in L.A. after the Rodney King verdict Oprah in L.A. after the Rodney King verdict](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/archive/201104/20110401-tows-on-location-6-600x411.jpg)
Los Angeles, 1992
In 1992, a jury acquitted four LAPD officers on charges of police brutality in the arrest of Rodney King, even after amateur video showed those white officers beating the African-American King more than 50 times with batons.
Oprah was in L.A. for the verdict and the chaos that followed, and provided a dialogue for the residents of a city torn apart.
Oprah was in L.A. for the verdict and the chaos that followed, and provided a dialogue for the residents of a city torn apart.
![Oprah in South Carolina Oprah in South Carolina](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/archive/201104/20110401-tows-on-location-7-600x411.jpg)
Union, South Carolina
Susan Smith made headlines—first for pleading with the man she said abducted her two young sons Michael, 3, and Alexander, 14 months, to bring them home, then for confessing she had killed them by pushing the family car into a lake with the boys inside. In 1994, Oprah traveled to the scene of the crime to find out how something so horrific could happen.
Read what happened when Oprah interviewed Susan Smith's husband, David, in 2009
Read what happened when Oprah interviewed Susan Smith's husband, David, in 2009
![Oprah at Disney World Oprah at Disney World](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/archive/201104/20110401-tows-on-location-8-600x411.jpg)
Disney World
Oprah—with a little help from Mickey and Minnie—surprised a studio audience with a "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" weekend at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, in 1996.
![Oprah and Tina Turner Oprah and Tina Turner](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/presents/2005/20anniv/oprah/slides/moments_111_600x411.jpg)
Houston
In 1997, Oprah made her own wildest dream come true by hitting the road with Tina Turner and performing with the music legend in Houston.
![The Amarillo Globe-Times says "Oprah Wins" The Amarillo Globe-Times says "Oprah Wins"](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/tows/199802/19980227-tows-oontrial-1-600x411.jpg)
Amarillo, Texas
When Oprah returned to Texas in 1998, it may have been wild, but it was no dream. She had been, as she says, accused of "defaming a burger" during a 1996 show on mad cow disease, and was sued by the beef industry. The month-long trial kept The Oprah Show taping in Amarillo from late January to early March 1998. In the end, Oprah won the case against her.
![Sexiest island man contest Sexiest island man contest](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/archive/201104/20110401-tows-on-location-11-600x411.jpg)
Atlantis Resort, Bahamas
In 1999, The Oprah Show fled the winter doldrums of Chicago for a week in paradise at the Atlantis Resort, Bahamas, with shows including a "sexiest island men contest" and Tyra Banks.
![Oprah and the cast of Friends Oprah and the cast of Friends](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/archive/201104/20110401-tows-on-location-12-600x411.jpg)
Set of Friends
In 2003, Oprah visited the set of Friends to help Chandler, Joey, Monica, Phoebe, Rachel and Ross say goodbye during their final season.
![Oprah visits Fort Campbell Oprah visits Fort Campbell](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/archive/201104/20110401-tows-on-location-13-600x411.jpg)
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
In 2004, Oprah and some celebrity friends—including Cindy Crawford, Ben Affleck, Elle Macpherson, Kenny Chesney and Sharon Stone—surprised new mothers at Fort Campbell with the world's biggest baby shower.
![The Kodak Theatre The Kodak Theatre](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/seriesandspecials/screeningroom/20100308-kodak-theatre-600x411.jpg)
Kodak Theatre, Los Angeles
Starting in 2005, Oprah's After-Oscar® Party from the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles has been the must-see event where the year's Academy Award winners show off their new trophies.
![Oprah and David Letterman Oprah and David Letterman](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/archive/201104/20110401-tows-on-location-15-600x411.jpg)
New York City, 2007
Start spreading the news! Oprah began her 22nd season in New York City at Madison Square Garden with an interview with Late Show host David Letterman.
![Oprah in Macon, Georgia Oprah in Macon, Georgia](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/archive/201104/20110401-tows-on-location-16-600x411.jpg)
Macon, Georgia
Oprah used her Favorite Things show in 2007 to thank her biggest fans—the people of Macon, Georgia. At 4 p.m. every day in 2007, 45 percent of the televisions on in Macon were tuned to The Oprah Winfrey Show!
![Oprah welcomes home Team USA Oprah welcomes home Team USA](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/archive/201104/20110401-tows-on-location-17-600x411.jpg)
Millennium Park, Chicago
Oprah kicked off her 23rd season by welcoming home Team USA from the 2008 Beijing Olympics with a party in Chicago's Millennium Park.
![Oprah at the Kennedy Center for Barack Obama's inauguration Oprah at the Kennedy Center for Barack Obama's inauguration](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/archive/201104/20110401-tows-on-location-18-600x411.jpg)
Washington, D.C.
In January 2009, The Oprah Show celebrated Barack Obama's historic inauguration with a pair of shows in Washington, D.C.
![Oprah and the Black Eyed Peas Oprah and the Black Eyed Peas](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/tows/200909/20090908-tows-kickoff-party-7-600x411.jpg)
Michigan Avenue, Chicago
For Oprah's 24th season kickoff party, she didn't travel far—just a couple of miles from Harpo Studios to Chicago's famed Michigan Avenue shopping district. But who will ever forget the party that started with a Black Eyed Peas flash mob?
![Oprah visits the State Fair of Texas Oprah visits the State Fair of Texas](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/tows/200910/20091012/20091012-tows-state-fair-600x411.jpg)
Dallas
In 2009, Oprah and Gayle hitched up their wagon and headed to the State Fair of Texas in Dallas. They even taste-tested the best recipes in the Lone Star State.
![Oprah at the Sydney "Oprah" House Oprah at the Sydney "Oprah" House](/g/image-resizer?width=670&link=https://static.oprah.com/images/tows/201012/20101214-australia-surprise-1-600x411.jpg)
Australia
It was such a big trip, it lasted for four shows! Oprah took 302 Ultimate Viewers on a trip around the world to visit the beautiful landscape and warm people of Australia.
Published 05/20/2011