20 Things You Somehow Missed In Ghostbusters
11. The Earthquake
The various shots of Central Park West being torn to shreds in the final act were actually spliced together from two different shoots. Parts of the street and the front of the building were recreated in a large soundstage so that it could be done in an uninterrupted environment. However, the street's collapse was indeed also shot on location.
By placing a fake piece of road over the actual street, effects gurus were able to use hydraulics to tear their creation apart. This allows for wider shots that suspend audience disbelief. To achieve this, the team had to shut down multiple busy Manhattan streets.
Director Ivan Reitman said years later he could no longer spot which shots are New York and which are the soundstage.