Joker stairs, Film location in Highbridge, Bronx, US

The Joker stairs, also called the West 167th Street Stairs or Shakespeare Steps, are a straight flight of grey concrete steps with black metal handrails on both sides, running between a brick building with a black fire escape and a tan brick wall topped by a black metal fence. They descend from Shakespeare Avenue to Anderson Avenue at West 167th Street in Highbridge, the Bronx.

The stairs were used in the 2019 film Joker, in which Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck walks them as part of his routine and later dances down them in a red suit and clown makeup to Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll Part 2". The scene appeared on the film's promotional poster, and the stairs were filmed again for the 2024 sequel Joker: Folie à Deux. The New York Times reported that stairs in the South Bronx used in American Gangster were first considered but had been repaved and beautified too much.

The stairway takes its name from a dance scene in a movie and shows how filming locations continue to live on in the daily life of a residential neighborhood. Local residents regularly encounter visitors taking photos on the steps or recreating movie moments.

The steps are near the 167th Street subway station on line 4, which runs around the clock and provides quick access to the site. Visitors should note that the steps are in a residential neighborhood and show consideration for local residents.

A congresswoman from the neighborhood publicly asked tourists to respect the privacy of residents when visiting the steps. Her request shows how strongly daily life in the neighborhood has changed due to the sudden flow of visitors.