If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably watched the Back to the Future trilogy more times than you can count. I still remember having movie marathons with my cousins where we’d quote every line of Marty and Doc’s adventures through time. There’s something magical about this franchise that keeps drawing us back!
Whether you’re planning a movie night, looking to test your friends’ knowledge, or just want to see how much you remember about these iconic films, I’ve put together over 100 Back to the Future trivia questions that range from super easy to “whoa, that’s heavy” difficult.
These questions are perfect for sparking conversations, filling awkward silences at parties, or simply showing off your time-traveling expertise. So buckle up, set your time circuits to “fun,” and let’s see if you’re a true Back to the Future expert!
Easy Back to the Future Trivia
Let’s start with some easier questions that any casual fan should be able to answer. These are great warm-up questions that will help everyone get into the spirit before we ramp up the difficulty.
- What is the name of the main character in Back to the Future?
Answer: Marty McFly - What is the name of the scientist who invents the time machine?
Answer: Dr. Emmett Brown (Doc) - What type of car is converted into a time machine?
Answer: DeLorean DMC-12 - What speed must the DeLorean reach to travel through time?
Answer: 88 miles per hour - In what year does the first movie primarily take place?
Answer: 1985 - What year does Marty travel back to in the first film?
Answer: 1955 - What is the name of Marty’s girlfriend?
Answer: Jennifer Parker - What does Doc Brown say is required to make time travel possible?
Answer: 1.21 gigawatts - What is the name of the mall where Marty meets Doc for the time travel experiment?
Answer: Twin Pines Mall (later becomes Lone Pine Mall) - What band does Marty audition for at the beginning of the first film?
Answer: The Pinheads - What is the name of Hill Valley’s mayor in 1985?
Answer: Goldie Wilson - What does Marty’s father, George McFly, want to be when Marty meets him in 1955?
Answer: A science fiction writer - What is the name of the high school dance where Marty’s parents fall in love?
Answer: The Enchantment Under the Sea Dance - What song does Marty perform at the dance?
Answer: “Johnny B. Goode” - What is the name of the bully who torments George McFly?
Answer: Biff Tannen - What does Doc use to channel the lightning bolt into the DeLorean?
Answer: A cable connected to the clock tower - What does Marty’s mother, Lorraine, call Marty when she meets him in 1955?
Answer: Calvin Klein (because it’s written on his underwear) - What pet does Doc Brown have in 1985?
Answer: Einstein (a dog) - What is written on the license plate of the DeLorean?
Answer: OUTATIME - What does Marty exclaim when he’s surprised or shocked?
Answer: “Great Scott!” (Doc’s phrase) or “This is heavy!”
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Back to the Future Part II Trivia
Now let’s jump to the future (or the past, depending on your perspective) with questions specifically about the second film in the trilogy. I’ve always thought Part II had some of the most creative time travel scenarios—my friends and I spent hours debating the alternate 1985 timeline!
- What year in the future do Doc and Marty travel to at the end of the first film/beginning of the second?
Answer: 2015 - What future technology does Doc give to Marty to disguise himself as his future son?
Answer: Self-adjusting/self-drying jacket - What type of vehicle has Doc converted into a time machine by 2015?
Answer: A flying train - What sports team does Biff bet on in Back to the Future Part II to make his fortune?
Answer: The Chicago Cubs - What item does old Biff steal from 2015 to take back to his younger self?
Answer: Gray’s Sports Almanac - What is the name of the casino hotel owned by Biff in the alternate 1985?
Answer: Biff Tannen’s Pleasure Paradise - What year in the past does old Biff travel to when he gives his younger self the sports almanac?
Answer: 1955 - What does Marty buy in 2015 that causes problems in the future timeline?
Answer: Gray’s Sports Almanac - What is the name of Marty’s son in 2015?
Answer: Marty McFly Jr. - What is the name of Marty’s daughter in 2015?
Answer: Marlene McFly - In 2015, what sequel is playing at the theater?
Answer: Jaws 19 - What restaurant chain is popular in the future Hill Valley of 2015?
Answer: Cafe 80’s - What future technology do kids use for entertainment in 2015?
Answer: Hoverboards - What company does future Marty work for in 2015?
Answer: Fujitsu - What happens to Doc at the end of Back to the Future Part II?
Answer: He gets struck by lightning and sent back to 1885 - What nickname is Marty given when he uses the hoverboard?
Answer: “Chicken” - In the alternate 1985, what happened to George McFly?
Answer: He was murdered - What material is Doc’s protective suit made of in 2015?
Answer: Future fabric that’s “auto-adjusting” - What does future technology predict about the weather in 2015?
Answer: The exact time rain will start and end - What is unusual about the jackets people wear in 2015?
Answer: They automatically dry themselves and adjust to fit the wearer
If you enjoy testing your knowledge about time travel paradoxes, you might also like these mind-bending hypothetical questions to challenge your friends!
Back to the Future Part III Trivia
The Wild West adventure! I remember watching Part III at a drive-in theater with my family when I was a kid—something about that time period mixed with sci-fi really captured my imagination. Let’s see how well you know the final installment of the trilogy.
- What year does Doc Brown get sent to at the end of Back to the Future Part II?
Answer: 1885 - What name does Doc use while living in the Old West?
Answer: Emmett L. “Doc” Brown, Blacksmith - What is the name of the woman Doc falls in love with in 1885?
Answer: Clara Clayton - What does Doc say is his specialty as a blacksmith?
Answer: Shoeing horses and fixing wagons - Who is the ancestor of Biff Tannen in 1885?
Answer: Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen - Why does Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen want to kill Doc Brown?
Answer: He believes Doc cheated him out of $80 - What does Marty call himself when he arrives in 1885?
Answer: Clint Eastwood - What powers the DeLorean in 1885 after the fuel line is damaged?
Answer: A steam locomotive - What is written on Doc’s tombstone that Marty finds in 1955?
Answer: “Shot in the back by Buford Tannen over a matter of $80” - What does Marty use to defeat Mad Dog Tannen in their showdown?
Answer: A bullet-proof stove plate as body armor - At the festival in 1885, what pie does Buford Tannen have?
Answer: Apple pie - What drink does Marty order at the saloon that makes the bartender laugh?
Answer: Ice water - What does Clara Clayton teach in Hill Valley?
Answer: She’s the new schoolteacher - How does Doc originally save Clara’s life before Marty arrives?
Answer: He rescues her from falling into Shonash Ravine (later called Clayton Ravine) - What song does the band play at the Hill Valley Festival in 1885?
Answer: “Doubleback” (ZZ Top makes a cameo) - What does Doc invent in 1885 that impresses Clara?
Answer: The ice making machine - What is Doc’s favorite author, whom Clara also loves?
Answer: Jules Verne - What substance does Doc distill to use as fuel for the time machine?
Answer: Alcohol (moonshine/whiskey) - What speed does the locomotive need to reach for the DeLorean to travel through time?
Answer: 88 miles per hour - What is the name of the ravine that the train plunges into after Marty makes it back to 1985?
Answer: Eastwood Ravine (formerly Clayton Ravine)
For more entertaining questions to ask at your next movie marathon, take a look at these interesting topics to talk about that will keep the conversation flowing!
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
These questions dive into the making of the trilogy. I’ve always been fascinated by movie production trivia—finding out that Eric Stoltz was originally cast as Marty blew my mind when I first learned about it! Let’s see if you know these behind-the-scenes facts.
- Who directed the Back to the Future trilogy?
Answer: Robert Zemeckis - Who wrote the screenplay for Back to the Future with Robert Zemeckis?
Answer: Bob Gale - What actor was originally cast as Marty McFly before Michael J. Fox?
Answer: Eric Stoltz - Why was Michael J. Fox only available to film at night during much of the first movie?
Answer: He was filming the TV show “Family Ties” during the day - Which famous director was the first choice to direct Back to the Future but turned it down?
Answer: Steven Spielberg - What studio originally rejected the Back to the Future script?
Answer: Columbia Pictures - How many times was the script for Back to the Future rejected before being greenlit?
Answer: Over 40 times - In early script drafts, what was used as the time machine instead of a DeLorean?
Answer: A refrigerator - What actress played Jennifer Parker in the first film but was replaced for the sequels?
Answer: Claudia Wells - Who replaced Claudia Wells as Jennifer Parker in the sequels?
Answer: Elisabeth Shue - What was the original title considered for Back to the Future Part II?
Answer: “Paradox” - How many DeLoreans were used during filming of the trilogy?
Answer: Seven - What was the budget for the first Back to the Future film?
Answer: $19 million - How much did the first Back to the Future movie gross worldwide?
Answer: About $388 million - What year was Back to the Future released?
Answer: 1985 - How tall is the clock tower in reality?
Answer: It doesn’t exist as shown—it’s part of the Universal Studios backlot - What health condition did Michael J. Fox reveal he was diagnosed with in 1991?
Answer: Parkinson’s disease - Were the sequels planned when the first movie was made?
Answer: No, they were developed after the success of the first film - What was the time between the release of the first film and its sequel?
Answer: 4 years (1985 to 1989) - What was the time between the release of Part II and Part III?
Answer: 6 months (Part III was released in 1990)
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Ultimate Back to the Future Expert Questions
Alright, now we’re getting to the really tough questions that only true Back to the Future aficionados will know. When I tried these on my friend who claims to be the biggest BTTF fan ever, even he missed a few. See if you can do better!
- What is the name of the company that makes the amplifier that Marty uses at the beginning of the first film?
Answer: CRM-114 - What is the serial number of the DeLorean?
Answer: DMC 12355 - What is the exact date and time that Doc Brown came up with the idea for the flux capacitor?
Answer: November 5, 1955, at 10:04 PM - What is printed on the t-shirt that Marty wears under his denim jacket in the first film?
Answer: “Aiwa” (an electronics brand) - What is the address of Doc Brown’s home in 1985?
Answer: 1646 Riverside Drive - What are the exact coordinates that Doc sets for the time circuits when first demonstrating the time machine to Marty?
Answer: November 5, 1955, 8:00 AM - In Back to the Future Part II, what channel is the documentary about Biff on?
Answer: Channel 23 - What is the name of the shopping mall in the alternate 1985 where Strickland works as a security guard?
Answer: Hill Valley Mall - What does Biff’s grandmother repeatedly tell him to do?
Answer: “Get out of my car, you bojo!” - What is the name of the ravine where Clayton was supposed to die before Doc saved her?
Answer: Shonash Ravine - What does the “D” in D. Jones (the undertaker in 1885) stand for?
Answer: Daniel - What date in 1885 is on the photograph that Doc and Marty take in front of the clock?
Answer: September 5, 1885 - What book does George McFly publish in the improved 1985 timeline?
Answer: “A Match Made in Space” - What is written on the side of Doc’s truck in 1985?
Answer: “Dr. E. Brown Enterprises” - What song is playing when Marty returns to 1985 at the end of the first film?
Answer: “Back in Time” by Huey Lewis and the News - What is the name of the housing development that replaced Lyon Estates in the alternate 1985?
Answer: Hilldale - What was the name of the company that made the plutonium that Doc Brown stole?
Answer: Libyan Nationalists - In 2015, what company did Needles work for when he tried to get Marty involved in a scheme?
Answer: Fujitsu - What is the name of the saloon in 1885 Hill Valley?
Answer: Palace Saloon - What does Marty say his religion is to avoid drinking whiskey in the Old West?
Answer: “I’m a Baptist” - What is the name of the Western Union man who delivers Doc’s letter to Marty in 1955?
Answer: Not specifically named - What is the middle name of Emmett Brown?
Answer: Lathrop - What gift does Clara give to Doc before he leaves 1885?
Answer: A framed picture of them at the festival - What does the sign say on the boarded-up Essex Theater in the alternate 1985?
Answer: “Closed until further notice by the police department” - What is the license plate number on Biff’s car in 1955?
Answer: THX 138
For even more brain-teasing questions, check out these challenging 90s movie trivia questions that will test your knowledge of another iconic decade in film!
Why Back to the Future Trivia is Perfect for Any Gathering
There’s nothing quite like a good trivia session to bring people together, and Back to the Future trivia is especially perfect because these movies cross generations. Last Thanksgiving, I pulled out some of these questions after dinner, and it was amazing to see both my teenage niece and my uncle in his sixties getting equally competitive!
What makes Back to the Future trivia so special is that it’s not just fun—it’s a trip down memory lane (or should I say, a trip through time?). The movies themselves are packed with so many clever details and memorable moments that testing your knowledge becomes a way to appreciate the films all over again.
When I hosted a Back to the Future-themed birthday party last year, these trivia questions were the highlight of the night. Even people who claimed they’d only seen the movies “once or twice” got caught up in the excitement of remembering Doc Brown’s catchphrases and the intricate time-travel plots.
If you’re looking for more ways to challenge your friends, check out these fascinating philosophical questions that will really make your group think!
Final Thoughts
Phew! That was quite the journey through time, wasn’t it? From 1885 to 2015 and everything in between, these Back to the Future trivia questions cover all the details that make this trilogy so special and enduring.
I find it amazing that even after all these years, these movies still hold up so well. When I watched them again with my niece recently, she was just as captivated as I was when I first saw them—proof that great storytelling really is timeless!
So how did you do? Did you know all the answers, or were there a few that stumped you? Either way, I hope these questions brought back some great memories and maybe even inspired you to watch the trilogy again.
Remember, whether you’re using these questions for a movie night, party game, or just to test your own knowledge, the most important thing is to have fun. After all, as Doc Brown would say, “Your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one!”
If you enjoyed this Back to the Future trivia, why not check out some of our other movie-themed questions, or share your score in the comments? I’d love to hear how you did!
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