Lights, Camera, Action!
Spotted: An excited traveler pulling out their camera to take a photo of yet another building. Traveling is more than experiencing new things, understanding different cultures, and most importantly, telling your friends that you saw the Friends building. Luckily for you, we’ve compiled a list of your favorite television show filming locations so you can do this 20 times over! XOXO, The RoughMaps team.
1. Central Park
Arguably one of the most filmed locations in the most filmed cities on this list, New York’s Central Park is featured in Law & Order, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Sex and the City, Gossip Girl, Jessie, and The Blacklist, to name a few.
2. Dubrovnik Harbor
To relive the beauty that is season 2 episode 9 of Game of Thrones, visit Dubrovnik Harbor. The West Harbor in particular was used for The Battle of Blackwater, but the harbor as a whole set the tone for Westeros’s capital city, King’s Landing.
3. The Up And Up Cocktail Den
This Greenwich Village combination coffee house and music venue is where Midge Maisel performs her breakout comedy set at the Gaslight Café in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Located at 116 Macdougal Street, this building was actually home to the real Gaslight Café from 1958 to 1971, making for a very nostalgic scene to NYC natives.
4. The Scottish Highlands
These highlands are a backdrop to many a movie or TV show, but we’re highlighting Disney+’s Andor for this particular list. To our Star Wars fans, season 1’s fourth and fifth episodes centered on the planet Aldhani, which used this breathtaking location.
5. Chief Joseph Ranch
Located in Darby, Montana, this cattle ranch is the Dutton family home in Yellowstone. This is a fully operational cattle ranch, and when not used for filming, a guest ranch visitors can book a stay in.
6. 90 Bedford Street
While the interior scenes were filmed on a lot in Burbank, California, the iconic apartment building from Friends is also a Greenwich Village staple. Located at 90 Bedford Street, you’ll see many individuals snapping photos of this iconic building.
7. Bell Works
Located in Holmdel, New Jersey, this former research facility served as the backdrop to the show Severance. An appropriate setting, we suppose, as the building’s architectural and scientific background plays a huge role in the show’s unsettling atmosphere.
8. Ranger’s House
Also located in a Greenwich, this beautiful red-brick building is the face of the Bridgerton family home for the series Bridgerton. The home itself has a long history of prominent homeowners, and currently houses the Wernher Collection.
9. Casa Loma
This Toronto-based mansion is featured in many television shows and movies, such as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, The Handmaid’s Tale, Murdoch Mysteries, and The Umbrella Academy. With gorgeous Gothic revival architecture, this 100-year-old mansion is used as a museum, wedding venue, and landmark for Ontario’s capital city.
10. Twisters Restaurant
Also known as the Twisters Burgers & Burritos Chain, this nearly 30-year-old restaurant has been a New Mexico staple since 1998. To the rest of us, however, it serves as the setting for Los Pollos Hermanos in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
11. The Strand
Another New York City staple, the Strand is a longstanding bookstore located near Union Square. This particular bookstore is considered the most filmed bookstore in the history of television, showing up in Gilmore Girls, Tick Tick Boom, Sex and the City, Absolutely Fabulous, and many more.
Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA on Wikimedia
12. Tom’s Restaurant
Situated at 2880 Broadway, the exterior of this New York-based restaurant is the face of Seinfeld’s Monk’s Cafe. Today, the restaurant is a popular spot for Columbia University students, and it has celebrated over 80 years as a family-owned business.
13. Highclere Castle
Located in Hampshire, England, this gorgeous castle served as the main setting for Downton Abbey. Before becoming a public exhibition, this centuries-old structure was home to the Earls of Carnarvon.
14. Police Beach
Located on the Hawaiian island of O’ahu, this iconic strip of land was the prime setting for the television show Lost. In fact, most of O’ahu island was used for the show’s filming, including Mokulēʻia Beach for the plane crash, and Kualoa Ranch for any jungle-related scenes.
Bernard Spragg. NZ on Wikimedia
15. The Painted Ladies
Located in San Francisco on Steiner Street, this row of Victorian-style homes was used in the opening credits of Full House. Their popularity isn’t fully attributed to this show, however, as it’s considered a popular spot for tourists and photographers.
16. St. Michael’s Mount
This seaside castle has been used in several movies and TV shows, like Dracula (1979) and Johnny English. It most recently appeared on our screens in House of the Dragon as the setting for the Velaryons' home, Driftmark.
Raymond Cubberley on Wikimedia
17. Salish Lodge & Spa
Located in Snoqualmie, Washington, this picturesque location serves as the exterior for the Great Northern Hotel in Twin Peaks. The Snoqualmie Falls receives over 1.5 million visitors every year, and has been home to the Snoqualmie People for centuries.
18. The Bull & Finch Pub
Located at 84 Beacon Street in Boston, Massachusetts, the Bull & Finch Pub is more well-known as the bar for Cheers. In fact, the show was so popular that the bar owners changed its name to Cheers back in 2002.
InSapphoWeTrust from Los Angeles, California, USA on Wikimedia
19. Pasadena City Hall
Unsurprisingly, located in Pasadena, California, this city hall serves as the backdrop to Pawnee’s parks department in Parks and Recreation. Since the show's inception, many tourists have made their way to Pasadena to experience this popular series' main location.
Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). on Wikimedia
20. Bold Café and Restaurant
Located on York Rise Street in London, this unassuming street of brick buildings actually served as the café location for Fleabag. While not a guinea pig-themed café in real life, the building is home to a delicious Turkish restaurant.
