12 Iconic Locations from TV Series You’ll Recognize Instantly (Even If You Won’t Admit It)
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Have you ever watched your favorite TV show and wondered where it was filmed? Do you find yourself captivated by the scenery, not just the story? If the answer is yes, you’ve landed in the perfect place. While we usually watch TV shows for the story and cast, many filming locations give off serious main character vibes.
As such, many TV buffs seek out the filming locations from their favorite shows. However, deciding where to visit can be challenging, with many incredible places to discover. That’s where we come in. In this article, you’ll find 12 iconic locations from TV series that allow you to follow in the footsteps of your favorite characters.
Dubrovnik, Croatia – Game of Thrones
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Let’s start this list with Dubrovnik, perhaps the most iconic TV series filming location on our list. While you won’t find fire-breathing dragons flying in the skies above Dubrovnik, you will find several places that feature heavily in the Game of Thrones franchise. Large parts of Dubrovnik Old Town were used to create King’s Landing.
Therefore, you can see Dubrovnik in most scenes when King’s Landing appears. Noteworthy Dubrovnik points of interest featured in Game of Thrones include Pile Gate, Fort Lovrijenac, the Jesuit Steps, and Rector’s Palace. Game of Thrones’ iconic ‘Shame’ scene with Cersei Lannister takes place on the Jesuit Steps. Unsurprisingly, many Game of Thrones filming location tours operate in Dubrovnik.
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New York City, United States – Friends
Die-hard fans would argue that New York was made famous by Friends, but they would be very wrong. We’re sorry to burst your bubble, but Friends wasn’t filmed in New York City. Instead, the cast recorded the series in a filming studio in Los Angeles. However, the 10-series TV show is based in New York City.
As a result, exterior shots throughout the series feature real NYC landmarks. For example, the exterior of Monica’s apartment featured genuine images of the corner of Bedford Street and Grove Street in New York. The fictional museum where Ross works is also the American Museum of Natural History in Central Park West, Manhattan.
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Bellwood Quarry, Atlanta, Georgia – Stranger Things
Bellwood Quarry in Atlanta, Georgia, is a somewhat unassuming quarry with emerald waters. However, those who are accustomed to the sci-fi world of Stranger Things will instantly recognize it, as the quarry was used to film various scenes in series one of the hit franchise.
In Stranger Things, which is filmed in multiple places across the state of Georgia, Bellwood Quarry serves as Sattler Quarry in the fictional town of Hawkins. Some serious action goes down at the quarry, so we can’t say much else without giving away too much. That said, watch the show and visit the quarry if you’re ever in Atlanta.
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Ranger’s House, London – Bridgerton
Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the last couple of years, you’ll have noticed a British period drama called Bridgerton taking the world by storm. Set during the Regency era in 19th-century England, this popular drama follows eight close-knit siblings of the wealthy Bridgerton family as they attempt to find love among London’s high society.
Most of the series is shot in Bath, London, and Surrey, with Ranger’s House in Greenwich, south-east London, serving as one of the most famous filming locations. In Bridgerton, this breathtaking red brick Georgian mansion can be seen as the exterior of the Bridgerton family’s Wisteria-clad mansion, which is supposedly on Grosvenor Square in Mayfair.
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Kualoa Ranch, Oahu, Hawaii – Lost
It’s been almost 20 years since Lost first blessed our TV screens, but that doesn’t mean we’ve all forgotten about it. You’ll still find it on streaming services like Amazon Prime and Netflix. Following the survivors of a plane crash on their mission for answers, the mysterious island in Lost was set in Oahu, Hawaii.
Most of the series’ iconic scenes, including the van-fixing and golf course scenes, were filmed at Kualoa Ranch. Kualoa Ranch is a stunning 4,000-acre (1,618-hectare) private nature reserve and working cattle ranch surrounded by lush scenery and tropical rainforest. You may also notice the ranch from the Jurassic Park movies.
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Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, Visaginas, Lithuania – Chernobyl
In 2019, a fantastic and sadly tragic drama miniseries was released that told the harrowing story of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. For obvious reasons, the real-life Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the abandoned city of Pripyat couldn’t be used to shoot the series. As a result, the film crew decided to use the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in Visaginas, Lithuania, instead.
Due to the reactor’s similarities to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Ignalina was shut down in 2004 and 2009. Therefore, it made the perfect location to recreate the disaster. Ignalina offered viewers a chilling glimpse into the cause and aftermath of the catastrophe. It’s now a popular tourist attraction in Lithuania.
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Royal Burgh of Culross, Scotland – Outlander
Despite being a British historical drama series set in Scotland, Outlander is much more popular in the United States. According to the Jacobite Trail, the show is searched for almost 700,000 times more in the US than in the United Kingdom. However, if you want to visit the show filming locations, you must visit Scotland.
The Royal Burgh of Culross near Dunfermline, Central Scotland, was the filming location for Cranesmuir, the fictional village where Geillis Duncan lives with her husband. You can see the Royal Burgh of Culross in various scenes in series one and two, filmed in 2013 and 2015. Culross Castle and Culross Garden also appear in the show.
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Gaztelugatxe, Bermeo, Spain – House of the Dragon
If you fell in love with the scenery in Game of Thrones, there’s also an excellent chance you enjoyed the scenery in the House of the Dragon series. One of the most iconic locations in the movie is shot at Gaztelugatxe in Bermeo, Spain. You’ll also likely recognize this location from Game of Thrones.
This picturesque islet on the coast of Biscay features a stunning man-made bridge. This bridge played the role of Dragonstone in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. Don’t get your hopes up; you won’t meet Daenerys or Rhaenyra Targaryen on the islet. Unfortunately, you won’t see dragons flying around the skies either.
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La Casa Ramos, Barcelona, Spain – Killing Eve
Despite the occasional murder here and there, Villanelle’s trip through Europe is every backpacker’s dream. Played by Jodie Comer, Killing Eve has made the main character’s life as an on-the-move assassin far too luxurious. Villenelle’s stay at La Casa Ramos in Barcelona in season 3 is most irresistible.
This beautiful apartment building in Barcelona’s Plaça de Lesseps is far too royal for a psychopathic killer, which made it so perfect for the show. Quite brilliantly, Killing Eve fans can follow in their favorite killer’s footsteps by staying in the building where the show was filmed. You can find La Casa Ramos on Airbnb.
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3828 Piermont Dr, Albuquerque, New Mexico – Breaking Bad
Running for five seasons between 2008 and 2013, Breaking Bad, starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and Anna Gunn, is highly regarded as one of the greatest shows ever made. Therefore, it’s not surprising that many of the show’s filming locations are some of TV’s most iconic locations. However, none are more iconic than 3828 Piermont Dr, Albuquerque, NM.
This address won’t mean much to you if you’ve not watched the show. However, if you love Breaking Bad, you’ll find it entertaining. At 3828 Piermont Dr, you’ll find the house where Walter White, Skyler, and Walter White Junior lived. Incredibly, despite the house’s insane popularity, people still call the house home today.
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Utah, United States – Westworld
The penultimate TV series filming location on our list is Utah, which appeared throughout the popular Westworld series. Utah’s vast, otherworldly desert landscape made it the perfect filming location for an out-of-this-world TV show that features cowboys, futuristic robots, and futuristic cowboy robots. What’s not to like?
Monument and Castle Valley were used to film Westworld. Their rugged terrain and sweeping landscape vistas were the perfect setting for the series’ exploration of the United States frontier. Other popular Westworld filming locations in Utah include Lake Powell, Route 128, and Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. Even if you haven’t watched Westworld, Utah is a beautiful part of the world to explore.
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Veterans Administration Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center, Los Angeles, California – Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy is one of the most famous American TV series ever. The first episode aired in 2005, but the show is still going almost 20 years and 20 series later. While the show is based in Seattle, the hospital scenes are primarily filmed in Los Angeles.
In particular, the front of the Veterans Administration Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center in North Hills serves as the entrance to Grey-Sloan Memorial, the main hospital in the show. While the thought of visiting a hospital is anything but exciting, this is one of the world’s most iconic TV series locations. Unsurprisingly, it’s also one of the least visited by tourists.
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