16 Famous Sitcom Filming Locations and How to Visit Them
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The term sitcom emerged around the 1950s when early television shows began to be filmed in front of a live studio audience using a multi-camera setup. However, they date as far back as 1926, when the radio show Sam ‘n’ Henry debuted in the United States.
Subsequent successful shows solidified Americans’ love for sitcoms, which translated into television when, in 1947, Mary Kay and Johnny premiered and became the first American television sitcom.
No matter which of them you adore most, below you’ll discover famous sitcom filming locations and how you can visit them for yourself! You can even plan a roadtrip for yourself to visit them on a tour across America!
Do note that many of these locations are not where they shot most of the scenes. Many are just exterior filming locations, establishing a home, place of work, or eatery, while the principal shooting with the actors took place on a soundstage either in Los Angeles or New York City.
Full House
The Tanner Family Home
San Franscico, California
Fans of the iconic ‘80s show Full House will recall the opening credits sequence, in which the family picnics while their Victorian-style home sits in the background. This row of houses is called the Painted Ladies and is located in San Francisco, though the show’s interior scenes were filmed on a soundstage at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles, California.
Eagle-eyed viewers will notice that only one of the Painted Ladies has the show's signature red door, but it's not the one used on the show. The real red door from the house was sold, and the house was repainted.
The creator of Full House, Jeff Franklin, bought the house in 2016 with plans to turn it into a replica of the set. However, due to neighbor pushback, Franklin renovated the house into a modern home.
The house was also featured in the spinoff Fuller House.
How to Visit: Fans can picnic on the grassy area across from the home like the Tanner family, but as it is a private home, the interior is not accessible.
1709 Broderick Street in San Francisco, California
2. Cheers
The Cheers Bar
Boston, Massachusetts
Cheers is the place where 'everybody knows your name.' This hugely popular ‘80s sitcom centered around the bar manager Sam Malone (Ted Danson), server Diane Chambers (Shelley Long), and a host of regulars, including psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), who went on to have his one very successful spinoff.
There are actually two Cheers bars in Boston, where the show is based. The original location on Beacon Street was used to film the bar's exterior, as shown in the opening credits. It was originally named the Bull and Finch Pub and was established in 1969. The show’s interior scenes were filmed on a soundstage in Los Angeles at Paramount Studios.
How to Visit: As this is a bar, it’s easy to visit during open hours.
84 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108
3. The Brady Bunch
The Brady’s Family Home
While the show’s interiors were filmed on a soundstage in Los Angeles, the establishing shot of the Brady home was filmed at a real-life house in the Studio City area of LA. In 2018, the home was purchased by home improvement channel HGTV, which renovated it to match the interior of the show, as changes to it had occurred over the years since the show ended.
The renovation can be seen on the TV series A Very Brady Renovation.
How to Visit: As this is a private residence, visitors can not enter the home. It can only be viewed from the road.
11222 Dilling St, North Hollywood, CA 91602
4. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Paddy’s Pub
Los Angeles, California
The South Philly dive bar Paddy’s Pub, co-owned by Charlie, Dennis, and Mac, is actually the Nate Starkman Building (aka the Pan Pacific Warehouse) on Mateo Street in the Arts District of Los Angeles. The interior shows were filmed in a studio, but this 1908 building, which once operated as a factory for paints, oils, and varnishes, was used as the establishing shot for the bar.
And it’s not the only show that’s used this iconic building, it’s been seen in shows such as Parks and Recreation, Castle, and Charmed.
How to Visit: This building is a warehouse that’s primarily rented out for film shoots and for events. However, fans can check out the exterior by visiting downtown LA.
544 Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
5. Boy Meets World
The Matthew’s Family Home
While the show was set in Philadelphia, all filming took place in Los Angeles. The interiors were shot on a soundstage at Walt Disney Studios, while the exterior that stood in for the Matthew’s home is a 1940s house located in nearby Studio City, a neighborhood of LA.
Fun fact: Disney initially envisioned building Disneyland adjacent to his studios in Burbank. However, he realized the proposed site was too small for his ideas.
How to Visit: As this is a private residence, visitors can not enter the home. It can only be viewed from the road.
4196 Colfax Ave., Studio City, California
6. Seinfeld
Monk’s Cafe
New York, New York
On the corner of Broadway and West 112 Street in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights neighborhood, visitors can find Tom’s Restaurant, which stood in for Monk’s Cafe in nearly every episode of Seinfeld. While the real location where viewers watched as Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), George (Jason Alexander), and Kramer (Michael Richards) conversed over meals was filmed on a soundstage in Los Angeles, the exterior establishing shots were of Tom’s.
This family-owned diner was established in the 1940s and has been a must-see for Seinfeld fans since the ‘90s and is now decorated with memorabilia from the show.
How to Visit: As this is a restaurant, it’s easy to visit during open hours.
2880 Broadway, New York, NY 10025
7. The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air
Banks Family Home
Los Angeles, California
Despite the name of the show, this exterior building that stood in for the Banks’ family home is actually located in Brentwood, an upscale neighborhood next to Bel-Air. While most of the scenes from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air were filmed on a soundstage, the famous opening sequence rapped by Will Smith sees him dropped off by a taxi outside this mansion as he moves in with his ‘auntie and uncle in Bel-Air.’
How to Visit: The mansion was featured in a 2020 promotion through Airbnb for the show’s 30th anniversary, offering exclusive stays for fans. However, the option to stay in the $9 million mansion is no longer available, so visitors can instead drive by to see it from the street.
251 N. Bristol Avenue in Brentwood
8. 30 Rock
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, New York
Tina Fey’s TV series 30 Rock is loosely based on her experiences working on the iconic Saturday Night Live series. While the show was mostly filmed on a soundstage in Queens, the fiction studio seen in 30 Rock was designed to look like the real NBC Studios in Manhattan, where SNL is filmed. 30 Rockefeller Center is also where the exterior shots were filmed for Fey’s show.
How to Visit: Visitors can take a photo under the famous “NBC Studios” sign outside the building, or for a more immersive experience, take an NBC Studios tour to see where many of the network’s shows are filmed. Those who wish to see a taping of a show such as SNL should inquire as far in advance as possible, as tickets go quickly.
30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112
9. Friends
Rachel, Monica, Joey, and Chandler’s Apartment
New York, New York
While the Friends’ interior shots were filmed on a set at Warner Brothers in Burbank, California, the location of Monica, Rachel, Joey, and Chandler’s apartment is a real place in New York City. Located in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, the exterior shots of the six-story apartment building were filmed on the corner of Grove and Bedford Street, right above the Little Owl restaurant.
How to Visit: Friends fans can check out this tan brick building from the street or see it on a TV and movie tour of New York City along with other prominent filming locations.
90 Bedford St, New York, NY 10014
10. How I Met Your Mother
MacLaren’s Pub
New York, New York
The main setting of the show How I Met Your Mother is MacLaren’s Pub, where the characters constantly gather. While the show was shot on a soundstage in Los Angeles, California, the basis of this fictional pub is the very real McGee’s in Midtown Manhattan.
It’s an Irish pub, just like the one in the hit show, and fans will immediately recognize the bar and the booths. This particular pub was chosen because the show's creators, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, used to frequent it while working on the Late Show with David Letterman.
How to Visit: As this is a bar, it’s easy to visit during open hours.
240 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019
11. Parks And Recreation
Pawnee City Hall
Pasadena, California
While Pawnee, Indiana, may be fictional, those visiting Pasadena will have no issue finding the building that stood in for Pawnee City Hall. The real-life Pasadena City Hall is a marvelous building that filled in as the establishing shot where Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, and Nick Offerman played government employees in the Parks and Recreation Department.
However, one small change was made to the building in postproduction: the original roof tiles were replaced with green ones.
How to Visit: As this is a government building it is open, but also a place that conducts official business so no official tours are given of the interior.
100 Garfield Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101
12. The Office
Electric City Sign
Scranton, Pennslyvania
The U.S. version of The Office was set in Scranton, PA. While the show was filmed primarily in Los Angeles, an exterior shot of the Electric City Sign was included to make it seem more realistic.
Most notably, in the episode The Merger, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Michael (Steve Carell) create a rap video featuring the sign that was originally built to commemorate Scranton’s status as one of the first cities in the United States to become electrified.
Located on top of a building on Linden Street in Scranton, it's one of the very few real-life locations fans of The Office can visit.
How to Visit: As this building is privately owned, visitors can not tour the interior but are welcome to take photos from the outside.
507 Linden St, Scranton, PA 18503
13. New Girl
The Griffin
Los Angeles, California
Seen in the 1st season of New Girl, the real-life and famous Koreatown restaurant The Prince stood in for the fictional bar The Griffin. Open since the ‘40s, the show initially shot here until they moved filming to a sound stage where the bar was recreated as it became central to the storyline when Nick Miller (Jake Johnson) and Schmidt (Max Greenfield) buy the bar.
The Prince also previously appeared on Mad Men and the 2010 series The Defenders.
How to Visit: As this is a bar, it’s easy to visit during open hours.
3198 1/2 W 7th Los Angeles, CA 90005
14. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
The Precinct
New York, New York
Most of Brooklyn Nine-Nine with Andy Samberg, Terry Crews, and Chelsea Peretti was filmed in Los Angeles at the CBS Studio Center; however, the exterior establishing shots of the precinct are of a real building located in Brooklyn. Located on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Bergen Street, the NYPD 78th Precinct serves as the 99th in the TV show.
How to Visit: As this is a government building you can enter it, but it’s not advised as it is an active police precinct. However, you can take photos of the exterior from the street.
65 6th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
15. Modern Family
Claire and Phil's Home
Los Angeles, California
One of the most critically acclaimed and popular sitcoms, Modern Family, boasts numerous filming locations around Los Angeles. The houses used for exterior shots have become major attractions, and Claire and Phil’s home is one of the top stops for fans.
Relatively near Claire and Phil's house, fans will find the house of Mitchell and Cam, located just down the street from the FOX studios, where all of the interior shots are filmed. While Jay and Gloria's house is a bit further away, in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood.
How to Visit: As these are private residences, visitors can not enter the homes. They can only be viewed from the road.
Claire and Phil: 10336 Dunleer Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Mitchell and Cam: 2211 Fox Hills Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Jay and Gloria: 121 S Cliffwood Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90049
16. Step by Step
Lambert Family Home
Pasadena, California
Fans of the popular ‘90s show featuring the Lambert family will instantly recognize the South Pasadena house that stood in as the family home from the Step by Step opening credits.
Although none of the scenes were filmed inside the house, they were instead on a soundstage at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, and the exterior of the home has remained relatively unchanged since it first appeared on the TV series.
How to Visit: As this is a private residence, visitors can not enter the home. It can only be viewed from the road.
2011 Fletcher Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Final Thoughts on These Famous Sitcom Filming Locations
Whether you’re a fan of classic sitcoms like Cheers or more modern ones like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, there is a filming location for you. While all had their interiors shot on sound stages, there is still something magical about seeing a place you’ve only known on-screen in real life.
As noted above, some of them are pretty easy to visit either on a tour or are at least public buildings open to visitors. However, please be especially respectful of the private residences so that fans can continue to visit and enjoy these sitcom filming locations for years to come.
Written by Michelle of Travel HerStory
Michelle is the founder of Travel HerStory, a solo female travel and budget-friendly blog. She’s a thirty-something wanderluster who, over the past 11 years, has blogged her adventures to help you with yours. When not planning her next trip, she’s sharing itineraries, budget travel tips, sightseeing pass reviews, and recommendations on accommodations! She formerly worked in TV for 14 years but now is a digital nomad, SEO content writer, and marketer.
You can connect with her on Instagram, Pinterest, and Threads.
