The What We Do in the Shadows House: Where is the vampiric series filmed?
Posted by Ra Moon
What We Do in the Shadows is not a location show, but it features our favorite vampire housemates, living in a terrific crumbling old manor.
The series is set in Staten Island, NY (where the bloodsuckers managed to conquer their street and part of Ashley Street). This is the same place where they are still living after the boat that came from the Old World dropped them off over a hundred years ago.
The series is set in Staten Island, NY (where the bloodsuckers managed to conquer their street and part of Ashley Street). This is the same place where they are still living after the boat that came from the Old World dropped them off over a hundred years ago.
For this spin-off of the 2014 New Zealand indie movie of the same name, the series creators Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement were clear that the characters would have to follow the classic vampiric rules (bursting into flame in sunlight, fear of crucifixes, etc).
The producers also decided to keep the mock-documentary format, so if there is something that a documentary crew can't record, it doesn't appear in the show.
What We Do in the Shadows was filmed in Toronto. The Gothic mansion exteriors were shot at three different locations, while the cool rooms were shot in a sound stage.
Where is What We Do in the Shadows filmed?
In season 1, the Vampire Residence exteriors were a house located at 450 Pape Ave near Withrow Park in the Riverdale area.
This 1902 mansion called the Cranfield House is a historical landmark, but also the filming location of the It movie and many more productions like Orphan Black, The Strain, or Designated Survivor.
Because of an overwhelming amount of film shoots, the neighbors complained multiple times, to the point that the property was sold in 2019 to host a new women's shelter.
(You can open all the locations on Google Maps by clicking on the links below in the captions ↴)
Image courtesy of FX Networks and Nadiatalent - Map
Image courtesy of FX Networks and Nadiatalent - Map
After the filmmakers lost the original exterior set, they couldn't find a house to match the original vampiric household.
For the second season, the crew built a section of the facade, with the stained glass, and the garden of the mansion in a parking lot next to the studio. The set was located in the heart of Toronto's film district at 581 Eastern Avenue.
Image courtesy of FX - Map
The Neo-Gothic living room with the double staircase and all the interior rooms were also built in a big soundstage at the studios.
But there is a real mansion, used as the What We Do in the Shadows house in the establishing shots of almost every episode.
Resembling a fortified castle, the stately home pictured is the Jared S. Torrance House. Originally called Rose Hedge, the bloodsucker's residence is located at 929 Buena Vista Street in South Pasadena (California).
This 1902 English Tudor style manor was also featured in CSI: Las Vegas and The Mentalist series. The property boasts 8 bedrooms and 5 baths in approximately 13,000 square meters of living space.
Image courtesy of FX - Map
A Reddit user reported that Jenna's dorm is the Humber's College Lakeshore Campus.
This is the Locke and Key high school and the same location featured in the mid-'80s blockbuster hit Police Academy.
The werewolves' fight was filmed at the old Unilever building in Toronto.
Image courtesy of Google Maps
The exterior of the witches' shop Satchel Serafina from episode nine of the second season is BSIDE Beauty located at 1148 Queen Street E in the Leslieville neighborhood of Toronto.
The Byzantine basilica-style interior looks like a set built at the studios.
Image courtesy of FX - Map
The Nouveau Théâtre des Vampires from the sensational season two finale was filmed at The Opera House.
Opened in 1909, this historic performing venue is located at 735 Queen Street East in Toronto's Riverdale area.
Image courtesy of FX - Map
The Vampiric Council Headquarters is a tower located at 300 Consilium Place in Scarborough.
Image courtesy of FX - Map
The show stars Harvey Guillén as Guillermo, the servant (familiar) to Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak), Natasia Demetriou as Nadja, a Romani vampire married to Laszlo Cravensworth (played by Matt Berry), an English nobleman.
Completing the main cast is Mark Proksch as Colin Robinson, the energy vampire who can suck your energy by boring you to death.
The large list of cameos includes Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Evan Rachel Wood (True Blood, Westworld), Tilda Swinton (Only Lovers Left Alive), Wesley Snipes (Blade), Kristen Schaal (Flight of the Conchords, The Last Man on Earth), Danny Trejo (From Dusk Till Dawn, Machete), Paul Reubens (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), Craig Robinson (Pineapple Express, The Office), and Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange).
Can you help to improve this article about the shooting locations of What We Do in the Shadows? To complete and correct this report, any feedback, info, or images that you may have are more than welcome, thank you!
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NOTICE: If you’re using this information on your website, please credit and link to this page as a source.
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9 comments:
1- Anonymous - Oct 18, 2021, 11:23 AM
The Nouveau Théâtre des Vampires was filmed at The Operahouse at Queen and Broadview.
2- Vampy Cat - Jul 16, 2022, 9:10 AM
I was wondering what building is used as the exterior of the Vampiric Council. I am assuming it is in Toronto but not 100% sure.
3- Anonymous - Sep 7, 2022, 1:02 PM
The Vampiric Council tower is (ironically) 300 Consilium Place in Scarborough.
4- Anonymous - Oct 12, 2022, 6:42 PM
The train platform in season 4, episode 9, is the UP Express line at Weston Station, I believe.
5- Anonymous - Sep 8, 2023, 1:40 PM
The parking garage where Jeff works is next to the Mandarin at Birchmount and Eglington in Scarborough.
6- Anonymous - Nov 12, 2023, 10:54 PM
In S5E6 Nandor takes Colin Robinson into a convenience store. It's the one on Gerrard and Greenwood next to Lahore Grill, which is also in the shot.
7- Anonymous - Jan 13, 2024, 7:23 AM
Don’t forget the Hav-A-Nap motel that Guillermo stays in on the last show of season 5. It’s located in Scarborough, at Kingston Road and Brimley Avenue. I’m sincerely hoping they only used it for the exterior shots, and they didn’t actually make the actors go inside that h*llhole.
8- Anonymous - Jan 20, 2024, 9:04 PM
Pretty sure the train station at the end of season 3 is Danforth Go Station, and the kickball game with the werewolves is at a baseball field near Ash Bridges in Toronto.
9- Anonymous - Mar 19, 2024, 8:21 PM
There is an episode filmed in the Woodbine Mall.
1- Anonymous - Oct 18, 2021, 11:23 AM
The Nouveau Théâtre des Vampires was filmed at The Operahouse at Queen and Broadview.
2- Vampy Cat - Jul 16, 2022, 9:10 AM
I was wondering what building is used as the exterior of the Vampiric Council. I am assuming it is in Toronto but not 100% sure.
3- Anonymous - Sep 7, 2022, 1:02 PM
The Vampiric Council tower is (ironically) 300 Consilium Place in Scarborough.
4- Anonymous - Oct 12, 2022, 6:42 PM
The train platform in season 4, episode 9, is the UP Express line at Weston Station, I believe.
5- Anonymous - Sep 8, 2023, 1:40 PM
The parking garage where Jeff works is next to the Mandarin at Birchmount and Eglington in Scarborough.
6- Anonymous - Nov 12, 2023, 10:54 PM
In S5E6 Nandor takes Colin Robinson into a convenience store. It's the one on Gerrard and Greenwood next to Lahore Grill, which is also in the shot.
7- Anonymous - Jan 13, 2024, 7:23 AM
Don’t forget the Hav-A-Nap motel that Guillermo stays in on the last show of season 5. It’s located in Scarborough, at Kingston Road and Brimley Avenue. I’m sincerely hoping they only used it for the exterior shots, and they didn’t actually make the actors go inside that h*llhole.
8- Anonymous - Jan 20, 2024, 9:04 PM
Pretty sure the train station at the end of season 3 is Danforth Go Station, and the kickball game with the werewolves is at a baseball field near Ash Bridges in Toronto.
9- Anonymous - Mar 19, 2024, 8:21 PM
There is an episode filmed in the Woodbine Mall.
Ra Moon
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