Where was Happiest Season filmed? Filming Locations Guide in Pittsburgh City
Posted by Ra Moon
Happiest Season is a holiday rom-com featuring various cool locations shot in Pennsylvania.
The storyline revolves around a young woman who is invited to meet her girlfriend's parents at the annual Christmas dinner. On the way over, she learns that her partner hasn't actually come out yet to her conservative family.
The storyline revolves around a young woman who is invited to meet her girlfriend's parents at the annual Christmas dinner. On the way over, she learns that her partner hasn't actually come out yet to her conservative family.
The cast is headed up by Twilight Saga star Kristen Stewart as Abby, while Mackenzie Davis (Halt and Catch Fire, The Turning) plays her girlfriend and “roommate”, Harper.
Happiest Season is set and filmed in and around Pittsburgh. The city already proved to be a great source for filming locations in the Mindhunter series.
Happiest Season locations
The movie opens with Abby and Harper going on a walking tour to Candy Cane Lane.
The Candy Cane Lane in DuBoistown (a borough in Williamsport) is considered the best neighborhood Christmas light display in Pennsylvania.
However, as the Tribune-Review reported, the scene was actually filmed at the intersection of California and Cleveland Avenues in Avalon near Pittsburgh.
From Thanksgiving to New Years', the area known as the 200 block of Summer Street in Duboistown boasts spectacular Christmas decorations.
Abby and Harper's cozy apartment is above the corner of Butler and Fisk at 4059 Butler Street in Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh.
Image courtesy of Hulu - Map
Abby meets her friend John (played by Dan Levy, the creator of popular Canadian sitcom Schitt's Creek) at The Vandal coffee shop also in Lawrenceville.
Image courtesy of Hulu - Map
After a short visit to Samantha Skelton's Jewelry shop at 4049 Penn Avenue (renamed Maggie Srmayan, after the movie's set designer), they go for a stroll down Butler Street.
Image courtesy of Hulu - Map
But where is the magnificent Caldwell country house?
Nestled in Sewickley Heights, this historical seven-bedroom mansion is named Cherry Hill.
Image courtesy of Hulu - Map
Designed in 1935 by famed architect Benno Janssen, this property has an estimated market value of around 3,500,000.
Like the iconic Home Alone house, this stunning 8,000 square foot mansion was only used for the exterior shots.
In a press release, film director Clea DuVall stated that production designer Theresa Guleserian decided to build the entire house, where much of the movie takes place, on a soundstage at 31st Street Studios in Pittsburgh.
Image courtesy of Hulu - Map
The restaurant with the central fireplace, where the family has dinner along with Harper's ex-boyfriend Connor (played by Jake McDorman), is one of the halls of the Chartiers Country Club.
This family-oriented private club with the golf course is located in the hills of Robinson Township, just a few minutes away from downtown Pittsburgh.
Image courtesy of Hulu - Map
The fictional Margot Community Center Ice Arena is actually the Belmont Complex ice rink in West Hills.
Image courtesy of Hulu - Map
Atlas of Wonders has tracked down the location of the country club where, according to John, “they didn't let women have their own memberships until the early 2000s” to the Fox Chapel Golf Club.
The historic Brandon Smith and Alden/Harlow building is a registered architectural landmark.
Image courtesy of Hulu - Map
Pittsburgh Current reported that the shopping center where Lauren Lapkus and Timothy Simons make a cameo as security guards is the Ross Park Mall in Ross Township, located north of Pittsburgh.
Image courtesy of Hulu - Map
Abby ends up eating alone on Christmas Eve in Nonni's Corner Trattoria and walks by the 1927 Guthrie Theatre on Broad Street in Grove City.
However, the interior of the movie cinema that appears again at the end of the movie is not the Guthrie, but the Carnegie Library Music Hall in Homestead.
Image courtesy of Hulu - Maps: Broad Street / Carnegie of Homestead
According to IMDb, the gay bar where Abby and Riley (played by Aubrey Plaza) have a drink is a tribute to The Oxwood Inn, a lesbian bar in Los Angeles that closed in 2017.
For Happiest Season, The Oxwood was filmed at Real Luck Café in The Strip (Pittsburgh).
Image courtesy of Hulu - Map
Sidelines Beer House in Sewickley served as the Frattie's bar.
Image courtesy of Hulu - Map
The scene where Abby and Riley are walking down the street and Harper is browsing in a wine shop was filmed on Beaver Street in Sewickley.
This residential suburb is located about 15 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.
Image courtesy of Hulu - Maps: Gather store / Gas station
The Love's Travel Stop is the one in Slippery Rock, a small town in Butler County.
Image courtesy of Hulu - Map
Can you help to improve this article about the shooting locations of Happiest Season? To complete and correct this report, any feedback, info, or images that you may have are more than welcome, thank you!
NOTICE: If you’re using this information on your website, please credit and link to this page as a source.
*****
NOTICE: If you’re using this information on your website, please credit and link to this page as a source.
*****
Ra Moon
Atlas of Wonders is looking for wonderful Filming Locations all around the world. We are constantly updating and improving our posts with new details and images. Follow us here:
The Candy Cane Lane linked above is incorrect. It is outside Philadelphia, not Pittsburgh. The Candy Cane Lane in Happiest Season is in Avalon, PA.
ReplyDeleteWhat are you trying to say? As the article says, the real Candy Cane Lane is in DuBoistown -- which is in Central PA and not near Philadelphia. And Avalon where the Movie scene was filmed is a suburb next door to the city of Pittsburgh -- not Philadelphia.
DeleteJust saw this movie. Adding to the locations: Abby & Harper's apartment is above the corner of Butler and Fisk in Lawrenceville - it can be seen outside their window. John and Abby walk down Butler past Hambone's pub with a flyer in the window advertising the real upcoming Letitia Van Sant concert...and businesses such as the Deli, Bierport, Merchant Oyster and Wildcard can clearly be seen in the shot. It's almost the exact same location where the American Pickle shoot also took place, but they did a lot less set dressing than Rogen's movie did - in fact, almost none.
ReplyDeleteWow, what an eye to find the apartment!
DeleteYes... the scene was filmed in the third-floor apartment above Thunderbird Cafe!
ReplyDeleteThis candy cane lane is filmed no where near duboistown, pa (south Williamsport, pa )
ReplyDeleteFratties was filmed at Sidelines Beer House in Sewickley
ReplyDeleteAll comments are reviewed prior to publication