Culture
TV Capitals: On Location In… Toronto
Whether standing in for the Big Apple or starring as the vibrant city she is, Toronto is home to a host of iconic small-screen filming locations worth seeking out
The biggest city in Canada is also a big name in the film and TV industry, with Toronto’s diverse architecture often making it a favourite for productions set in the US and looking to mimic various cities – most notably New York. Check out our guide to the Toronto sights that will transport you straight to the small screen.
Roy Thomson Hall (The Boys)
We start with the imposing Vought Tower, the headquarters of Vought International and superhero team The Seven in hit satirical drama The Boys. While you wait for the final season of the worldwide smash, due sometime in 2026, why not stop by Roy Thomson Hall, the high-rise in Toronto’s downtown entertainment district that stands in for the building? Home to the real-life Toronto Symphony Orchestra, its exterior is digitally altered for the show, while the interior lobby is used as the Vought Tower entrance. It’s become a must-see for those visiting the stomping grounds of the fearsome Homelander (Antony Starr) and his squad.
Winners Department Store (The Queen’s Gambit)
Anya Taylor-Joy starred in this award-winning drama as Beth, a chess prodigy whose genius is hampered by personal issues. In episode two of the miniseries, Winners Department Store on Front Street plays Ben Snyder Department Store, where Beth and her adoptive mother, Alma, go shopping for new clothes, and where she later returns with her winnings from a successful tournament to buy her first chess set. In reality, Winners is a chain store specialising in fashion, so, like Beth, you can give yourself a makeover while you’re there!
Bay Adelaide Centre (Suits)
If you’re a big fan of the legal dramedy Suits, then a trip to Toronto’s Financial District will be essential; from 2011 to 2019, the Bay Adelaide Centre’s West Tower was the setting of the fictional Pearson Specter Litt law firm in the show. The building also featured heavily in the M. Night Shyamalan horror film Devil, but the 51-story monolith has undoubtedly earned its place in TV fandom history for providing the backdrop for the misadventures of unqualified law associate Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) and his long-suffering legal partner, Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht).
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Many of the locations for this hard-hitting dystopian drama can be found in Toronto, but we thought we’d recommend one connected to a happier memory for lead character June (Elisabeth Moss). In the first season, we see flashbacks to a happier time when she visits an aquarium with her husband and child. As she fights to survive under an oppressive regime in a future America, the memory becomes precious for her. Fans of the show can head to Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada – specifically to its underwater tunnel, where the scene was filmed – to relive that small-screen magic in more peaceful circumstances.
Goodwood (Schitt’s Creek)
Located just east of Toronto, fans of Schitt’s Creek will recognise the community of Goodwood as, well, Schitt’s Creek! The creators and stars of the series, father-son duo Dan and Eugene Levy, are both proud Canadians who wanted to set their series in their home country. While the show concluded in 2020, Goodwood remains a tourist hot spot for fans looking to recapture the misadventures of the Rose family as they made their home in the titular town after losing their vast fortune.
Cranfield House (What We Do in the Shadows)
How do you find the perfect house for a group of hilariously dysfunctional vampires? The makers of hit comedy What We Do in the Shadows headed to Pape Ave near Withrow Park in Toronto’s Riverdale area. There, they found Cranfield House, a 120-year-old home and historical landmark – and the subject for the exterior shots of the vampires’ residence in the show. The multi-time Emmy-nominated series came to an end last year, but visitors still flock here to glimpse a visual staple of this ghoulish modern classic.
4 King Street E, Hamilton (The Umbrella Academy)
We take a quick detour (about an hour’s drive) from Toronto to the nearby city of Hamilton, which fans of The Umbrella Academy will definitely want to check out. The entrance to the Umbrella Academy house, the old mansion where the super-powered team lives, can be found at 4 King Street E. While the interiors were shot elsewhere – including in Toronto – the iconic frontage is the perfect place for a fan selfie.
The Pearl (Adults)
One of the biggest new series of 2025 was Adults, a comedy about the lives and loves of twentysomethings living in Queens, New York. As you may have guessed by now, the show was largely filmed in Canada, with key scenes shot in The Pearl event space in downtown Toronto. The location is a functioning venue, designed with a New York loft aesthetic that makes it the obvious choice for producers looking to emulate the ambience of the Big Apple. As we anxiously await confirmation of season two, you can dance the night away in the footsteps of its leads.
St. George Campus, University of Toronto (Overcompensating)
Social media star Benito Skinner created and starred in this LGBTQ+ themed show set at the fictional Yates University in America. In reality, the University of Toronto ‘played’ the institution throughout the first season, with both interiors and exteriors around campus used for filming. Pop icon Charli XCX guest-starred in the show, although it’s unlikely the Brat singer will be hanging out on the quad when you visit!
252 Queen St E (Kim’s Convenience)
We end with a sitcom that’s actually set in Toronto and uses a Toronto storefront as its most famous location. Mimi Variety on Queen Street East was used for exterior shots in the beloved series Kim’s Convenience, which ran from 2016 to 2021 and followed the lives of a Korean-Canadian family running their neighbourhood store. The owner has kept the prop signage, and while the interior is different to the show’s, memorabilia and pictures of the cast are on display.
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