While most sitcoms are filmed on soundstages and carefully crafted sets, some use real-world locations – whether in opening credits, establishing shots, or memorable scenes. These glimpses of reality often become iconic in their own right, drawing fans to visit them long after the final episode airs.
Click through this gallery to discover American sitcom locations you can actually see for yourself...
Better known as Monk's Diner to Seinfeld fans, the exterior of Tom's Restaurant, located on the corner of 112th Street in Manhattan, is featured in almost every episode of the long-running sitcom.
The interior scenes, where main characters Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), George (Jason Alexander), and Kramer (Michael Richards) are filmed drinking coffee and hanging out, were shot on a soundstage, but fans still flock to this family-owned restaurant.
While all of the Friends interior scenes were filmed on a soundstage in Los Angeles, the exterior of Monica and Rachel’s apartment is a real building in New York City.
It’s located in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, at the corner of Grove Street and Bedford Street – specifically, 90 Bedford Street. The building sits above The Little Owl, a popular restaurant that now draws many Friends fans for photo ops.
The setting for some of the funniest moments on How I Met Your Mother, MacLaren's Pub is based on a very real place in Manhattan. McGee's in Midtown is an Irish pub, just like the fictional one, and fans of the sitcom will immediately recognize the bar and the booths.
The pub fully leans into its sitcom connection – there’s HIMYM-themed décor, a special menu, and plenty of opportunities for fans to grab a photo. The show's creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas used to frequent the pub while working on The Late Show with David Letterman.
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Pawnee, Indiana might be fictional, but you can still visit Parks and Recreation’s iconic City Hall. The real building used for exterior shots is Pasadena City Hall in California.
While the interior scenes were filmed on sets, most of the outdoor scenes featuring Pawnee government buildings were shot here, making it one of the show’s most recognizable locations. Eagle-eyed fans may notice that the red roof tiles were digitally altered to green in the show to give it a more Midwestern feel.
Another must-visit for Parks and Recreation fans is St. Elmo Steak House in Indianapolis – one of the few real Indiana locations featured in the show.
While it's best known for its legendary steaks and spicy shrimp cocktail, it also holds a special place in the show's lore as one of Ron Swanson’s favorite haunts. In the episode Two Parties, the fictional steak connoisseur finally gets the bachelor party he never had, complete with a meal at this iconic spot.
Los Angeles City College, located on North Vermont Avenue, doubled as Greendale Community College throughout the cult sitcom Community’s run. The show follows a group of quirky students at a dysfunctional community college, blending pop culture parody with offbeat humor.
Many of the show's outdoor scenes – including those outside the cafeteria and classrooms – were filmed on this working campus, which you can explore freely during open hours.
Since it first aired in 1998, Sex and the City has become one of television’s most iconic shows – and fans still flock to the famous steps of Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment.
The apartment isn’t on the Upper East Side as in the series, but rather in Manhattan’s West Village, on Perry Street. The show originally filmed exterior shots at 64 Perry Street, but switched to 66 Perry Street, which offered a more photogenic stoop. Here it is decorated for Halloween.
A 30-second clip from season three of Sex and the City was all it took for Magnolia Bakery to become one of the hottest destinations in New York City.
In the show, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) eat cupcakes outside this corner spot on Bleecker Street. The bakery has since expanded to more than 20 locations worldwide, but the most devoted fans still come here for their cupcakes.
Will & Grace, which follows the friendship and lives of interior designer Grace and her best friend Will, was a groundbreaking sitcom celebrated for its sharp wit and cultural impact.
While interior scenes were shot on a set in LA, the exterior of Grace’s design office was filmed at the iconic red-brick Puck Building in SoHo, and fans often stop to snap a photo of this recognizable landmark.
Brady Bunch superfans will recognize the house in Studio City, California, which served as the exterior of the Brady family home. In 2018, the property was purchased by HGTV, who renovated it for the series A Very Brady Renovation.
In 2023, the home was sold again – this time to an art collector and fan of the show, who plans to preserve it as a piece of television history. Although the house is not open to the public for regular tours, fans can still visit the street to see the iconic façade.
Not many know that Scranton, where the US version of The Office is set, is a real place located in Pennsylvania. Although most of the show was shot around California, the crew needed to include some shots of Scranton to make it look realistic.
In episode The Merger, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Michael (Steve Carell) create a rap video that features Scranton's Electric City sign. Located on a building on Linden Street in Scranton, it's one of the very few real-life locations The Office fans can visit.
A central location in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the fictional Paddy’s Pub, the grimy bar run by the gang. While the show is set in Philly, the exterior of Paddy’s Pub is actually located in Los Angeles. You’ll find it at the Starkman Building on 544 Mateo Street in the Arts District.
Originally a factory for the Nate Starkman & Son Company, the building has since become a popular filming location. It’s also made appearances in Parks and Recreation, Castle, and Charmed.
Legendary series M*A*S*H centers around doctors and staff stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War.
The 1970s sitcom's outdoor scenes were actually filmed within the Malibu Creek State Park in California, where a rusted jeep and the famous sign from the show help visitors locate the set.
Fans of Saved by the Bell will remember the show's summer episodes set at the fictional Malibu Sands Beach Club, where the gang worked during school break. The real-life location for those scenes is the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica.
With its sweeping ocean views, sun-drenched terraces and classic California vibe, it's instantly recognizable as the backdrop for Zack and the gang's seaside adventures – and has since been transformed into a public facility featuring a pool, café, and playground, all with direct beach access.
Used in the first season of New Girl for interior shots of fictional bar The Griffin, The Prince is a historic Koreatown restaurant and bar that’s been open since the 1940s.
While the bar was later recreated on a soundstage for the rest of the series, the real location retains its signature look, with red leather booths, vintage chandeliers, and dark wood finishes. The venue has also made appearances in Mad Men, Chinatown, and The Defenders.
For the first few seasons, a loft apartment is one of the most important locations in New Girl as the show starts with Jess (Zooey Deschanel) moving into the spare room.
While the interior shots were filmed on a soundstage, the exterior is a real building in Los Angeles. It is an actual warehouse-style apartment building and is featured on many LA filming locations tours.
Inspired by Tina Fey’s real-life experiences on Saturday Night Live, the satirical sitcom 30 Rock follows the behind-the-scenes chaos of an SNL-style sketch show set within the fictional halls of NBC.
While most of the series was filmed on a soundstage, fans can still visit the real 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City – the very building that inspired the show’s name. The Tour at NBC Studios offers behind-the-scenes access to several real NBC soundstages, including Studio 8H, the home of Saturday Night Live.
Although most of Brooklyn Nine-Nine – starring Andy Samberg, Terry Crews, and Chelsea Peretti – is filmed in Los Angeles at the CBS Studio Center, the exterior precinct shots are a real building.
Located at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Bergen Street in Brooklyn, the NYPD 78th Precinct serves as the 99th in the show.
The homes used for Modern Family's exterior shots quickly became popular sightseeing spots in Los Angeles. One of the most recognizable is Claire and Phil Dunphy's family home, located on Dunleer Drive in the Cheviot Hills neighborhood.
When it went on the market in 2014, it drew attention from fans eager to see the interior – though the inside looks nothing like the show's set. The property eventually sold for approximately $2.15 million.
Fans of the 1980s sitcom Full House will recognize the iconic family picnic scene from the opening credits, set against a backdrop of downtown San Francisco. It was filmed in Alamo Square Park, directly across from the famous row of Victorian houses known as the Painted Ladies.
While the houses draw thousands of visitors hoping to recreate the moment, many are surprised to learn that none of the Painted Ladies were actually used as the Tanner family home. The real house from the show’s exterior shots is located elsewhere in the city.
One of the most famous watering holes in America, Cheers is the place where 'everybody knows your name'. The hugely popular 1980s sitcom centered around bar manager Sam Malone (Ted Danson), server Diane Chambers (Shelley Long), and a host of regulars, including Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer).
There are 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.
The Good Place follows Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), who wakes up in a seemingly perfect afterlife – only to realize she doesn’t belong there. Pasadena stood in for the show's version of 'heaven', with the courtyard of the real-life Pasadena City Hall serving as the show's idyllic town square.
The building’s grand exterior, also familiar to fans of Parks and Recreation, features ornate columns, fountains, and manicured gardens that are completely open to the public.
Critically acclaimed series The Bear dives into the high-pressure world of a talented young chef who returns home to run his late brother’s chaotic sandwich shop. That shop isn’t just a set – it’s a real place.
Filming took place at Mr. Beef, a no-frills Italian beef joint at 666 N Orleans Street in Chicago, and it looks just as it does on screen. Fans can stop by to soak up the gritty charm that inspired the series and bite into one of the city’s most iconic beef sandwiches.
Only Murders in the Building follows three unlikely neighbors who bond over a shared obsession with true crime – and soon find themselves investigating a murder in their own building.
The luxurious apartment complex featured in the series is The Belnord, located on Manhattan's Upper West Side. This historic pre-war building stands in for the fictional Arconia, and while it’s a private residence, fans often stop to admire its grand Beaux-Arts architecture and courtyard.
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