Hamilton is ready for its close-up, thanks to the steady flow of tv shows and movies filming here.
Producers and directors love our friendliness and mix of urban and green spaces.
Historic architecture – unique in the region – minutes from beautiful natural areas, provide the perfect backdrop, helping make Hamilton one of the busiest filming locations in the region.
Bask in the city’s star power with our guide to some of our most popular filming locations to visit on your next trip.
Gore Park and the Downtown Core
See Gore Park, nearby King William Street, and the downtown core front and centre in the TV series The Umbrella Academy, starring Canadian actor Elliot Page and Hamilton’s own TJ McGibbon. You can also spot the core in The Christmas Chronicles, with Kurt Russell, the Batman-inspired series Gotham Knights, and the series The Most Dangerous Game with Liam Hemsworth.
Star Turn: Take your photo in front of the gorgeous Victorian Gore Park Fountain, a Hamilton landmark before exploring the downtown's many shops, restaurants and attractions.
Scottish Rite Club
Located on the corner of King and Queen Streets, this imposing historic red stone Scottish Rite Club has loads of drama, from 50-ft ceilings to stunning stained glass. Surrounded by a tall wrought iron fence, it was once home to a 19th-century tobacco tycoon.
Where You’ve Seen It: The iconic downtown building was a favourite spot for filming The Handmaid’s Tale – both exteriors and interior scenes- as well as Stephen King's IT: Chapter Two with James McAvoy, Hamilton favourite Murdoch Mysteries, Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy horror film Crimson Peak, the Emmy winning movie Self Made with Octavia Spencer, satirical superhero show The Boys, and mini-series Fellow Travelers with Jonathan Bailey of Bridgerton fame.
Star turn: Stand by the giant gates and you’ll feel like a wee speck in their shadow.
Hamilton City Hall
This mid-century modern gem on Main Street West opened to the public in 1960. It’s been well-preserved over the decades with a number of restoration initiatives and is steps away from downtown tourism attractions like the Art Gallery of Hamilton, FirstOntario Centre and hotels. Now, it’s ready for its close-up.
Where You’ve Seen It: Director Guillermo Del Toro featured it prominently in his Oscar-winning 2017 film, The Shape of Water. The building's distinctive interior is easily recognizable in a Season 2 scene of Umbrella Academy. You’ll also spot it in TV’s Designated Survivor with Canada-born Kiefer Sutherland plus the superhero series, Titans. More recently, you can see City Hall dressed up as San Francisco Airport in the Don Cheadle-directed and produced series The Big Cigar and Season 2 of The Boys.
Star turn: Strike a pose in front of the 60-foot sign that spells out HAMILTON. Don’t miss it lit up at night with 15,000 individual LED lights.
Hamilton Cemetery
You can just feel the history at this 100-acre cemetery on York Boulevard near Dundurn Castle. This is the oldest public burial ground in the city and the final resting place for soldiers from World Wars I and II as well as some of the city’s most notable politicians including many of the city’s past Mayors.
Where You’ve Seen It: Its eerie beauty has caught the eye of the creative team behind the TV series, American Gods, based on the best-selling novel by Neil Gaiman. More recently, the historic cemetery has been a backdrop in the Batman-inspired series Gotham Nights, the horror series Chucky, and Emmy-winning Cabinet of Curiosities.
Star turn: Take a free guided walk through the cemetery to learn about its fascinating history and the dignitaries who chose to spend eternity there.
LIUNA Station
There’s plenty of Hollywood-style glamour at this premier event space to draw film crews. The former CN Railway station built between 1929 and 1931 with Art Deco details is a real stunner and is a designated National Historic Site.
Where You’ve Seen It: Productions like CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries, The Good Witch, Stockholm Umbrella Academy and Emmy-winning Self Made and Flint Strong have all featured this iconic Hamilton stop.
Star turn: After getting your photo snapped on the front steps between Liuana's soaring stone columns, explore the shops, galleries and eateries along James Street North or hop over to nearby West Harbour waterfront.
Gage Park and area
This grand urban park in the city’s east end packs a lot of attractions into its 30 hectare footprint, including greenhouses, an elegant fountain, a lawn bowling club, tennis courts, perennial gardens, and a bandshell – a perfect backdrop for a host of events and lots of filming.
Where You’ve Seen It: Umbrella Academy filmed here as well as Canadian director Atom Egoyan’s film, Guest of Honour, starring Luke Wilson, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (written by Hamilton fan Guillermo del Toro), CTV series Children Ruin Everything, Critics’ Choice winner Fellow Travelers, and Emmy-winning Cabinet of Curiosities.
Star turn: If you're lucky enough to visit in the spring, stop by the stunning Cherry Blossoms in bloom. The nearby Gage Park Tropical Greenhouse is a great escape year-round. And don't miss the park's iconic fountain.
West Harbour
Tour Parks Canada’s floating museum HMCS Haida, a Tribal-class destroyer that served the Royal Canadian Navy from 1943 to 1963; take a bay-side trip on a miniature train; roller skate or ice skate under the stars, and watch the waves and boats bobbing in the bay as you walk the paved trails.
Where You’ve Seen It: The West Harbour’s beauty was captured on film in award-winning movies like Cinderella Man, starring Russell Crowe and more recently, The Big Cigar, co-directed and produced by Don Cheadle.
Star turn: There's lots to choose from here – from waterfront lookouts, the striking Indigenous installation All Our Relations, a skating rink, trollies and historic ships. Capture your visit at one of our Selfie Stations.
Dundurn Castle
One of Hamilton’s best-known attractions is a show stopper. Built in 1835 for politician Sir Allan Napier MacNab, the 40-room, neoclassic mansion is Hamilton’s most iconic museum.
Where You’ve Seen It: The National Historic Site has co-starred in many high-profile productions including the comic-book-inspired series Umbrella Academy, the Victorian-era gothic film, Crimson Peak, popular series like The Good Witch and Murdoch Mysteries, and the award-winning HBO series Sort Of. Hallmark movie fans can see the castle decked out for the holidays in A Not So Royal Christmas.
Star turn: Go behind the scenes with a tour of this grand historic home and leave time to explore the Victorian kitchen garden and beautiful grounds, overlooking Hamilton Harbour
Hamilton Stadium
This multi-purpose stadium rebuilt on the site of historic Ivor Wynne Stadium has welcomed many types of fans including those who love football, soccer, rugby and live music.
Where You’ve Seen It: The Amazon Prime original series The Boys filmed here, featuring a motley crew of unlikely superheroes, co-created by Seth Rogen. More recently the stadium was shot in popular series such as Accused and Y: The Last Man.
Star Turn: Catch a ForgeFC soccer game or cheer on the hometown Tiger-Cats during the CFL season.
Westfield Heritage Village
Unplug and slow down at this living history museum in rural Hamilton, where costumed interpreters lead demonstrations on everything from blacksmithing to bread-making, across 35 restored historic buildings, surrounded by vast green spaces.
Where You've Seen It: The comic book-inspired Locke and Key filmed its rustic key-making cabin scenes here. Westfield's also stood in for Anne of Green Gables' Prince Edward Island stomping ground in Anne With an E.
Star Turn: Climb aboard and explore a vintage 1903-built steam locomotive train, always a hit with young visitors.
50 Point Conservation Area
There's a lot of fun packed into this 80-hectare waterfront park in Stoney Creek along the shores of Lake Ontario, including a pretty marina, campsites, hiking, and fishing.
Where You've Seen It: The famous whale scene in the anti-hero action-packed series The Boys was shot here. The conservation area has also provided a backdrop for popular shows such as Good Witch, Hardy Boys, the filmed-in-Hamilton Murdoch Mysteries, and the horror series Urban Legend.
Star Turn: After working up an appetite, relax over a great meal overlooking Lake Ontario at Limani at FiftyTaverna nestled inside the conservation area.
Dundas Conservation Area
Get ready to be wowed by 1,200 hectares of lush forests, colourful meadows, cold-water streams and stunning rock formations at this destination conservation area. It's even been designated as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve as part of the Niagara Escarpment.
Where You've Seen It: The Conservation area was used in the new remake of the 1984 sci-fi movie Firestarter, based on a Stephen King novel. It was also a backdrop for the Margaret Atwood-inspired series Handmaid's Tale and used in the filming of Hardy Boys, Anne With an E, and Departure.
Star Turn: Don't miss the replica Victorian train station at the Dundas Valley Trail Centre, a hub of the valley's trail network and starting point for guided hikes and nature-inspired events.
It's no wonder this unique creative industries complex in the city's north end is such a popular filming destination. The sprawling one-time factory is now home to more than 100 artistic and creative business tenants as well as unique indoor and outdoor spaces, perfect for diverse filming backdrops.
Where You've Seen It: The list of high-profile shows and movies filmed here is long and impressive. It’s been used in well-known shows including Umbrella Academy, The Boys, Murdoch Mysteries and many more thanks to its industrial heritage and ability to replicate different eras. The Cotton Factory's unique brick exterior also stood in for the award-winning films Nightmare Alley and Self Made. Most recently the campy horror film Thanksgiving, the Pachinko and Reacher series all filmed here.
Star Turn: Fuel up at nearby Barton Street, packed with great eateries and coffee shops.