Mad Men Filming Locations in LA
The critically acclaimed television series “Mad Men” takes place in New York City and Los Angeles during the 1960s. Many of the on-location scenes were filmed in the Los Angeles area.
Let’s take a look at some of the filming locations used in LA:
- The Smoke-filled Meeting Rooms: The famous smoke-filled meeting rooms seen throughout the series were filmed at the Union Bank Building located at 445 S. Figueroa Street in Downtown LA.
- The Sterling Cooper Advertising Office: The Sterling Cooper Advertising Office is located on the 24th floor at the 5901 Sunset tower in Hollywood.
- The Restaurant Scenes: Many of the main characters’ meetings and dinners were filmed at the The Biltmore Hotel located in Downtown LA.
- The Home of Don Draper: The Home of Don Draper is located at 675 Arden Rd in Pasadena. The exterior of the home has been used in many other TV series and films such as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and The Matchmaker.
Entertainment enthusiasts, expand your knowledge of classic TV sets and check out this YouTube video entitled “Visiting an Abandoned Howard Johnson’s (Mad Men Filming…)” to discover where the iconic show, ‘Mad Men,’ was filmed.
The Mad Men Sets in LA
The Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning series Mad Men takes place in the high-powered advertising world of 1960s Manhattan and later in the bohemian vibe of Los Angeles. Although the show’s on-location scenes were filmed in the L. A. area, many of the main sets were located in Los Angeles.
The Waldorf scenes, for example, were filmed at Cicada, a stunning Art Deco restaurant and special event venue located in Downtown L. A.’s historic Oviatt Building. It’s interesting to note that Mad Men won the Emmy for Outstanding Dramatic Series on the same night that “Waldorf Stories” first aired.
The Hollywood Center Studios
The Hollywood Center Studios is a famous filming location for movies and TV shows, including Mad Men. It is located at 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA.
The studio is known for its wide range of production facilities, sound stages, and outdoor shooting locations. It has been used for movie and TV productions since 1919, making it one of Hollywood’s oldest continuously operating studios.
Throughout the years, The Hollywood Center Studios has hosted productions such as The Player, Seinfeld, CSI: NY, and many others.
The Biltmore Hotel
The Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles was one of the filming locations for Mad Men. The hotel has a rich history and has been featured in many Hollywood productions.
In Mad Men, the Biltmore Hotel was used as the New York Savoy, which appears in the episode “Babylon”.
The Ebell of Los Angeles
The Ebell of Los Angeles is one of the filming locations of Mad Men. This historic women’s club is located at 4401 West 8th Street, Los Angeles, California, and has been a popular filming location for several movies and TV shows.
The Ebell of Los Angeles was established in 1894 and played a significant role in shaping women’s rights and social activism in the Los Angeles area.
The Waldorf
The Waldorf scenes in Mad Men were filmed at Cicada, an elegant restaurant and event venue situated in the historic Oviatt Building in Downtown Los Angeles. The Oviatt Building played a significant role in the development of Art Deco architecture in Los Angeles, and it has been featured in several movies and TV shows.
Cicada, which occupies the former Art Deco Oviatt Building, has been restored to its original beauty and is now widely regarded as a popular filming location in Los Angeles.
Sterling Cooper & Partners
The offices of Sterling Cooper & Partners, the fictional advertising agency in Mad Men, were located at Los Angeles Center Studios (LACS) in Downtown. This major filming location features 20 sound stages, including the iconic “New York Street” backlot that has been used for several movies, TV shows, and commercials.
Los Angeles Center Studios has been a popular location for Mad Men and other films and TV shows, including The Dark Knight Rises and Spider-Man.
The Millennium Biltmore Hotel
The Millennium Biltmore Hotel, located at 506 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, California, was used for several scenes in Mad Men. The hotel, which was opened in 1923, is a historic landmark in the downtown area and is regarded as one of the finest examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in the United States.
In Mad Men, the Millennium Biltmore Hotel was used as the location for the Park View Hotel, where Rick Gassko’s epic bachelor party is held in the 1984 comedy Bachelor Party.
The Broadhurst
The Broadhurst lobby scene in Mad Men was filmed at the Los Angeles Theatre located in the heart of the historic Broadway Theatre District in Downtown Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Theatre is a spectacular example of French Baroque architecture and has been used as a filming location for several movies and TV shows, including The Prestige and Fight Club.
The Broadhurst is a fictional New York theater which is portrayed as a major location in Mad Men’s final season.
The Los Angeles Theater Center
The Los Angeles Theater Center, located in Downtown Los Angeles, was one of the filming locations for Mad Men. The historical theater was built in 1931 and was originally a movie palace before it became a performing arts center in the 1980s.
The theater has hosted many memorable performances, including plays, musicals, and dance shows.
For Mad Men, the Los Angeles Theater Center was used to film the Broadhurst lobby scene. This scene was one of the most memorable scenes in the series, and the historical significance of the theater adds to its charm.
The Los Angeles Theater Center continues to showcase performing arts and is a beloved filming location for many productions.
The Paramour Estate
The Paramour Estate, also known as the Canfield-Moreno Estate was a popular filming location for Mad Men. This historic residence and estate is located in the Moreno Highlands neighborhood of Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California.
The estate was designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1988. It was originally known as Crestmount and now has become one of the most popular filming locations in Los Angeles.
Other Filming Locations in LA
Aside from the main Mad Men sets in Los Angeles, the production also filmed in various locations around the city. Here are some of the notable filming locations:
The Smoke House Restaurant
The Smoke House Restaurant in Burbank, California was used as a location in the show’s third season. The restaurant, which has been around since 1946, has also been featured in other TV shows and movies.
The Westgate Hotel
The Westgate Hotel in downtown Los Angeles was also a filming location for Mad Men. The luxurious hotel, which dates back to 1926, has appeared in other TV shows and movies as well.
The Union Station
The historic Union Station in downtown Los Angeles was used as a filming location in Mad Men. The station, which opened in 1939, has been featured in many other TV shows and movies over the years.
Conclusion
Mad Men was primarily filmed in Los Angeles, with many of the on-location scenes taking place in the L. A. area. The show’s main sets were located at Los Angeles Center Studios (LACS) in Downtown, and other key filming locations include the Waldorf Scenes at Cicada, The Millennium Biltmore Hotel, the Los Angeles Theatre, the James Oviatt Building, the Canfield-Moreno Estate, and the Anderson Canyon Estate in Big Sur.
References
- Mad Men filming locations in Los Angeles
- Inside Mad Men’s filming locations
- Mad Men filming locations on IMDb
