Where Was Arrow Filmed?

The Short Answer

Arrow was mainly filmed in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The show ran from 2012 to 2020 and shot its Star City street scenes at downtown Vancouver locations, the Queen Mansion at Hatley Castle in Colwood, and Lian Yu island scenes at Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver. Interiors were filmed at Vancouver Film Studios.

The CW's Arrow imagines the crime-fighter Oliver Queen operating out of Star City, a fictional metropolis supposedly near San Francisco. In reality, almost every episode was shot in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, a city so busy with screen production that locals call it Hollywood North. Over eight seasons the production used parks, civic buildings, theatres and a university campus to build its gritty urban world.

Vancouver's overcast skies and frequent rain suited the show's dark tone, and the crew leaned on that weather rather than fighting it. CGI was even used to remove luxury waterfront homes around Hatley Castle so the mansion appeared isolated. Fans can visit most of these places today, many of them free and walkable.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
Hatley Castle	Colwood	Queen Mansion exteriors	Ticketed
Whytecliff Park	West Vancouver	Lian Yu island beach and wilderness scenes	Free to see
Vancouver Convention Centre	Vancouver	Welcome home party and Queen Consolidated scenes in early episodes	Free to see
BC Place Stadium	Vancouver	Backdrop for various Star City scenes in seasons 3 and 5	Ticketed
Vancouver Art Gallery	Vancouver	Mayor's Office and Star City Superior Court	Free to see
New Westminster City Hall	New Westminster	Star City Hall scenes, including when Oliver is mayor	Free to see
Marine Building	Vancouver	Star City Mayor's Office exterior	Outside only
Orpheum Theatre	Vancouver	Verdant nightclub exterior	Ticketed
Stanley Park Seawall	Vancouver	Star City waterfront scenes	Free to see
Riverview Hospital	Coquitlam	Slabside Maximum Security Prison	Private property

Filming Locations Map

10 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

This stately castle in Colwood, on southern Vancouver Island near Victoria, served as the exterior of the Queen Mansion, the Queen family home. It sits on the grounds of Royal Roads University, and the gardens and grounds are open to the public with tours available, so it is one of the easiest major Arrow landmarks to enjoy at length. Computer effects removed surrounding luxury homes to make the estate look more remote on screen. Access is ticketed.

This public park in West Vancouver stood in for Lian Yu, the island where Oliver Queen was stranded. The beach and wilderness scenes relied on its cold, windswept shoreline rather than any tropical setting, and the production found the harsh look it wanted here. Today it is a popular spot for hiking, beach walks and coastal views, with free public access, making it an easy add-on to any Vancouver filming-location trip.

The distinctive waterfront building on Vancouver Harbour appeared in early episodes, hosting the welcome home party scenes and standing in for Queen Consolidated. It remains one of the most visible pieces of architecture in the city, right on the downtown waterfront near Canada Place. The exterior is freely accessible to anyone walking the harbour front, and the building hosts events, with tours sometimes available around its schedule.

The domed stadium beside False Creek served as a backdrop for various Star City scenes in seasons 3 and 5. Its cable-supported roof makes it instantly recognisable in skyline shots, so Arrow fans will spot it quickly. It is a working sports and event venue, home to major games and concerts, and tours are available when the building is not in use. Access to matches and events is ticketed.

The gallery's neoclassical building in the heart of downtown did double duty on Arrow, playing both the Mayor's Office and the Star City Superior Court. It is a public art museum with rotating exhibitions, and the interior is accessible during opening hours. Its steps and Robson Street frontage also make it a frequent gathering place in the city, and it appears on several downtown film-location itineraries.

This municipal building in New Westminster, a suburb southeast of downtown Vancouver, portrayed Star City Hall, including during the storyline when Oliver Queen serves as mayor. The brutalist concrete architecture gave the show a suitably austere civic setting. Visitors can see the exterior and some public areas of this working government building, and it is easily reached by SkyTrain, making it a straightforward stop outside the downtown core.

The Marine Building, a celebrated art deco tower near the waterfront, provided the exterior for the Star City Mayor's Office. Its ornate detailing and brass and terracotta interior make it one of the most photographed buildings in Vancouver. As a private office tower, access is exterior only, though the lobby may be viewable during business hours. It sits a short walk from the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Convention Centre.

The Orpheum, a grand historic theatre on Granville Street, appeared as the exterior of Verdant, the nightclub that concealed Oliver's secret lair beneath it. The venue still operates as a performing arts space hosting concerts and shows, and guided tours are available for those wanting to see inside. Even from the sidewalk, the ornate facade is recognisable to fans. Tickets are needed for performances and tours.

The Seawall, the famous waterfront path around Stanley Park, appeared in Star City waterfront scenes, with the harbour and city skyline standing in for the fictional metropolis. It is free to access year-round and popular with walkers and cyclists, so it is one of the easiest locations to combine with a general visit to Vancouver. The path offers continuous coastal views and passes several other screen-famous spots along the way.

The historic Riverview Hospital site in Coquitlam played Slabside Maximum Security Prison, where a key chapter of Oliver's story unfolds. The former psychiatric hospital has long been a favourite with film crews, appearing in countless productions. It remains private property with limited public access, so fans should not expect to wander in; viewing is generally restricted to occasional heritage events or from public roads nearby.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

Arrow is set in Star City, a fictional American metropolis located near San Francisco, but almost none of it was filmed in the United States. The show shot in 15 cities across Canada and the US, yet Vancouver served as the primary base throughout its run. Canadian civic buildings, parks and stadiums doubled for American institutions so convincingly that most viewers never noticed the border crossing.

The Studio Side

Vancouver Film Studios served as the main studio facility for Arrow, handling interior sets including police stations and the various lairs. Like most working studios, it is not open to the public, so fans hoping to stand inside Oliver's hideout will need to settle for the many exterior locations around the city, nearly all of which are genuinely visitable.

Tours That Visit These Locations

Most Arrow locations cluster in downtown Vancouver, which makes a guided film and TV tour an efficient way to cover several of them, especially for visitors short on time.

Downtown Film Locations Walk

Vancouver: The Hollywood North Experience Film & TV Tour

This 4.7-star film and TV tour of Vancouver's Hollywood North scene, from $38.58, passes downtown stops such as the Vancouver Art Gallery, which Arrow fans will recognise as the Mayor's Office and Star City Superior Court.

4.7 out of 5 · 94 reviews