Where Was Cheers Filmed?

The Short Answer

Cheers was mainly filmed at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, where every bar interior was shot on Stage 25 before a live studio audience. Exterior establishing shots and a few cast scenes used the Bull & Finch Pub in Boston, renamed Cheers Beacon Hill in 2002. That pub is open to the public and draws close to a million visitors a year.

For eleven seasons between 1982 and 1993, Cheers pretended to take place in a Boston neighborhood bar while most of the action happened far away on a Hollywood soundstage. The bar where everybody knows your name never actually contained the cast for most scenes.

The split between set and real location explains the strange experience of visiting Boston today. Fans can drink in the pub whose facade opened every episode, then see the studio where the interior was built, and both make rewarding stops on a screen-location trip.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
Cheers Beacon Hill (formerly Bull & Finch Pub)	Boston	Exterior establishing shots and opening credits; occasional cast scenes including Frasier suicide attempt cold open and series finale exterior	Free to see
Paramount Studios Stage 25	Los Angeles	All bar interior scenes and most studio filming before live audience	Ticketed
14 Chestnut Street	Boston	Frasier and Lilith Crane's home exterior	Outside only
TD Garden (formerly Boston Garden)	Boston	Scene with Kevin McHale counting bolts in floor	Ticketed
Hampshire House	Boston	Building above the bar; referenced in show	Outside only

Filming Locations Map

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

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

This Beacon Hill pub supplied the exterior establishing shots and opening credits, plus occasional cast scenes including a Frasier suicide attempt cold open and the series finale exterior. Remarkably, the owner was paid just $1 per year for the use of the facade. Renamed Cheers Beacon Hill in 2002, it remains an active pub with memorabilia and a gift shop, attracting nearly one million visitors annually. It gets busy in the evenings, so daytime visits suit photographers.

Every interior bar scene was filmed here before a live studio audience, with the set designed by Richard Sylbert and patterned after the Bull & Finch but modified for filming. The studio offers tours to ticketed visitors, though Stage 25 itself is not always accessible to the public. Fans of classic television may still find the lot worthwhile, since it hosted more than a decade of Cheers tapings alongside other productions. Check tour availability before traveling.

This private Beacon Hill residence appears in the show as the exterior of Frasier and Lilith Crane's home. It sits a short walk from Cheers Beacon Hill, which makes it an easy addition to a Beacon Hill wander. Because it is a private home, viewing is limited to the street, so visitors should respect the occupants and keep the stop brief. There is nothing official to see beyond the facade itself, but dedicated fans enjoy the connection.

The old Boston Garden hosted a scene with Kevin McHale counting bolts in the floor, one of the rare on-location moments with the cast. The arena has since been replaced by TD Garden, an active venue on the same site. Access is ticketed, generally through tours or event attendance, so anyone hoping to step inside should plan around a game, concert, or guided visit. Casual passersby can still appreciate the exterior from Causeway Street.

The Hampshire House sits directly above the pub and was referenced in the show itself. Its exterior is visible alongside the bar in the famous establishing shots, so most visitors photograph it without realizing it counts as a location. Today it operates as an event venue, so interior access is not generally available to tourists. Combined with Cheers Beacon Hill next door, it completes the picture of the block exactly as fans remember it from the opening credits.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

Cheers was set in a neighborhood bar in Boston, Massachusetts, but the production split its work between two coasts. All interior scenes were filmed at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, California, before a live studio audience. Boston supplied the exteriors, primarily at the real Bull & Finch Pub. Only a few scenes featuring the cast were shot on location in Boston, including a Frasier suicide attempt cold open and the series finale exterior.

The Studio Side

Paramount Studios in Los Angeles handled all studio filming for Cheers. Every bar interior was shot on Stage 25 in front of a live studio audience, on a set designed by Richard Sylbert. The set was patterned after the real Bull & Finch Pub but modified for filming. Paramount is visitable today through ticketed studio tours, though the stage itself is not always open to the public.

Tours That Visit These Locations

Guided walking tours in Boston pair Cheers locations with the city's other famous sights, which suits travelers who want context and stories alongside the photos.

Freedom Trail Walk With Cheers Stop

Boston: Top 10 Freedom Trail & 'Cheers' Guided Walking Tour

A guided walk covering the Freedom Trail's top ten sights with a stop at the Cheers Beacon Hill exterior, rated 4.9 from 7 reviews and priced at $51.45, ideal for first-time visitors combining history with television nostalgia.

4.9 out of 5 · 7 reviews

From$51Check availability

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you visit the bar from Cheers?

Yes. The Bull & Finch Pub was renamed Cheers Beacon Hill in 2002 and operates as an active pub open to the public, with memorabilia and a gift shop. It attracts nearly one million visitors annually and is busiest in the evenings.

Was Cheers filmed in a real bar?

Only partly. The exterior establishing shots used the real Bull & Finch Pub in Boston, but all interior bar scenes were filmed on Stage 25 at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles before a live studio audience.

How much was the pub owner paid for the exterior shots?

The Bull & Finch Pub owner received just $1 per year for the use of the exterior in establishing shots, one of television's more lopsided deals given the show's later popularity.

Did the cast ever film in Boston?

Yes, but rarely. Notable on-location scenes include a Frasier suicide attempt cold open and the exterior shots for the series finale.

When did Cheers run?

The series aired from 1982 to 1993, running eleven seasons.

Can you tour Paramount Studios where Cheers was filmed?

Paramount Studios in Los Angeles offers ticketed tours, but Stage 25, where Cheers was shot, is not always accessible to the public. Check current tour offerings before visiting.

Boston holds the tangible half of Cheers, from the endlessly photographed pub facade to quieter spots like Frasier's street and the arena site. Los Angeles holds the soundstage where the show actually lived. Fans with time for both cities get the fullest picture, but a single afternoon on Beacon Hill comes surprisingly close.