Where Was Chicago Fire Filmed?

The Short Answer

Chicago Fire is filmed almost entirely in Chicago, Illinois. The show uses the working Chicago Fire Department Engine 18 station for Firehouse 51 exteriors, while most interiors, including the firehouse and Molly's bar sets, are built at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios. Fans can also visit Lottie's Pub, the real bar behind Molly's, and the Chicago Fire Academy.

Chicago Fire has run on NBC since 2012, and unlike many series that fake their city on soundstages in Vancouver or Atlanta, this one shoots where it is set. The production is rooted in Chicago, using real streets, a real firehouse, and a real neighborhood bar that fans can walk into today.

That authenticity extends behind the scenes. Filming happens around actual emergencies at a working fire station, and the writers and designers make deliberate choices, like skipping the classic fire pole, to match how real Chicago firehouses look and operate.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
Chicago Fire Department Engine 18	Chicago	Exteriors of Firehouse 51, including truck bays and station facade	Outside only
Lottie's Pub	Chicago	Exteriors (and early interiors) of Molly's bar	Free to see
Chicago Fire Academy (Robert J. Quinn Fire Academy)	Chicago	Training sequences and academy scenes	Free to see

Filming Locations Map

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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

Engine 18 stands in for Firehouse 51 in every exterior shot, including the truck bays and the station facade. It remains a fully operational Chicago Fire Department station, and the production coordinates its shoots around real emergencies, so filming happens alongside active service. Visitors can view the building from the sidewalk. Because it is a working firehouse, fans should keep clear of the bays, respect crews responding to calls, and understand that filming schedules can change without notice.

Lottie's Pub in Bucktown provides the exteriors of Molly's bar, and early seasons filmed the bar interiors on location here as well. The show's popularity eventually disrupted business so much that production moved the interiors to a studio replica at Cinespace. Today it operates as a neighborhood sports bar open to the public, and it leans into the connection with Chicago Fire themed merchandise. Expect a lively mix of fans and regulars, especially on game days.

The Robert J. Quinn Fire Academy, home of the Chicago Fire Academy, serves as a filming site for training sequences and academy scenes. The building sits on the exact spot where the O'Leary barn stood, the site where the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 allegedly started. The ground floor is accessible to the public and includes exhibits on Chicago fire history, among them a plaque marking the Great Fire site. Check hours before visiting.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

There is no gap between the two here. Chicago Fire is set in Chicago, Illinois, and filmed on location throughout the city plus at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios within Chicago itself. The Engine 18 station, Lottie's Pub, and the Fire Academy all appear on screen largely as they exist in real life.

The Studio Side

Most interior scenes, including the Firehouse 51 sets and the Molly's bar replica, are built at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios on the city's near southwest side. The facility spans 1.6 million square feet with 36 soundstages and hosts multiple One Chicago series at the same time. It is a working studio and not open to the public, so the only way to see these sets is through an authorized tour.

Tours That Visit These Locations

Because the studio itself is closed to general visitors, a guided set tour is the only route into the actual Firehouse 51 interior stages.

Official Set Tour Experience

Chicago Fire TV Show Set Tour

A rare chance to step inside the Firehouse 51 interiors that Cinespace keeps closed to the public, with a 4.9 rating from 79 reviews at $315.

4.9 out of 5 · 79 reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Visit The Real Firehouse 51?

Partially. The Firehouse 51 exterior is the real Chicago Fire Department Engine 18 station, and you can view and photograph the facade from the sidewalk. It is an active firehouse, so interior access is not available and visitors should stay clear of responding crews. The interior sets live at Cinespace and can only be seen on a set tour.

Is Molly's Bar A Real Place?

Yes. Molly's is based on and filmed at Lottie's Pub in Bucktown, which supplied both exteriors and early interior scenes. Production later built a studio replica at Cinespace because the show's popularity was disrupting the bar's regular business. Lottie's remains open to the public and sells Chicago Fire themed merchandise.

Why Doesn't The Show Use A Fire Pole?

The series deliberately avoids a fire pole in its sets because real Chicago firehouses like Engine 18 are single story designs. The production prioritizes matching how actual stations in the city look and function, and poles would break that accuracy.

Can You Tour Cinespace Chicago Film Studios?

Not on your own. Cinespace is a working studio with 36 soundstages spanning 1.6 million square feet, and it is not open to general visitors. The Firehouse 51 interior sets can only be seen through an authorized set tour.

Where Did The Great Chicago Fire Start?

At the site now occupied by the Robert J. Quinn Fire Academy, where Chicago Fire films its training and academy scenes. The O'Leary barn, where the 1871 fire allegedly began, stood on that exact ground, and a plaque there marks the spot. The ground floor exhibits are open to the public.

Does Filming Interfere With The Real Fire Station?

The production coordinates its shoots around real emergencies at Engine 18, since the station stays fully operational. Exterior filming at Firehouse 51 happens alongside active service, which occasionally shifts schedules and means fans may or may not catch a shoot in progress.

Few shows let fans walk the same streets, drink in the same bar, and stand outside the same firehouse they see on screen every week. Pair a sidewalk stop at Engine 18 and a pint at Lottie's Pub with a set tour, and you cover every layer of how Chicago Fire is made.