Concrete civic building with palm trees on a sunny downtown Los Angeles street

Where Was Cold Case Filmed?

Cold Case filmed its Philadelphia stories mostly in Los Angeles, with periodic location shoots in Philly itself.

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The Short Answer

Cold Case was mainly filmed in Los Angeles, California. Interiors and sets were shot at studios including Warner Bros. Burbank Studios, Los Angeles Center Studios, and Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios. The series is set in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and crews traveled there about 3 to 4 times a year for exterior and transition shots, including cemetery and street scenes.

Cold Case ran from 2003 to 2010 and built its identity around Philadelphia: its rowhouses, its neighborhoods, and its police work. Yet the bulk of the series was produced hundreds of miles away in Los Angeles, where soundstages stood in for Philadelphia Police Department headquarters and California streets doubled for the east coast.

The result is a show with a split geography. Sets and interiors came from LA studios, while exteriors and establishing shots were captured in Philadelphia itself, usually a few times per year. Fans can still visit pieces of both sides of the production.

Every Location At A Glance

LocationWhereWhat was filmedAccess
City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works BuildingLos AngelesPhiladelphia Police Department headquarters building exteriors and lobby scenesOutside only
Los Angeles Center StudiosLos AngelesPhiladelphia Police Department headquarters building interiorsStudio set
Stage 22, Warner Brothers Burbank StudiosBurbankVarious interior scenes and setsStudio set
Dorris Place Elementary SchoolLos AngelesSchool scenes in various episodesOutside only
Raleigh Manhattan Beach StudiosManhattan BeachStudio filming for season 1Studio set
PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaExterior and transition shots, landmarksFree to see
Leverington CemeteryPhiladelphiaCemetery scenesFree to see
Ridge Avenue areaPhiladelphiaStreet scenes with castFree to see

Filming Locations Map

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

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Building, Los Angeles
Location 01

City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Building

California, Los Angeles Outside only

Filmed here: Philadelphia Police Department headquarters building exteriors and lobby scenes

This Los Angeles municipal building doubled as Philadelphia Police Department headquarters, used for exterior shots and lobby scenes. It is a working public building in downtown LA, and the exteriors are visible from the street at no cost. Fans of the series will recognize it as the familiar facade where Lilly Rush and the squad came and went across seven seasons of investigations.

Los Angeles Center Studios, Los Angeles
Location 02

Los Angeles Center Studios

California, Los Angeles Studio set

Filmed here: Philadelphia Police Department headquarters building interiors

The Philadelphia Police Department headquarters interiors were built here, on soundstages in downtown Los Angeles. This is where the squad room, interview rooms, and many office scenes were filmed. It remains a private studio facility that is not open to the public, so there is no way to tour the actual sets. Visitors can only view the exterior of the complex from surrounding streets.

Stage 22, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios, Burbank
Location 03

Stage 22, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios

California, Burbank Studio set

Filmed here: Various interior scenes and sets

Various interior scenes and sets for Cold Case were shot on Stage 22 at Warner Bros. Burbank Studios. Unlike the other facilities used by the production, this one is visitable through the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, which takes guests onto the historic lot. It is the single best way for a Cold Case fan to stand inside an actual production space from the series.

Dorris Place Elementary School, Los Angeles
Location 04

Dorris Place Elementary School

California, Los Angeles Outside only

Filmed here: School scenes in various episodes

School scenes in various episodes were filmed at this public elementary school in Los Angeles. As an active school, it cannot be toured, and visitors should respect its daily use by students and staff. The exterior can be glimpsed from the street, which may be enough for dedicated fans to spot familiar architecture from episodes that centered on childhood and school storylines.

Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios, Manhattan Beach
Location 05

Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios

California, Manhattan Beach Studio set

Filmed here: Studio filming for season 1

Studio filming for season 1 of Cold Case took place at Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios, a private facility near the coast in Manhattan Beach, California. The production later shifted to other LA area stages. There is no public access to the lot, so this stop is really only meaningful to completists who want to walk the surrounding neighborhood and see the studio from the outside.

Philadelphia, Philadelphia
Location 06

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Free to see

Filmed here: Exterior and transition shots, landmarks

Philadelphia itself played Philadelphia. Production crews traveled to the city about 3 to 4 times per year for exterior and transition shots, capturing landmarks and streetscapes that gave the series its authentic feel. The city is fully open to visitors, and walking its neighborhoods delivers the atmosphere the show worked hard to reproduce. Fans will find genuine rowhouses and streets that no California backlot quite matched.

Leverington Cemetery, Philadelphia
Location 07

Leverington Cemetery

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Free to see

Filmed here: Cemetery scenes

Cemetery scenes for Cold Case were filmed at Leverington Cemetery in Philadelphia, a historic burial ground in the northwest of the city. It is open to the public, though visitors should check opening hours before going. The cemetery's aged headstones and grounds gave the series an appropriately somber backdrop for scenes dealing with cold cases and the passage of decades.

Ridge Avenue area, Philadelphia
Location 08

Ridge Avenue area

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Free to see

Filmed here: Street scenes with cast

The Ridge Avenue area of Philadelphia hosted street scenes featuring cast members during the show's periodic location shoots. It is a residential neighborhood, freely walkable by the public. Film production may occur there periodically, as the area remains an active filming spot. Visitors should be mindful that people live there, and that productions come and go, sometimes closing streets temporarily.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

Cold Case is set entirely in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but was primarily filmed in Los Angeles, California studios, with periodic exteriors shot in Philadelphia. Many suburban and sunny day scenes were actually filmed in California rather than Philadelphia, which led to the casting of Californian minor actors. Production crews traveled to Philadelphia roughly 3 to 4 times per year to capture exterior and transition shots, while nearly everything else was reconstructed on LA stages.

The Studio Side

Three studios carried the load. Warner Bros. Burbank Studios housed Cold Case on Stage 22 for various interior scenes and sets, and it remains visitable today through the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood. Los Angeles Center Studios held the Philadelphia Police Department headquarters interiors but is a private facility closed to the public. Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios handled studio filming for season 1 and is likewise private.

Tours That Visit These Locations

Two guided walking tours of Philadelphia film and television sites include the Masonic Temple, giving Cold Case fans a structured way to explore the city where the series is set and where location filming took place.

Eighteen-Review Philly Film Walk

Philadelphia Movie and Television Sites Walking Tour

With 18 reviews behind it, this Philadelphia movie and television sites walking tour also stops at the Masonic Temple, pairing nicely with a self-guided swing past Ridge Avenue and Leverington Cemetery.

18 reviews

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

From $35, Six-Review Walk

Philadelphia: Movie and Television Sites Guided Walking Tour

Priced at 35 USD per person, this guided walking tour covers Philadelphia movie and television sites and includes a stop at the Masonic Temple, anchoring a visit to the city Cold Case called home.

6 reviews

From$35Check availability

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Cold Case actually filmed in Philadelphia?

Only partly. The series is set in Philadelphia, and crews traveled there about 3 to 4 times per year for exterior and transition shots, but the majority of filming happened in Los Angeles studios, including on Stage 22 at Warner Bros. Burbank Studios.

Can You Visit The Cold Case Studios?

Partially. Warner Bros. Burbank Studios can be visited through the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, which includes access to the lot where Stage 22 sits. Los Angeles Center Studios and Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios are private facilities with no public access.

Where Was The Philadelphia Police Headquarters Filmed?

Exteriors and lobby scenes were shot at the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Building, while the headquarters interiors were built at Los Angeles Center Studios. The LA building's exterior is visible from the street.

Why Do Some Scenes Look Too Sunny For Philadelphia?

Many suburban and sunny day scenes were filmed in California rather than Philadelphia, a byproduct of the Los Angeles based production. This also meant many minor roles went to Californian actors.

Did The Show Use Period Specific Filming Techniques?

Yes. Flashback scenes were often shot with period appropriate film stock to match the era of the crime being investigated. Soundtracks typically featured music from the year the crime occurred, with themed exceptions such as all Nirvana or all Johnny Cash episodes.

Are The Philadelphia Filming Locations Open To Visitors?

Yes. Philadelphia's streets are public, Leverington Cemetery is a historic site open to visitors who check its hours, and the Ridge Avenue area is walkable, though it is residential and should be treated with respect.

Cold Case offers fans two distinct pilgrimages. In Los Angeles, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood provides access to the actual lot where interior scenes were filmed, while downtown's Department of Public Works Building stands in plain sight. In Philadelphia, a film sites walking tour plus freely walkable spots like Leverington Cemetery and the Ridge Avenue area deliver the authentic city atmosphere the series chased a few times each year.

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