The film is set in Seattle but almost every scene was shot in and around Vancouver, British Columbia.
Fifty Shades of Grey was filmed mainly in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, which doubled for Seattle and Portland. Principal photography ran from December 2013 to February 2014, based at North Shore Studios in North Vancouver, with location work at Bentall 5, the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Gastown, Casa Mia and other spots around the city.
The story of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey unfolds in Seattle and Portland, but the production never set up in the Pacific Northwest. Instead, the filmmakers chose Vancouver, one of North America's busiest screen production hubs, and let its streets, hotels and heritage homes stand in for both American cities.
Most of the recognizable locations sit within a compact downtown area that a visitor can cover on foot in a single day, with a couple of outliers in Delta and at the University of British Columbia.
| Location | Where | What was filmed | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bentall 5 | Vancouver | Exterior of Grey House / Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. office | Outside only |
| Fairmont Hotel Vancouver | Vancouver | Heathman Hotel interiors and scenes including elevator kiss | Ticketed |
| Casa Mia (1920 SW Marine Drive) | Vancouver | Grey family mansion dinner scene | Private property |
| Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, UBC | Vancouver | Ana's graduation ceremony at WSU | Free to see |
| 120 Powell Street | Vancouver | Ana's apartment exterior and scenes | Outside only |
| Gastown District | Vancouver | Multiple outdoor street scenes including car handover and cyclist incident | Free to see |
| The Paper Hound Bookshop | Vancouver | Bookstore scene where Christian shops for books | Free to see |
| Boundary Bay Regional Airport | Delta | Aircraft hangar scene | Outside only |
8 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
British Columbia, Vancouver Outside only
Filmed here: Exterior of Grey House / Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. office
This downtown skyscraper served as the exterior of Grey House, the headquarters of Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. Fans hoping to see inside will be disappointed: the tower is a working office building with no interior access for filming tours. The exterior is easy to view from the surrounding sidewalks, just a few minutes' walk from other downtown locations.
British Columbia, Vancouver Ticketed
Filmed here: Heathman Hotel interiors and scenes including elevator kiss
The Fairmont's interiors stood in for the Heathman Hotel, including the memorable elevator kiss. Unlike most filming locations here, this one welcomes visitors inside. It is a luxury hotel open to the public, so travellers can book a room, have a drink or dine on site and walk through the same spaces seen on screen. It sits centrally in downtown Vancouver.
British Columbia, Vancouver Private property
Filmed here: Grey family mansion dinner scene
This private heritage home in southwest Vancouver played host to the Grey family mansion dinner scene. It is not open to the public, but its distinctive 1920s architecture can be admired from the street. Visitors should respect the owners' privacy, take photos from the sidewalk and move on, as there is no access beyond the exterior.
British Columbia, Vancouver Free to see
Filmed here: Ana's graduation ceremony at WSU
The Chan Centre at the University of British Columbia posed as the venue for Ana's graduation ceremony at WSU in the film. It is a public university venue, and access depends on the events calendar, so travellers hoping to go inside should check what performances or programs are scheduled during their visit. The UBC campus itself is pleasant to explore.
British Columbia, Vancouver Outside only
Filmed here: Ana's apartment exterior and scenes
Ana's apartment exterior and related scenes were shot at this address in the Downtown Eastside, close to Gastown. It is a private building, so viewing is limited to the street. The surrounding blocks are within easy walking distance of Gastown's other filming spots, making it a quick add-on to a self-guided walk rather than a destination in itself.
British Columbia, Vancouver Free to see
Filmed here: Multiple outdoor street scenes including car handover and cyclist incident
Gastown doubled for Portland streets and hosted several outdoor scenes, including the car handover and the cyclist incident, plus a coffee shop date. This historic neighborhood is fully open to the public and one of Vancouver's most popular tourist areas, filled with shops and restaurants. Of all the film's locations, this is the easiest to explore at leisure.
British Columbia, Vancouver Free to see
Filmed here: Bookstore scene where Christian shops for books
The bookstore scene where Christian shops for books was filmed at this independent shop, which is open to the public. Fans can browse the same shelves featured in the movie, and unlike most locations on this list, it doubles as a genuinely good place to pick up reading material. It sits near downtown, convenient to pair with Bentall 5 and the Fairmont.
British Columbia, Delta Outside only
Filmed here: Aircraft hangar scene
The aircraft hangar scene was shot at this regional airport in Delta, south of Vancouver. Public access is limited beyond the terminal, so visitors should not expect a tour or close-up views. It is the least rewarding stop for casual fans given the distance from downtown and the restricted access, and most travellers can comfortably skip it.
The story is firmly rooted in the Pacific Northwest: Christian and Ana's world is set in Seattle, with Portland and Washington State University also playing into the plot. In reality, the production stayed almost entirely north of the border. Vancouver and its surrounds stood in for all of these American settings, a common arrangement given the city's studios, crews and favorable exchange rates.
North Shore Studios in North Vancouver served as the production's base, and more than half the movie was shot on its stages. The reason was privacy: interior scenes, especially the intimate ones, could be controlled away from public view. The studio itself is not visitable. One production detail of note: the Red Room of Pain scenes were filmed in the final week of principal photography to allow the actors more comfort with each other by then.
No dedicated Fifty Shades of Grey tour currently operates in Vancouver, but the film's most visible location, Gastown, features on general film and television tours of the city. These walking tours cover Hollywood North productions of all kinds and pass through the same streets where the Portland scenes were shot, making them the closest thing to a guided visit.
Hollywood North Film & TV Tour in Vancouver
At $45, this five-star rated tour has drawn 111 reviews, and its route through Gastown and nearby downtown stops passes directly through the film's Portland street scenes.
Vancouver: The Hollywood North Experience Film & TV Tour
For $38.58, this 4.7-star tour with 94 reviews includes Gastown, where the car handover, cyclist incident and coffee shop date scenes were filmed.
No. Although the story is set in Seattle, the film was shot almost entirely in and around Vancouver, British Columbia. The production ran from December 2013 to February 2014.
The exterior of Grey House, the Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. office, is Bentall 5 in downtown Vancouver. It is a public skyscraper, so you can photograph the exterior freely, but there is no interior access for filming tours.
The Heathman interiors were actually filmed at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, a luxury hotel open to the public. Travellers can book a room or dine there and see the spaces used for the elevator kiss and other scenes.
There is no dedicated tour for this film. However, general film and TV tours of Vancouver pass through Gastown, where several of the movie's street scenes were shot, including the car handover and the cyclist incident.
Ana's apartment exterior was filmed at 120 Powell Street in Vancouver, near Gastown. It is a private building, so viewing is limited to the street, but it is an easy stop on a walking route through the neighborhood.
No. More than half the movie was shot on stages at North Shore Studios, and the Red Room of Pain scenes were filmed there during the final week of principal photography. The studio is not open to visitors.
Vancouver rewards Fifty Shades fans with a surprisingly walkable set of locations. The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver offers the only full interior experience, Gastown delivers the street-level scenes on a route most visitors would enjoy anyway, and Bentall 5, the Paper Hound and 120 Powell Street fill in the rest of a half-day itinerary. A general film tour ties it together nicely, and the city's broader appeal makes the trip worthwhile even beyond the movie.
Before You Go
The tours travellers book most for Fifty Shades of Grey.
