Where Was Friends Filmed?

The Short Answer

Friends was filmed mainly at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Season 1 shot on Stage 5, and seasons 2 through 10 used Stage 24, in front of a live studio audience. New York City supplied the exterior and establishing shots, and the season 4 wedding episodes were shot on location in London, the only filming done outside the US.

The show is set in Manhattan, but almost everything viewers saw inside the apartments and Central Perk was built on California soundstages. That gap between story and production is what makes the real locations interesting: some are famous street corners, others are studio backlot fixtures a continent away from Greenwich Village.

The series ran from 1994 to 2004, and its footprint has only grown since. Stage 24 was renamed The Friends Stage after the finale, and the West Village apartment building still draws daily crowds of photographing fans.

Below is every confirmed filming location, what was shot there, and what a visitor finds today.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
Friends Apartment Building	New York, United States	Exterior establishing shots of Monica and Rachel's apartment building in nearly every episode	Free to see
Solow Building	New York, United States	Exterior shots of Chandler's office building	Outside only
Phoebe's Apartment Building	New York, United States	Exterior shots of Phoebe's apartment at 5 Morton Street	Free to see
Lucille Lortel Theatre	New York, United States	Establishing shot for Joey's play in season 3	Ticketed
American Museum of Natural History	New York, United States	Ross's workplace exteriors and planetarium scene in season 2	Ticketed
Leo Carrillo State Park	Malibu, United States	Beach scenes in 'The One With The Jellyfish' season 4	Free to see
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park	Agua Dulce, United States	Las Vegas desert scenes for Joey's movie in season 5	Free to see
Warner Bros. Ranch Fountain	Burbank, United States	Opening credits fountain sequence	Private property
Stage 24, Warner Bros. Studios	Burbank, United States	Main soundstage for apartments and Central Perk sets seasons 2-10	Ticketed
London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square	London, United Kingdom	Hotel scenes during London wedding episode season 4	Outside only

Filming Locations Map

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

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

The red brick corner building at 90 Bedford Street and Grove Street in Greenwich Village appears in exterior establishing shots of Monica and Rachel's apartment in nearly every episode. It is a private residence with 22 one-bedroom units in real life, so access is view from the street only. It remains one of the most photographed corners in the Village, and it is a short walk from several other locations used by the show.

This commercial tower at 9 West 57th Street supplied exterior shots of Chandler's office building. It is a working office building, so visits mean photos from the street. The distinctive sloping facade makes it easy to spot among Midtown skyscrapers, and it sits near other Manhattan sights, which suits a casual detour rather than a dedicated trip.

Exterior shots of Phoebe's apartment at 5 Morton Street were filmed here. The building is a short walk from the main Friends apartment building in Greenwich Village, so the two pair naturally on foot. Like its more famous neighbor it is a private residential building, best treated as a quick photo stop while wandering the Village streets the show used for establishing shots.

This Greenwich Village venue appeared as the establishing shot for Joey's play in season 3. It remains an active off-Broadway theater, which means a visit requires tickets to a performance rather than a casual walkthrough. For fans of the show it offers a rare case of a location that can be experienced the way the characters would have, by taking a seat for a live show.

Ross's workplace exteriors and a season 2 planetarium scene were filmed at this public museum on Central Park West. It is fully visitable with paid admission, making it one of the few locations fans can explore inside rather than view from the curb. The planetarium scene gives it particular weight for viewers who remember Ross's paleontology work, and the museum's regular exhibits fill a half day easily.

The beach scenes in the season 4 episode The One With The Jellyfish were shot at this Malibu state park. It is publicly accessible with free parking and entry, a rarity among Los Angeles area beaches. The sandy stretches and rocky outcrops seen in the episode are open to anyone, and the park sits along the Pacific Coast Highway, convenient to a wider Malibu drive.

The striking rock formations of this Agua Dulce county park stood in for the Las Vegas desert in Joey's movie scenes in season 5. It is a public park with free entry and hiking trails, and the jagged sandstone formations are unmistakable on screen. The park lies north of Los Angeles and rewards visitors with trails among the same formations visible in the episode.

The fountain from the opening credits sits on the Warner Bros. Ranch in Burbank, not in New York as many viewers assume. The famous dance sequence was filmed here on the studio backlot. Access is not public in the ordinary sense: the fountain is visible on the studio tour or not accessible at all, so anyone hoping to see it should book that tour rather than expect a standalone visit.

The main soundstage for the apartments and Central Perk sets from seasons 2 through 10 is on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank. After the series ended in 2004, the stage was renamed The Friends Stage. It is now part of the studio tour, making it the closest a visitor can get to where the show was actually made, since all interior sets were built on California soundstages rather than in Manhattan.

Hotel scenes during the season 4 London wedding episode were filmed here. The season 4 London episodes were the only ones shot outside the US in front of a live audience. The hotel exterior can be viewed from the surrounding public area, which makes it a quick stop for fans retracing the Ross and Emily storyline on a London trip.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

The show is set in Manhattan, New York City, but filmed primarily at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, with New York City exteriors and London for one episode. Every interior, from the apartments to Central Perk to the coffee shop's orange couch, was built on a soundstage. New York supplied only the outside views: establishing shots of buildings, streets and workplaces that stitched the California interiors into a believable Manhattan.

The Studio Side

Warner Bros. Studios Burbank is the production home of the series. Season 1 shot on Stage 5, after which production moved to Stage 24, which the studio renamed The Friends Stage after the finale in 2004. The lot is visitable today through the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, which also offers a chance to see the opening credits fountain at the nearby Warner Bros. Ranch. For travelers choosing between New York and Los Angeles, the Burbank lot is where the show was actually made.

Tours That Visit These Locations

For travelers who want the locations without planning the route themselves, guided options cover the New York sites. Group walking tours cluster around Greenwich Village, where the apartment buildings sit a few blocks apart, while private car tours add Manhattan filming spots farther afield. Prices and formats vary, so the choice usually comes down to group size and transport.

Small-Group Walking Tour

Friends Locations Tour

A highly rated group option with a perfect score across 9 reviews, well suited to fans who want the Village stops on foot with a guide.

5.0 out of 5 · 9 reviewsNew York City

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

Guided New York Walk

New York City: Friends Tour

Another strong walking option, holding a perfect rating from 6 reviews and covering the core New York locations in a guided group format.

5.0 out of 5 · 6 reviewsNew York City

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

Fountain And Locations Tour

New York City Friends Fountain & Top NYC Filming Locations

A lower priced entry at 80 USD per person that reaches beyond Manhattan toward the fountain area, though a 1.5 rating from 3 reviews suggests checking recent feedback before booking.

1.5 out of 5 · 3 reviewsNew York City

From$80Check availability

Private Car Tour, Tickets Included

New York City: TV Show 'Friends' Private Car Tour & Tickets

A private car and ticket package at 432 USD for the vehicle, ideal for families or small groups wanting flexibility and the full Manhattan circuit without walking.

5.0 out of 5 · 1 reviewsNew York City

From$432Check availability

Private Car Tour With Tickets

FRIENDS in New York City Private Car Tour with Tickets

A private car format for visitors who want Manhattan locations door to door, with tickets bundled in and an itinerary set to their pace.

New York City

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Friends filmed in New York?

Only partly. Interiors were shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, on Stage 5 for season 1 and Stage 24 afterward. New York City provided exterior and establishing shots, including the apartment building at 90 Bedford Street.

Can you visit the Friends apartment building?

Yes, from the street. The red brick building at 90 Bedford Street and Grove Street in Greenwich Village is a private residence with 22 one-bedroom units, so viewing is limited to the exterior.

Where is the fountain from the opening credits?

At the Warner Bros. Ranch in Burbank, California, not in New York. It is visible on the studio tour or not publicly accessible, so the tour is the practical way to see it.

What is The Friends Stage?

Stage 24 at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, where the apartments and Central Perk sets stood from season 2 through season 10. The studio renamed it The Friends Stage after the series ended in 2004, and it now features on the studio tour.

Was any episode filmed outside the United States?

Yes, one. The season 4 wedding episodes were shot in London in front of a live audience, including hotel scenes at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, making them the only episodes filmed outside the US.

Which California locations can you visit for free?

Leo Carrillo State Park in Malibu, where the season 4 beach scenes were filmed, has free parking and access. Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park in Agua Dulce, used for the season 5 desert scenes, is a county park with free entry and hiking.

The split between Manhattan settings and California soundstages means no single city holds the whole story. New York delivers the recognizable exteriors and a cluster of walkable Village stops, while the Burbank studio tour reaches the actual soundstages and the credits fountain. Travelers with time for both get the fullest picture; those choosing one should pick based on whether exteriors or production history matters more to them.

Sources

The Short Answer

Every Location At A Glance

Filming Locations Map

Location By Location

Friends Apartment Building

Solow Building

Phoebe's Apartment Building

Lucille Lortel Theatre

American Museum of Natural History

Leo Carrillo State Park

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park

Warner Bros. Ranch Fountain

Stage 24, Warner Bros. Studios

London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

The Studio Side

Tours That Visit These Locations

Small-Group Walking Tour

Guided New York Walk

Fountain And Locations Tour

Private Car Tour, Tickets Included

Private Car Tour With Tickets

Frequently Asked Questions

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