Where Was How I Met Your Mother Filmed?

The Short Answer

How I Met Your Mother ran from 2005 to 2014 and was mainly filmed at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles, where Stage 22 held the apartment and MacLaren's Pub sets. The pilot was shot at CBS Studio Center, also in Los Angeles. Exterior and establishing shots, including McGee's Pub and the Empire State Building, were filmed on location in New York City.

Ted, Marshall, Lily, Robin and Barney spent nine seasons telling stories over drinks on the Upper West Side, yet almost none of that action was captured in New York. The show is a classic case of a Los Angeles production dressed up as Manhattan.

That said, fans can still walk in the gang's footsteps. Several real New York locations appear on screen or inspired the series, and one of them pours HIMYM-themed drinks to this day.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
20th Century Fox Studios	Los Angeles	Interior sets including MacLaren’s Pub, Ted and Marshall’s apartment, Robin’s newsroom on Stage 22	Private property
CBS Studio Center	Los Angeles	Pilot episode filming	Private property
McGee’s Pub	New York	Inspired MacLaren’s Pub; some scenes filmed here	Free to see
Empire State Building	New York	Gang visits with Robin’s sister Katie in Season 2 Episode 12	Ticketed
Gray’s Papaya	New York	New Year’s Eve hot dog stop in Season 1 Episode 11	Free to see

Filming Locations Map

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

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

Stage 22 at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles housed the show's main sets after the pilot. MacLaren's Pub, Ted and Marshall's apartment and Robin's newsroom were all built here, which means the interior scenes fans remember best were shot hundreds of miles from Manhattan. The lot is private and there are no public tours tied to this production, so visitors cannot see the soundstage itself.

The pilot episode of How I Met Your Mother was filmed at CBS Studio Center, known as CBS Radford, in Los Angeles. Once the series was picked up, production moved to 20th Century Fox Studios for the remainder of the run. Like most working studio lots, CBS Radford is private property and not open to the public, so there is nothing here for tourists to visit.

McGee's Pub at 240 W 55th St in New York is the bar where creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas drank while writing for Late Show with David Letterman, and it directly inspired MacLaren's Pub. Some scenes were filmed here and the pub embraces the connection with HIMYM-themed menu items and regular trivia nights. It is open to the public and free to enter, making it the single best stop for fans.

The Empire State Building appears in Season 2 Episode 12, when the gang visits the observation deck with Robin's sister Katie. The deck is open daily and requires a ticket. Beyond the show connection, it remains one of the city's definitive viewpoints, so fans can combine a screen-accurate visit with sweeping views over the Manhattan skyline Ted called home.

Gray's Papaya, the 24-hour hot dog stand on the Upper West Side, features in Season 1 Episode 11 as the gang's New Year's Eve hot dog stop. It is publicly accessible at any hour and budget friendly, with the Recession Special on offer. It sits close to other neighborhood spots associated with the show's setting, so it slots easily into a walking route.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

The series is set in New York City, specifically Manhattan's Upper West Side, but it was primarily filmed in Los Angeles studios. Establishing shots and select scenes were captured on location in New York, and the Farhampton Inn exteriors were shot at Castle Hill Inn in Newport, Rhode Island. The result is a convincing Manhattan illusion built mostly on California soundstages.

The Studio Side

Two Los Angeles studios share the production history. The pilot was filmed at CBS Studio Center, and from then on the series lived on Stage 22 at 20th Century Fox Studios, where the apartment and MacLaren's Pub sets stood for the full run. Neither lot offers public access for this show, so studio visits are not an option and New York is the practical destination for fans.

Tours That Visit These Locations

Since the studios are closed to visitors, guided TV location tours in New York are the easiest way to engage with the show's world. These tours cover a mix of famous New York productions, and several pass locations with HIMYM connections or strong neighborhood overlap.

Bus Tour From NYC

NYC TV & Movie Locations Bus Tour: Friends, Seinfeld & More

The busiest option, a New York City bus tour rated 4.5 from 1293 reviews, covering Friends, Seinfeld and more by coach.

4.5 out of 5 · 1,293 reviewsNew York City

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

Walking Tour, $69

NYC: Movie and TV Show Walking Tour

A $69 walking tour rated 4.8 from 69 reviews, hitting screen locations on foot across New York neighborhoods.

4.8 out of 5 · 69 reviews

From$69Check availability

Private 2-Hour Tour

When Harry Met Seinfeld 2-Hour Private Tour

A private two-hour tour, rated 4.3 from 51 reviews, blending New York film and TV sites at the group's own pace.

4.3 out of 5 · 51 reviews

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

Small Locations Tour, $120

New York City: Movie and TV Show Locations Tour

A $120 locations tour with a perfect 5.0 rating from 7 reviews, suited to travelers who want a smaller group experience.

5.0 out of 5 · 7 reviews

From$120Check availability

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Visit The How I Met Your Mother Set?

No. The sets, including MacLaren's Pub and the apartment, stood on Stage 22 at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles, a private lot with no public tours for this production. The closest alternative is McGee's Pub in New York, the real bar that inspired MacLaren's.

Is MacLaren's Pub A Real Bar?

MacLaren's is fictional, but it was inspired by McGee's Pub at 240 W 55th St in New York, where the show's creators drank while writing for Late Show with David Letterman. Some scenes were filmed there, and it now offers HIMYM-themed menu items and trivia nights.

Was How I Met Your Mother Filmed In New York?

Only partially. Most of the series was shot on soundstages in Los Angeles, but establishing shots and specific scenes were filmed on location in New York, including McGee's Pub, the Empire State Building and Gray's Papaya.

Where Was The Farhampton Inn Filmed?

The exterior shots of the Farhampton Inn, the setting of the final season's wedding weekend, were captured at Castle Hill Inn in Newport, Rhode Island.

What New York Locations Can Fans Visit For Free?

McGee's Pub and Gray's Papaya are both publicly accessible with no entry fee, though you will want money for drinks or hot dogs. The Empire State Building observation deck requires a ticket and is open daily.

When Did How I Met Your Mother Air?

The series ran from 2005 to 2014 over nine seasons, launching on CBS with a pilot filmed at CBS Studio Center before production settled at 20th Century Fox Studios.

How I Met Your Mother may have been built in California, but its spirit lives on in New York. A stop at McGee's for a themed drink, a hot dog at Gray's Papaya and a trip up the Empire State Building will get fans closer to the show than any studio gate ever could, and a guided TV locations tour ties those stops together neatly.

Sources