Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed
The show is both set and filmed in New Orleans, which is rarer than it sounds. Producers did not need stand-in cities. Filming stretched across Greater New Orleans, with the NIMS Center soundstage in Harahan handling interiors and additional location work in Avondale and Destrehan. A handful of establishing shots elsewhere in the metro area rounded out the picture, but the city on screen is the city on the map.
The Studio Side
Interior sets were built at the NIMS Center, also known as the UNO Nims Center, in Harahan, Louisiana. The NCIS headquarters interior, including the squad room, kitchen, and courtyard, was constructed there and designed around the real 719 St. Ann Street exterior. The facility is a working production center and is not open to the public, so fans should treat the St. Ann Street facade as the visitable stand-in.
Tours That Visit These Locations
Most of the key NCIS: New Orleans locations sit in walkable neighborhoods, so a self-guided route is realistic. That said, a guided film and TV tour covers the show's spots alongside locations from other productions shot in the city, which adds context most visitors appreciate.
Guided Film Locations Walk
New Orleans: Movie and TV Show Tour
A 4.8-star rated guided tour, priced at 30 USD, that pairs NCIS: New Orleans sites with other famous movie and TV locations around New Orleans, led by a guide who explains what was filmed where.
★ 4.8 out of 5 · 125 reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Visit The NCIS Headquarters From NCIS: New Orleans?
Yes and no. The exterior at 719 St. Ann Street is viewable from the public street, including the gated carriageway entrance seen in the show. The interiors, such as the squad room, were sets built at the NIMS Center in Harahan, which is not open to visitors.
Is The Tru-Tone Bar Real?
It is. The Tru-Tone bar exterior belongs to the R Bar, attached to the Royal Street Inn in Faubourg Marigny. It is a working bar open to the public, though the interior bar scenes were filmed on a soundstage rather than inside.
Where Were The Interiors Of NCIS: New Orleans Filmed?
Interior scenes were shot on soundstages at the NIMS Center, also called the UNO Nims Center, in Harahan, Louisiana. The headquarters sets there were inspired by the real building at 719 St. Ann Street.
Which NCIS: New Orleans Locations Are Free To Visit?
Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral grounds, Louis Armstrong Park, the exterior of 719 St. Ann Street, and the R Bar all have free public access. Destrehan Plantation and New Orleans Motorsports Park require tickets or event access.
How Many NCIS: New Orleans Locations Can You See In One Day?
Most of them. Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the 719 St. Ann Street exterior, Louis Armstrong Park, and the R Bar sit close together in and around the French Quarter and Marigny, so a half-day walk covers five sites. Destrehan Plantation and Avondale require separate drives.
Did NCIS: New Orleans Hire Local Crew?
Yes. The production employed approximately 200 local crew members and shot extensively on location to showcase New Orleans culture and landmarks, part of the reason the city feels so present in the series.
Few television series offer this degree of overlap between the screen and the street. A visitor can watch a foot chase unfold in Jackson Square on one evening and stand in that same square the next morning, then finish the day with a drink at the bar Pride called his own. For fans of the show, New Orleans is not a backdrop. It is the co-star.
