Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed
The Boys is set primarily in New York City, with occasional storylines in other U.S. locations, but filming takes place almost entirely north of the border. Toronto and the surrounding Ontario region, including Hamilton, Brampton, Mississauga, Oshawa, and Brantford, supply nearly every exterior and interior. The production also used Lower Bay Station, an abandoned Toronto subway platform, for Penn Station scenes, a substitution so convincing that many viewers never question it.
The Studio Side
Interior and stage work for The Boys has been handled at Cinespace Film Studios in Toronto, the facility credited on the production. Like most working studios, it is not open to the public and offers no visitor tours, so travelers hoping for an on-lot experience will need to settle for the exterior locations scattered across the city and its surroundings.
Tours That Visit These Locations
No dedicated The Boys tour currently operates, but Toronto's broader film and television tour scene covers downtown locations that the production used. Two general Hollywood North tours include stops such as David Pecaut Square, Union Station, and Nathan Phillips Square, giving fans a guided way to see the city that doubles for New York.
Downtown Film Locations Walking Tour
Toronto: Hollywood North Experience Film & TV Tour
A 63-review walking tour of downtown Toronto landmarks such as Nathan Phillips Square, Union Station, and David Pecaut Square, covering the city's long history as a Hollywood stand-in.
★ 63 reviews
Hollywood North Walk With 36 Reviews
Hollywood North Experience Tour In Toronto
A guided look at Toronto's screen industry that passes through downtown spots including David Pecaut Square and Union Station, areas The Boys used for its New York street scenes.
★ 36 reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Visit Vought Tower In Real Life?
Yes, in a sense. Vought Tower is Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, and its lobby and exterior appear in the show. The concert hall is open for performances and events, so buying a ticket to a show gets you inside. The exterior is publicly viewable at any time.
Where Was Times Square Filmed In The Boys?
Times Square scenes, including several from the pilot, were filmed at Yonge-Dundas Square, now called Sankofa Square, in downtown Toronto. The public square is free to visit, surrounded by screens and signage that closely mimic the Manhattan original.
Is There A The Boys Filming Location Tour In Toronto?
There is no dedicated The Boys tour at present. However, general Toronto film and television tours visit downtown landmarks, including David Pecaut Square, Union Station, and Nathan Phillips Square, that the production used across its seasons.
Was The Boys Actually Filmed In New York City?
No. Although the series is set in New York, principal photography takes place in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, with additional locations in Hamilton, Brampton, Oshawa, Brantford, and St. Thomas. The show ran from 2019 to 2026.
Can You Visit Sage Grove Psychiatric Hospital?
Sage Grove is the Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care in St. Thomas, Ontario. It is a secure facility and closed to the public, so it cannot be visited. Fans should view it only from a respectful distance, if at all.
Is Parkwood Estate Open To Visitors?
Yes. Parkwood Estate in Oshawa, which played Dr. Jonah Vogelbaum's mansion in season 1, is a historic site open for tours. It is one of the few Boys locations where fans can go inside, roughly an hour east of Toronto.
Toronto has quietly built one of television's most convincing New York backlots, and The Boys takes full advantage of it. Almost everything viewers see, from Vought Tower to Times Square, sits within a day trip of downtown Toronto. Pair a self-guided walk past Roy Thomson Hall and Yonge-Dundas Square with a general film tour, and you will cover most of what the city offered the production.
