Your beloved TV locations, in real life
I bet you didn't know these TV locations are real places you can visit
Image: Ben Griffiths
Ever wondered what it would be like to walk in the footsteps of your favorite TV characters? Well, pack your bags and grab your camera, because these iconic television locations are real places you can visit across America . From diners to crime scenes to small-town squares, these spots bring your beloved shows to life in ways that'll make you feel like you've stepped right into the screen.
1
The diner from "Seinfeld" - New York City
Image: Peter Bond
Remember Tom's Restaurant, where Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer hatched their hilariously terrible plans over coffee and endless conversations about nothing ? It's a real place!
The restaurant has embraced its TV fame, and fans from around the world stop by daily to snap photos and enjoy a meal where sitcom history was made. Fair warning: the actual interior looks nothing like the show, but you’re still eating where Seinfeld characters theoretically ate!
2
Central Perk from "Friends" - Times Square, New York City
Image: Ilse Orsel
Friends fans, your dreams have come true: Central Perk now has a permanent location in Times Square where you can actually grab your morning coffee! Located at the northeast corner of 7th Avenue and 47th Street, this is the real deal—a functioning coffeehouse where you can sit near that iconic orange couch and pretend you're part of the gang. There's also a sister location in Boston, so if you're in either city, you can finally experience the coffee shop that was supposedly right there in New York all along.
3
The "Breaking Bad" car wash - Albuquerque, New Mexico
Image: Juliann Hervio
Walter White's car wash empire might have been built on crystal meth money, but the actual building is squeaky clean and still operating! Mister Car Wash (formerly Octopus Car Wash) at 9516 Snow Heights Circle NE in Albuquerque is where they filmed those tense scenes of Walt and Skyler's legitimate business venture. You can even get your car washed at the same spot where some of TV's most dramatic moments unfolded.
4
Luke's Diner from "Gilmore Girls" - Unionville, Ontario (okay, Canada, but close enough!)
Image: ayumi kubo
Coffee addicts and fast-talking fans of Gilmore Girls will be thrilled to know that Luke's Diner is real — sort of . The exterior shots were filmed at a building in Unionville, Ontario, just outside Toronto. The charming small-town main street where the diner sits perfectly captured that Stars Hollow magic, even if it technically wasn’t in Connecticut. The building now houses different businesses, but the streetscape remains wonderfully quaint and photogenic.
5
The "Full House" house - San Francisco, California
Image: Kyle Smith
The Tanner family's iconic Victorian home, with its unforgettable Painted Lady facade, is absolutely real and stands at 1709 Broderick Street in San Francisco's Lower Pacific Heights neighborhood. While the interior scenes were filmed on a set, the exterior is the genuine article and has become one of the most photographed houses in the city. Fans regularly make pilgrimages to stand across the street and recreate that opening credits moment.
6
Courthouse Square from "Back to the Future" - Universal Studios, California
Image: Roger Ce
Doc Brown's time-traveling DeLorean circles around Hill Valley's Courthouse Square in one of cinema's most memorable scenes, and you can visit that exact spot! The Courthouse Square is a standing set on the Universal Studios backlot in Los Angeles , and has been used in countless productions over the decades. On the studio tour, you'll recognize it instantly—it’s where Marty McFly skateboarded through 1955 and where the clock tower still stands.
7
Katz's Delicatessen from "When Harry Met Sally" - New York City
Image: Michał Kubiak
"I'll have what she's having" became one of the most famous movie lines ever uttered in a restaurant, and you can eat at that very same spot! Katz's Delicatessen, located at 205 East Houston Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side, is where Meg Ryan filmed that unforgettable scene. The deli has been serving up massive pastrami sandwiches since 1888, and they’ve marked the table where the scene was filmed with a sign that reads, "Where Harry met Sally… hope you have what she had!"
8
The "Twin Peaks" Double R Diner - North Bend, Washington
Image: DJ Paine
Fans of David Lynch's surreal masterpiece can grab a slice of cherry pie and "a damn fine cup of coffee" at Twede's Cafe in North Bend, Washington . This is the actual diner used for exterior and some interior shots of the Double R Diner, where Agent Cooper discussed his dreams and Deputy Hawk dispensed wisdom. After a 2000 fire, the diner was rebuilt and renovated, but it has maintained its Twin Peaks connection, which continues to draw fans from around the world.
9
The "Cheers" bar - Boston, Massachusetts
Image: Savann Prak
Sometimes you really do want to go where everybody knows your name, and you can do exactly that in Boston! T he Bull & Finch Pub, located at 84 Beacon Street beneath the Hampshire House, is the real bar that inspired the exterior of Cheers . There's even a replica Cheers bar in Faneuil Hall Marketplace for tourists who want the full experience.
Here’s the catch: the interior of the Bull & Finch Pub looks nothing like the TV show—those scenes were all filmed on a Hollywood soundstage. But the Faneuil Hall location recreated the TV set’s interior, so if you want to feel like you’re really stepping into the show, that’s your best bet.
10
The Biltmore Hotel from "Mad Men" - Los Angeles, California
Image: Stephanie Klepacki
Don Draper and the gang from Sterling Cooper certainly knew how to pick a sophisticated meeting spot, and the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles was one of their favorites.
The Biltmore is still a functioning luxury hotel where you can book a room, grab a cocktail at the bar, or simply wander through the stunning public spaces. It has hosted Academy Awards ceremonies, presidential candidates, and countless Hollywood events over its nearly 100-year history.
