Is Rosewood, Pennsylvania a real place?
Before we can really dig into the filming of the show, it is important to figure out the setting. Rosewood, Pennsylvania definitely looks like it could be in the state, and that is because author Sara Shepard based it on a real town: Rosemont, Pennsylvania.
According to an article in Philly Voice, there are a few locations from that show that you can visit if you want to see what inspired the show. Some of those notable locations include Hollis College, which is based on the local college, Rosemont College.
Another location from the show that is a little more infamous is Rosewood’s terrifying Radley Sanitarium – this is based on the real-life Pennhurst Asylum, which is today a haunted house attraction that you can visit for yourself if you’re feeling brave!
Lastly, another real-life location from the show that fans will remember is Rosewood Movie Theater with its classic marquee. This is actually based on the Bryn Mawr Film Institute in Rosemont, which is a great place to catch an artsy flick.
Now that we know the real-life location of the show’s town, we can move on to answering the question: where was “Pretty Little Liars” filmed?
Where did they film Rosemont, Pennsylvania in “Pretty Little Liars”?
Just like the characters on the show, we have a little secret to share with you: they didn’t actually film “Pretty Little Liars” in Pennsylvania. According to IMDB, it was actually shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Maybe that’s not actually so secret, considering that many film productions take place in Los Angeles because of how much infrastructure for filming there is. “Pretty Little Liars” is no exception.
Fans of the show shouldn’t worry if they want to see their favorite “Pretty Little Liars” locations for themselves. According to Discover Los Angeles, you can see just about all of your favorites on a Warner Bros. Studio Backlot Tour. All of the characters’ houses are on a backlot tour in the “Midwest Residential Street” section and “The Jungle.”
Some of the other locations you can find that doubled as Rosewood includes Rosewood High School, City Hall, and the Rosewood Police Station. Apparently, these locations were also prominent in the classic television show “The Dukes of Hazzard.”
It goes to show how clever studios can get when they reuse the same backlots for so many different types of shows and movies. Superfans can trek out to Burbank now that they know where most of the show was shot. However, we aren’t totally finished answering the question: where was “Pretty Little Liars” filmed?
“Pretty Little Liars” filming locations not at Warner Bros. Studio
The production wasn’t able to do all of its filming at Warner Bros. Studios. Sometimes establishing shots are needed of buildings that you have an interior set for, or there are outdoor locations not on the lot. Let’s take a trip off of Warner Bros. Studios’ lots and finish answering the question: where was “Pretty Little Liars” filmed?
The blog “I Am Not A Stalker” shares that the show couldn’t get all the necessary footage at Warner Bros. Studio. Some of the notable locations include the spot that doubled as New York City’s Fitzgerald Theater, Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theater, and the Welby State Psychiatric Hospital from Season 6. This is actually the often-filmed Tournament House in Pasadena.
Be sure to check out the rest of the many locations from their blog, including all of the ones that took place on another Warner Bros. property, the Warner Bros. Ranch.
The last place that is worth mentioning is from the same blog post as before. She mentions that they did not film the pilot in Los Angeles like the rest of the series, but in another popular filming city: Vancouver, Canada. Make sure to check those out so you can see what changed between the two filming locations!
Check out 11 of the most iconic film locations in Los Angeles next!
