Where was Fringe filmed? All filming locations explored

Fringe is an American science fiction television series developed by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. The show aired on September 9, 2008, and ended after five seasons and 100 episodes on January 18, 2013.

With a combination of suspense, mystery, and speculative science, the show attracted a loyal fan base through its scientific wonder and emotional resonance.

At the focal point of the series is federal agent Olivia Dunham (played by Anna Torv), who becomes a partner with quirky scientist Walter Bishop (John Noble) and his son Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson). Together, they create the Fringe Division, an elite task force that investigates unusual and sometimes off-putting phenomena based on fringe science.

Influenced by The X-Files, Lost, Altered States, and The Twilight Zone, Fringe combines the procedural structure with mythological narratives. The early seasons reveled in case-of-the-week narratives, but the series gradually became more and more serialized, incorporating plotting and character study into its overall narrative.

The TV show whisked audiences from Toronto to New York to Vancouver—transforming the real-life landmarks into gates to other universes and science enigmas.

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Exploring filming locations of Fringe

Pilot episode: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

FBI special agent Olivia Dunham (Image via Amazon)

Fringe's two-hour, $10 million pilot was shot in Toronto, shooting on famous locations such as the Royal Ontario Museum and a hospital in Brampton. An aged church basement was creatively reused as Dr. Walter Bishop's laboratory—a main set.

The set was designed by Carol Spier, who worked with David Cronenberg. The laboratory set was later duplicated in New York and Vancouver as the series went on.

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Season 1: New York City, USA

After the pilot, filming moved to New York City for the rest of season 1 (Image via Prime Video)

After the pilot, filming moved to New York City for the rest of season 1. Harvard University, Walter's actual laboratory location, was represented with a range of real-life establishments such as Pratt Institute, Brooklyn College, and Yale University.

Yale locations that were utilized are Phelps Hall, Durfee Hall, Branford College, and the Yale Law School exterior. University College at the University of Toronto was also used for campus settings.

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Seasons 2 to 5: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Peter Bishop, played by Joshua Jackson (Image via Prime Video)

Starting from season 2, the series moved to Vancouver. British Columbia University acted as the twin of Harvard from then on. Vancouver's varied geography, with sites like New Westminster, Burnaby, Surrey, and Coquitlam, offered suitable places, particularly for environments in the alternate universe the series offers.

Classic sites like the Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver Art Gallery, and Waterfront Station also brought their presence to light.

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Notable filming highlights across seasons:

• University campuses: Yale University, University of Toronto, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn College, and UBC were the stand-ins for Harvard.
• Iconic Vancouver locations: Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver Art Gallery, Waterfront Station.
• Neighborhood shoots: Burnaby, Surrey, Coquitlam, and New Westminster (as stand-ins for alternate-universe scenes).

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Plot overview of the series

Fringe follows the Fringe Division, a special FBI-backed task force investigating unexplained phenomena (Image via Prime Video)

Fringe tracks the investigations of the Fringe Division, a federal task force with special status, financed mostly by the FBI. They are commanded by Agent Olivia Dunham and consist of the genius but erratic Dr. Walter Bishop and his estranged, intelligent son Peter Bishop.

They are assisted by Director Phillip Broyles and Agent Astrid Farnsworth, who provides laboratory assistance. They collaborate to unravel strange and frequently creepy mysteries involving wacky science, including botched transhuman experiments, new artificial intelligence dangers, and the impending threat of two universes colliding.

Several of the cases involve connections to technologies that have been developed on the cutting edge by Massive Dynamic, a highly influential company started by Walter's old business partner, Dr. William Bell. The company is run by their common patron, Nina Sharp.

Throughout the series, the team finds out more and more about a group of pale-skinned, silent men referred to as the "Observers," whose existence means there is far more depth and richness to the strange events they witness.

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Interested viewers can stream the show on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Apple TV+.