Prerna Singh
Created by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, ‘Chicago Fire’ is the first series of the ‘Chicago’ franchise by Dick Wolf. It follows the lives of the paramedics, firefighters, and rescue personnel of the Chicago Fire Department. Risking their lives every day for the benefit of others takes a toll on them personally. How they maintain their relationships on the personal and professional front makes this long-running show popular among the viewers.
The action drama first premiered on October 10, 2012, and has since spawned several successful seasons. Over the years, the show has garnered a huge fanbase. Chicago is splashed across the screen, courtesy of the franchise. It is especially exciting to loyal fans who must be wondering where in the city ‘Chicago Fire’ is filmed. Here is what we have gathered!
Chicago Fire Filming Locations
The series features different parts of the Windy City, but the indoor scenes are filmed inside a studio. Let us take a long look at the significant locations.
Chicago, Illinois
Most of the indoor scenes in ‘Chicago Fire’ are filmed at the Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, which is one of the biggest studios in the country outside of Hollywood, L.A. The exact location of the studio is 2621 West 15th Place, Chicago. This family-owned company offers 32 soundproof stages that vary in size from 8,000 to 20,000 sq. ft., with ample space for storing props and ten production offices. Other notable credits of the studio include ‘Empire,’ ‘Shameless,’ ‘Widows,’ and ‘The Chi.’
Although the interior for Firehouse 51 is created inside the studio, the face of the firehouse is actually the Chicago Fire Department Engine 18, which is located at 1360 South Blue Island Avenue. The Firehouse 51 kitchen that features in the series is sometimes filmed on location and other times at the studio set. Lottie’s in Bucktown used to be the filming site for Molly’s Bar, but a replica has been created in the studio to avoid interrupting the business at the actual bar.
The Chicago Fire Academy was chosen as a filming site and is located at 558 West De Koven Street. You will be thrilled to know that it is also where the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 began. You can visit the ground floor that exhibits its history with a plaque marking the exact spot of the incident as well as vintage fire-fighting gears.
Another location is The University of Illinois at Chicago, which is a film-friendly campus, making it very easy for productions to carry out filming on location. The campus is no stranger to the screen and features in many productions such as ‘Shameless,’ ‘Empire,’ ‘Chicago Med,’ ‘Chicago P.D.,’ ‘Death Wish,’ and ‘Captive State.’
Read More: Where Is Chicago Med Filmed?
