Where Is Mayor of Kingstown Filmed?

‘Mayor of Kingstown’ is a crime drama show that revolves around Mike McLusky, who holds immense power in and tries to bring justice to the prison town of Kingstown, Michigan. Diving deep into the affairs of power brokers and for-profit prisons, the show explores the ambiguous morality, internal dynamics, and all-encompassing influence of the McLusky family. Created by Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon for Paramount+, the prison drama stars Jeremy Renner, Dianne Wiest, and Kyle Chandler in pivotal roles.

The show explores the blurry lines between legality and criminality, and its action-packed sequences complement its penchant for scenes with heavy dialogues. The diverse locations in the show allow for an authentic and immersive experience. From the inside world of prison politics to the outside fights between various groups for power, the show traverses a range of locales that often define the circumstances of the characters. If you are curious about where this show is filmed, then you’ve come to the right place. Let’s take a look at the filming locations of ‘Mayor of Kingstown.’

Mayor of Kingstown Filming Locations

‘Mayor of Kingstown’ is set in the fictional town of Kingstown, Michigan. However, it is filmed primarily in Canada — in the cities of Kingston, Brantford, Toronto, and Hamilton, located in the province of Ontario. Filming commenced on May 17, 2021, and concluded by October 2, 2021. The team behind the show clearly puts in a lot of thought and effort into choosing the right backdrops for the characters and storylines. Let’s check out the specific filming locations!

Kingston, Ontario

‘Mayor of Kingstown’ is filmed in Kingston, Ontario. Located on Lake Ontario and known as the Limestone City, Kingston possesses an array of 19th Century heritage buildings and historical sites. It is considered to be the oldest city in Ontario. What’s a prison drama without prisons? The intimidating gray-walled prison we see in the show is actually the Kingston Penitentiary, located precisely at 555 King Street West.

Being one of the country’s most well-known maximum security prisons, the Kingston Penitentiary was operational from 1835 to 2013. Recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada, the former prison is known for its unique architecture and fascinating history. Additionally, the city of Kingston has the largest concentration of prisons in Canada.

Interestingly, Dillon himself hails from Kingston. The co-creator is one of the primary reasons why the production of the show takes place in and around the historical sites of the small city. Plus, the very name of the show seems to allude to Dillon’s hometown! According to Kingston’s film office, the filming of ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ is the largest shoot to take place in the city. Shows like ‘Titans’ and ‘Alias Grace’ have also been shot in and around the Kingston Penitentiary.

Brantford, Ontario

‘Mayor of Kingstown’ is also shot in Brantford, Ontario. The city is located on the banks of the Grand River and has a rich cultural and political history. Additionally, it is known as the Telephone City since Alexander Graham Bell invented the world’s first telephone at his father’s house on Tutela Heights in the southern part of the city.

Several scenes of the show are filmed across Brantford, particularly on William Street, located between Waterloo Street and Church Street, and Clarence Street, from Dalhousie Street to Elgin Street. The city is known for its passionate sports communities, fascinating museums, and affordable living. Shows like ‘Murdoch Mysteries’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ were also filmed in Brantford.

Toronto, Ontario

‘Mayor of Kingstown’ is filmed in Toronto, Ontario as well. One of the most well-known cities in the country known as the Great White North, Toronto is no stranger to rolling cameras and big production crews. In fact, it is one of the largest production hubs in North America. The team behind ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ thus finds Toronto to be an ideal filming location. Downtown Toronto, in particular, is an important filming locale for the show.

With its massive skyscrapers, beautiful urban layout, and vast green spaces, Toronto easily manages to emulate any major city in the US. Understandably, the presence of fantastic film studios, impressive sets, and hordes of film industry professionals makes the city appealing to production crews. Shows like ‘The Boys,’ ‘Chucky,’ and ‘Locke & Key’ were filmed in this famous city as well. A few scenes of ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ are also shot in Mississauga, Toronto’s neighboring city.

Hamilton, Ontario

‘Mayor of Kingstown’ is also shot in Hamilton, Ontario. Being one of the country’s most important industrial centers, Hamilton is known for its rich military history, busy ports, beautiful waterfalls, and amazing museums. The city has often been used to emulate the city of Detroit, Michigan.

Since ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ is set in the fictional town of Kingstown in Michigan, it makes sense that the production crew uses Hamilton as one of its filming locations. Hamilton’s refineries, in particular, feature in some of the scenes. All in all, the province of Ontario acts as the ideal filming location for ‘Mayor of Kingstown,’ with several of its cities serving as the backdrops for the show. A gripping crime drama striving for realism, the show benefits by choosing authentic and historically relevant sites for its scenes.

Read More: Is Mayor of Kingstown Based on a True Story?

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