Nishitha Dutta
Developed by Noga Landau, Josh Schwartz, and Stephanie Savage, ‘Nancy Drew’ is a mystery drama series that follows its titular character, who becomes involved in investigating a murder. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in Nancy’s life. Her entourage of reliable friends includes prickly manager George Fan, smart waitress Bess Marvin, a dishwasher named Ace, and mechanic Ned Nickerson, AKA Nick.
The show is the third television series to revolve around the famous fictional character, Nancy Drew. It features an ensemble cast starring Kennedy McMann, Leah Lewis, Maddison Jaizani, Tunji Kasim, and more. The much-loved show has an interesting setting that elevates the suspense and drama in the storyline. If you want to know where this series is filmed, you’ve come to the right place!
Nancy Drew Filming Locations
‘Nancy Drew’ is primarily filmed in British Columbia, particularly in the Metro Vancouver region. It includes West Vancouver, North Vancouver, City of Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, and several other places. The principal photography for season 1 reportedly commenced on July 22, 2019, and was initially scheduled to wrap up on April 7, 2020. However, it was abruptly stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 12, 2020. After that, it didn’t resume filming, and the first season was concluded with episode 18.
Later, the second season rolled into production on September 29, 2020. There was a week-long pause in between due to COVID-19 testing, and then the filming finally ended on April 29, 2021. Likewise, the filming for season 3 took off on July 13, 2021, and was supposedly ended sometime in late 2021. Let’s dive into the specifics of where the series is filmed!
West Vancouver, British Columbia
The setting of the show slightly differs from that of the novels. The books are set in the fictional town of River Heights. But in this CW production, River Heights Drive is the name of the street where Nancy lives in Horseshoe Bay, Maine. Interestingly, ‘Nancy Drew’ is filmed in Horseshoe Bay, a community in West Vancouver, British Columbia. In addition, the crew made use of Whytecliff Park, which is located near Horseshoe Bay.
Horseshoe Bay used to be known as White Cliff City, which opened in 1909 before it was renamed. However, it is now separate from Whytecliff Park. It might be interesting to note that the pilot episode was filmed near Sewell’s Marina lookout. The local Starbucks that lies opposite the seafront in Royal Avenue can be spotted in one of the scenes.
The lobster shack known as The Claw is supposedly a space within an empty restaurant at Sunset Marina, situated on the Sea to Sky Highway. A small lighthouse was included as a part of the set. Besides that, you might also notice Flour Bakery and Bruce Street & Royal Avenue in a few scenes of the show.
North Vancouver, British Columbia
As the series is extensively filmed over different locations in and around Vancouver, you may recognize a few areas in North Vancouver. The Drew house featured in the show is recognized as a five-bedroom historic property from 1911, located at 937 Moody Avenue in North Vancouver. The North Vancouver Cemetery, which occupies about 22 acres of land, additionally makes the cut.
North Shore Studios, located on North 555 Brooksbank Avenue in North Vancouver, is another significant production site. With eight well-equipped stages, the studio has served as a filming site for several films and TV shows. They are ‘Deadpool,’ ‘Man of Steel,’ and ‘Psych,’ to name a few.
Vancouver, British Columbia
A few prominent locations in the central area of Vancouver feature in the series. The City Centre Motor Hotel is converted into the Mustang’s Motel. In episode 3 of season 2, we see the Bloedel Conservatory, which is a futuristic dome-shaped building. The Conservatory lies at the highest point in Vancouver and houses more than 100 species of exotic birds.
And we give you the first day of season 3!!!!!!! @kennedymcmann
Obvi more to come with Bess DUH pic.twitter.com/UDrKlfedTR
— Leah Lewis (@leahmlewis) July 14, 2021
1711 Drummond Drive serves as another filming site. Although COVID-19 restrictions hampered the filming process, the cast members were happy to be back for the filming of season 3. The Cecil Green Park House from the University of British Columbia stands in as the mansion of Owen Marvin’s charity gala from episode 5 of the show’s debut season. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest university in the province.
Other Locations in Metro Vancouver
The series showcases other locations in and around Vancouver; the area is known as Metro Vancouver. The Garry Point Park in Steveston, near the Kuno Garden, is visible in the show’s second episode. It is located in the coastal city of Richmond. A few outdoor scenes have been shot at Bear Creek Park in Surrey. Speaking of which, the Surrey City Hall also features in an episode.
The scenes featuring the Horseshoe Bay Police Department have been filmed at the Port Coquitlam City Hall. Port Coquitlam is a suburb in British Columbia located 27 miles east of Vancouver. The Riverview Mental Hospital in Coquitlam also appears as the Velvet Masque Club in episode 6 of season 1. The Larkspur Lane Sanitarium is a section of this massive compound. Another part of Coquitlam where a portion of the series is lensed is the North Lawn Building in Riverview Hospital that appears as the Seabury County Medical Examiner Facility.
Other Locations in British Columbia
Apart from Metro Vancouver, there are several other places that occupy a few frames in the series. Another location that can be observed is the Foxglove Farm, a 120-acre organic farm that lies in Salt Spring Island.
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