Photo: Contiki
Does your idea of a night-in include oppressive regimes, red cloaks, and Elisabeth Moss side-eyeing the patriarchy? Then you’ve probably seen an episode or two of the dystopian show – The Handmaid’s Tale. Based on Margaret Atwood’s haunting novel, this series drops us into Gilead: a bleak, authoritarian world where women’s rights have been stripped.
With the ongoing season 6, we’re diving deeper into the dystopia. But luckily, the Handmaid’s Tale filming locations are a vibe IRL. So if you’ve ever wanted to walk where June walked (minus the trauma), here’s your guide.
Where was The Handmaid’s Tale filmed?
While the story is set in the US, most of the drama (and trauma, and dystopia) was actually filmed in locations all over Canada.
1. Cambridge, Ontario
If Gilead had a tourist brochure (yikes), Cambridge would be on the cover. Its charming old-world architecture and quiet streets gave life to some of the show’s most iconic scenes. You’ll recognise the Main Street Bridge and Queen’s Square from Season 1 – where handmaids walk in formation, silent and watchful. Central Presbyterian Church features in several episodes, often as a backdrop to Gilead’s public rituals. Even the local farmers market at Ainslie and Dickson got a gloomy glow-up on this show.
Image source:Zia Syed / unsplash
2. Toronto, Ontario
Toronto was used as a Handmaid’s Tale filming location for all the little filler scenes like military checkpoints and underground resistance zones. You’ll spot Yonge-Dundas Square (Gilead’s take on Times Square) in flashbacks to the wonderful pre-Gilead life. The University of Toronto doubled as both government facilities and hospital wings (remember that absolutely chilling birthing scene in the early episodes?). Toronto City Hall also appears in several shots, while Woodbine Beach served as the infamous Wall, complete with hanging bodies in Season 1.
3. Scarborough Bluffs, Toronto
Remember those scenes where the handmaids are being marched along the shoreline? Often blindfolded? Those are the cliffs of Scarborough Bluffs. I think this might be one of the most beautiful Handmaid’s Tale filming locations.
4. Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton was the backdrop for Lydia’s twisted Red Center teachings. Those scenes were shot at Hamilton City Hall, which stood in as the centre where handmaids are “trained and reprogrammed.” Liuna Station was used in flashback sequences, including happier moments from June’s past life. It’s also where June and Janine are herded into trucks before Gilead took over.
5. Uxbridge, Ontario
The rural outskirts of Uxbridge provided a natural escape route – literally. As June and others attempt to flee Gilead via the underground resistance, these forested trails and farmlands act as the Femaleroad. Season 2 and beyond made great use of this area, mixing desperation with the haunting beauty of nature.
Image source:Derek Sutton / unsplash
6. Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
This quaint, postcard-perfect town became a chilling shopping district in Gilead. In Season 1, Queen Street was shut down and dressed up with signage from Gilead’s new world order. Handmaids shuffled past boutiques repurposed as ration shops, and the town’s usual charm was completely drained under a heavy red filter. IRL, it’s much more brunch-and-wine than authoritarianism (thank goodness). And it’s super close to Niagara Falls too!
7. R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant, Toronto
Yeah, even a water treatment plant wasn’t spared as a Handmaid’s Tale filming location. The post-apocalyptic architectural vibes are perfect, though. It was often used as the setting for mass punishments, executions, or tense standoffs. Its cold symmetry and giant walls fit the regime’s design philosophy perfectly.
8. Washington D.C., USA
Yes, they did, in fact, shoot a couple of scenes in the actual USA (where the show is based). In Season 3, the show crossed the border for real to film those chilling scenes where June walks past the monument-turned-prison with the Lincoln Memorial covered and handmaids with their lips sewn shut. Yep, that’s actually filmed in Washington D.C.
Image source:Chris Hardy / unsplash
Where’s the river in The Handmaid’s Tale?
The Charles River gets some serious screen time. But instead of Boston, it’s brought to life with various rivers and waterways in Ontario, Canada. Think of it as the show’s way of making an iconic landmark feel like it’s straight out of Gilead (without the dystopia, of course…).
Where’s the bridge in The Handmaid’s Tale?
That unforgettable bridge scene? It’s the Main Street Bridge in Cambridge, Ontario. The perfect spot for some of the show’s pivotal moments, symbolizing all those shifts in the storyline – Gilead style. The bridge gets a major glow-up in its dystopian role.
Where’s Gilead located in The Handmaid’s Tale?
In the world of The Handmaid’s Tale, Gilead is basically what used to be the United States, with the capital chilling in what was once Washington, D.C. But the real Handmaid’s Tale filming locations? They’re scattered across Canada.
