The Office filming locations: Where was the workplace comedy filmed?

When you think of The Office, you probably picture Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Michael Scott once rapped terribly about the town’s greatness. You see the clunky desks, the fluorescent lights, the paper company that somehow stayed alive way longer than it should’ve. But here’s the thing: despite all the Scranton pride, The Office wasn’t really filmed there.

The real Dunder Mifflin was born and raised under the California sun. Shocking? Maybe. But it actually makes a lot of sense once you dig into how the show came together. The real home of Dunder Mifflin was hundreds of miles away, tucked in a sleepy business park in California. But let’s start from the beginning. Here's where the beloved workplace comedy was shot and how it came to life.

---

The first season of The Office

Back when The Office first started in 2005, nobody had any idea it would become one of the biggest sitcoms of all time. So the creators didn’t bother with fancy sets. Instead, they rented out an actual, empty office space at 5660 Mesa Avenue in Van Nuys, California.

The vibe they wanted was simple: real. No laugh track. No shiny, perfect sitcom walls. Just the kind of boring, beige office you’ve either worked in—or dreaded working in—at some point. They didn’t dress the place up much either. Those awful carpets? Real. The terrible blinds? Yep, real.

Even the computers on everyone’s desks were hooked up and working, so the cast could casually browse the internet or answer fake emails while the cameras rolled. It wasn’t glamorous, but it made Dunder Mifflin feel like an actual workplace, not a TV version of one.

The shooting location was soon shifted

After the first season, the show got a bigger budget (thank you, Jim and Pam stans) and moved everything over to Chandler Valley Center Studios in Panorama City, California. But even with a shiny new soundstage, the production team worked hard to make sure nothing felt too... polished.

They basically rebuilt the original office, quirks and all. Same clunky desks. Same awkward conference room. Same windows that let in way too much light at the worst moments.

However, even though most of the filming happened in California, The Office never forgot about Scranton. The writers loaded the scripts with references to real places: Poor Richard’s Pub, the Steamtown Mall, Alfredo’s Pizza Café (not Pizza by Alfredo... that’s a whole different trauma).

The opening credits scene had special footage shot by John Krasinski

Although the show was not shot in Scranton, there’s one big exception: the opening credits. Those quick flashes of Scranton landmarks—the welcome sign, the streets, the little shops—that’s all real. John Krasinski, who played Jim, actually took a trip to Scranton with some buddies before filming started, shot a bunch of footage on a handheld camera, and handed it over to the show’s editors.

That homegrown, DIY feel stuck. The big sign you see that says "Welcome to Scranton"? Yep, that was shot by Krasinski.

More iconic shots and where they were filmed

Poor Richard’s Pub — Easily one of the most iconic non-office locations on the show, Poor Richard’s was where the Dunder Mifflin crew drank away their sorrows (and sometimes their dignity). In real life, the exterior shots were filmed at Pickwick’s Pub in Woodland Hills, California.

Chili’s — Remember the infamous night Pam got banned from Chili’s forever? That scene was filmed at an actual Chili’s location in Granada Hills. The restaurant was incredibly good-natured about the whole thing — they even officially lifted Pam’s ban years later with a hilarious statement on Twitter.

Lake Scranton / "Beach Games" — The Beach Games episode, where Michael tried to find his successor by making everyone compete in weird tasks by a lake, wasn’t filmed anywhere near Scranton. It was shot at Hansen Dam, a recreation area in Sylmar, California. If you thought the setting looked a little too sunny and warm for Pennsylvania, you were absolutely right.

The Steamtown Mall — When Michael and Dwight went to the mall to buy a “birthday present”, it wasn’t filmed at Scranton’s real Steamtown Mall. Those scenes were actually shot inside Westfield Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks, California.

Benihana Christmas — That very chaotic Christmas party episode (you know, the one where Michael marks his date’s arm with a Sharpie to tell her apart from her identical friend) featured a "Benihana" — but it wasn’t filmed at a real Benihana. It was actually shot at a Japanese restaurant called Kabuki Sushi in Burbank.

David Wallace’s House — Whenever Michael visited the corporate boss with the suspiciously nice suburban home, the scenes were filmed in Pasadena. The actual house used for David Wallace’s home scenes is a private residence, so unless you're feeling especially stalkery, you’ll probably just have to admire it from afar.

Michael Scott Paper Company Office — During the short-lived rebellion where Michael, Pam, and Ryan started their own paper company, the new "office" was filmed inside the same Chandler Valley Center Studios building, just a different part of it! They repurposed a storage area in the studio to create the cramped little start-up space.

The Booze Cruise - One of the most memorable early episodes involved the gang hopping aboard a boat for some forced team-building. That wasn’t filmed near Scranton either - the cruise scenes were shot on a boat in Long Beach, California.

Dwight’s Bed and Breakfast (Schrute Farms) — While we never see too much of Schrute Farms directly, when they did show glimpses, it wasn’t some random field in Pennsylvania. The outdoor shots were mostly filmed at Disney’s Golden Oak Ranch in Newhall, California, a popular filming location for all kinds of movies and TV shows.

Warehouse Scenes — All the Dunder Mifflin warehouse action — Darryl and the crew, the basketball games, Roy’s disasters — was filmed in an actual warehouse space right behind the main office set at Chandler Valley Center Studios.

Realistic depiction is what made The Office all the more iconic

A part of what made The Office different from other sitcoms is that it didn’t feel like TV. It felt like life. It captured the weird, funny, kind of depressing but also heartwarming energy of working a boring job with a bunch of weirdos you slowly start to love. And the locations, the realness of that beige-walled hellscape made it possible.

Even now, fans make pilgrimages to Scranton just to grab a drink at Poor Richard’s or pose by the "Welcome to Scranton" sign. It’s a small but powerful reminder that, in its own weird way, The Office made Scranton (and awkward workplaces everywhere) a little bit legendary.

The Office is available on Netflix