Where was 1923 filmed? Filming locations of Taylor Sheridan's Western drama prequel explored

1923, Taylor Sheridan's captivating prequel to the hit show Yellowstone, whisks viewers away to a time of hardship, courage, and growth. This new series features Hollywood legends Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren playing Jacob and Cara Dutton, two members of the Dutton clan facing all sorts of challenges—like dealing with the tough economy and surviving natural disasters.

What makes the show feel real is the places where they shot it. It's like watching a story unfold in a real-life time machine. They shot scenes in Montana, California, South Africa, Tanzania, and even Malta, picking spots that look like they're straight out of the 1920s. Paramount Network went all out to get the look just right.

Let's see the main and extra filming spots that brought the world of 1923 to life.

A list of Taylor Sheridan's 1923 filming locations

1) Butte, Montana

A good chunk of 1923 was shot in Butte, Montana, which played the role of Bozeman on the show. This old mining town was a fantastic fit for the rough and tough vibe of the early 1900s that the show needed.

One spot that sticks out is the Butte Civic Center. It became 1923's home base for all the scenes that had to be done inside. And you can't miss the Butte Sheriff’s Department on 225 North Alaska Street, which they used for the sheriff’s office in Bozeman. It looks so real, you'd think you're back in time.

They even changed the Butte-Silver Bow Water Utility, which is at 124 West Granite Street, into the town hall. The fancy old-timey look of the place was just right for the show's setting. Then there's this local vaporizer store that got a makeover into the Silver Dollar soda shop, a big deal in the early episodes.

For the cozy interior shots, they used the real McCoy, the Silver Dollar Saloon on South Main Street. It's got that classic vibe that makes you feel like you're right there in the past. And for the boxing scenes, 1923 set up a ring at the cross of Broadway and Hamilton Streets.

2) Whitehall, Montana

While Butte was the urban stage for the show, the truly awe-inspiring outdoor moments were captured in the sprawling vistas of Whitehall, Montana. This massive, 160-acre piece of land nestled at the foot of the Highland Mountains was the perfect canvas for the unspoiled beauty of the area.

It also set the scene for the tough, untamed life of the Dutton family, who called the wild frontier their home. The iconic Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Montana, is known far and wide as the home of the Dutton clan. It's a real-life ranch dressed up with CGI to match the era of 1923.

3) African locations

Spencer Dutton’s adventure across Africa in 1923 was brought to life in a way that no one had ever seen before. The show went all out, using some of the most amazing places in South Africa and Tanzania to show us what he was up to.

The parts of the story that were supposed to be happening at a train station in Nairobi, Kenya, were shot at an old spot called the Umgeni Steam Railway in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. It’s like stepping back in time to see what traveling by train was like a hundred years ago. They picked this place because it’s got real, working steam engines.

And then there’s the fancy hotel where some important things happen in Spencer’s life. That’s Kearsney Manor, a big, beautiful, old house that’s not in the story’s Kenya but in a place called Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, too, and it’s not far from Durban. This historic place became the backdrop for the Stanley Hotel in the show, and it looks like a place right out of a book from that time.

The scenes that took your breath away with all the wild animals and the wide-open spaces were shot in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. It’s like the celebrity of wildlife parks, and it’s where the show’s team got some of the most beautiful shots of the African savanna.

4) Malta

As Spencer’s journey led him to Europe, the show's crew relocated to the beautiful island of Malta. This place is famous for its ancient buildings and breathtaking coasts. The seventh episode of 1923, titled "The Rule of Five Hundred," shows Spencer and Alexandra touching down in Sicily.

Although it looks like they're in Italy, these 1923 scenes are actually shot in Malta with CGI to include well-known Italian sights like the Palazzo della Gran Guardia.

For the scene where they have dinner, the show used Fort Manoel in Gżira, which is a fortress from the 1700s. It's got an amazing view of La Valletta. The parts of the show that take place on the water, like the ones on the boat, were done at the Old Fish Market in Valletta’s Grand Harbor.

To make 1923 feel even more real, the crew decided to film the scenes on the RMS Majestic on a real ship, the RMS Queen Mary, in Long Beach, California. The Queen Mary is an old British boat that doesn't sail anymore, but it still has all its fancy 1920s decorations inside. It was perfect for giving viewers a taste of what it was like to travel across the ocean in style back in the day.

Other minor filming locations of 1923

Beyond the main spots, 1923 used some lesser-known but important places to tell its story. They turned the grounds of the Anaconda Rifle and Pistol Club into the shabby sheds of the scary Indian boarding school, which made it feel real.

And do you remember that big hall in Bozeman's city hall? That's inside the Carpenters' Union Hall in Butte, where they now have the KMBF radio station.

Speaking of Butte, the courthouse you saw in the last episode, "Nothing Left to Lose," is real. It's at the Butte City Judge's Office on 155 West Granite Street. As for those bank scenes, they were filmed in two places: the Thornton Block and the legendary Morris State Bank, way out in Pony, Montana.