Gastown’s brick streets transformed into post-apocalyptic Seattle, the giant cedar forests of Stanley Park overgrown with vegetation, a century-old copper mine turned into an end-of-the-world backdrop… The Last of Us Season 2 was entirely filmed in British Columbia and Alberta, under the working title Mega Sword, using approximately 60 to 70 different locations. For fans of the HBO series, these sets are now open to visitors — and they’re often far more fascinating in reality than on screen.
This guide covers the 8 must-see sites on the fan itinerary, with practical details for visiting, GPS coordinates, and a suggested 7-day itinerary to explore Vancouver, the Sea-to-Sky Highway and the Canadian Rockies.
1. Gastown & Downtown Eastside — Ellie’s Post-Apocalyptic Seattle
Gastown, Chinatown & East Cordova Street
Gastown, Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside (DTES) are the main neighbourhoods used to recreate the ravaged Seattle of Season 2. In May 2024, Alexander Street was transformed into a post-apocalyptic landscape: debris, moss-covered vehicles, broken windows and invasive plants dressed up several entire city blocks. The corner of Columbia Street and Pender Street, in the heart of Chinatown, serves as the backdrop for the « Feel Her Love » graffiti scenes discovered by Ellie and Dina.
According to Time Out, the production coordinator chose Gastown for its Victorian cobblestone alleyways and 19th-century brick facades that naturally evoke an abandoned world. In August 2024, filming resumed on East Cordova Street for military sequences involving Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.
Highlights for fans
- Arch Alley and its cobblestone streets (Gastown) — perfect atmosphere outside peak hours
- East Cordova Street — exact filming location of the Seattle street scenes
- Columbia & Pender intersection (Chinatown) — set of the « Feel Her Love » graffiti
- Access via SkyTrain (Waterfront or Stadium–Chinatown station)
2. Stanley Park & Harbour Green Park — Forests and Waterfront
Stanley Park (405 ha) & Coal Harbour
Stanley Park, one of the largest urban forests in the world with its 405 hectares of centuries-old sequoias, serves as the backdrop for the forest scenes where Ellie and Dina become trapped. According to Narcity, filming these nocturnal sequences involved torches and intense night lighting throughout the inner forest. Episode 7 even required the partial reconstruction of some forest scenes in the studio.
A short walk away, Harbour Green Park (Coal Harbour) was transformed into a war zone between July 25 and September 17, 2024, with overturned vehicles and military convoys for the WLF scenes. Vancouver Is Awesome reports the production had stationed several vehicles in the park, including one upside down.
Sites not to miss
- Beaver Lake Trail — the most isolated and wild part of the park, backdrop for the forest scenes
- Lost Lagoon — twilight atmosphere perfect for sunset photos
- Harbour Green Park — view of the harbour and Jack Poole Plaza (2010 Olympic cauldron)
- Bike access from downtown (cycle path along the waterfront)
3. The Orpheum Theatre — Ellie and Dina’s « Pinnacle Theatre »
Orpheum Theatre — 601 Smithe Street, Vancouver
The « Pinnacle Theatre » where Ellie and Dina take refuge in Episodes 5 and 6 is actually Vancouver’s Orpheum Theatre, opened in 1927. According to Narcity, this venue was chosen because it shares the same architect as the real Paramount Theatre in Seattle on which the fictional Pinnacle was inspired. The rococo interior — gilding, painted dome, Wurlitzer organ — barely needed any dressing to portray this abandoned theatre.
The entrance hall and the theatre’s exterior were partly studio-built sets, but the main auditorium was genuinely used for the intense hide-and-seek scenes of the season. Time Out notes that the Orpheum had previously been used in the Battlestar Galactica reboot.
How to visit
- Vancouver Symphony Orchestra concerts — the most accessible way to see the auditorium
- Free open house days occasionally organized (check the website)
- Exterior architecture visible from Smithe Street at any time
4. Britannia Mine Museum — Abby’s Mine (Episode 2)
Britannia Mine Museum — Britannia Beach (55 km from Vancouver)
Mill No. 3 of the Britannia Mine Museum is one of the most spectacular filming locations of Season 2. In Episode 2 (« Through the Valley »), this 100-year-old industrial building becomes an abandoned mine in a post-apocalyptic context. According to Vancouver Is Awesome, the production installed over 300,000 watts of lighting for a single day of filming, to maintain consistent light through the mill’s windows.
This National Historic Site was once the largest copper mine in the world. Its raw industrial atmosphere — metal staircases, rusted machinery, light filtering through torn walls — is naturally post-apocalyptic. Other productions have also used it, including The 100 and The X-Files.
Things to do on site
- Guided underground train tour — ride through the mine tunnels
- BOOM! show in Mill No. 3 — the exact set from the series scene
- Gold panning — fun activity in a historic setting
- Ask the guides for the exact camera angle from Pedro Pascal’s scene
5. Britannia Beach & Squamish — Jackson, Wyoming (The Built Set)
Minaty Bay, Britannia Beach & Sea-to-Sky Gondola
The town of Jackson (Wyoming), the central backdrop of Season 2, was entirely built at Minaty Bay, Britannia Beach, 60 km north of Vancouver. According to Time Out, the crew built everything from scratch in a parking lot — wooden sets inspired by both the video game and the real town of Jackson. This colossal set, constructed from February to August 2024, was unfortunately demolished after filming wrapped.
Even though the Jackson set no longer exists, Squamish and the Sea-to-Sky Gondola offer panoramic views identical to those in the series. Destination Vancouver even suggests the gondola as an alternative to capture the mountain spirit of Jackson. Known as the « outdoor recreation capital of Canada », Squamish gives access to spectacular wilderness landscapes.
Alternatives after the demolished set
- Sea-to-Sky Gondola — aerial view of Howe Sound and the mountains (like Jackson in the series)
- Brennan Park in Squamish — likely filming location for the baseball scene (identified by fans)
- Garibaldi Provincial Park — exceptional alpine hikes 2 hours from Vancouver
6. Mount Seymour & Fort Langley — Joel’s Flashbacks
Mount Seymour (North Vancouver) & Fort Langley
Mount Seymour is at the heart of Joel’s emotional flashbacks in Episode 6. According to Hollywood North Buzz, Pedro Pascal returned to Vancouver in June 2024 to film the Mystery Lake trail and Goldie Dam scenes. This is where Ellie rides a dinosaur in the woods for her 16th birthday — one of the season’s most moving scenes.
Fort Langley (60 km east of Vancouver) portrays the entrance to Jackson: the exterior facade of Joel’s house was filmed at a real single-family home in this historic village founded in 1827. The crew even brought in artificial snow for the entire street to recreate Jackson, Wyoming’s winter.
On the ground
- Mount Seymour — Mystery Lake Loop (8 km round trip): exact locations of Joel’s flashbacks
- Goldie Dam — set of the scene with infected Eugene
- Fort Langley — 23090 88 Ave (Joel’s house facade; please respect residents’ privacy)
- Fort Langley National Historic Site — $9.80 CAD adult (Hudson’s Bay Company fort)
7. Fortress Mountain & Exshaw — The Canadian Rockies (Alberta)
Fortress Mountain, Exshaw & Highway 1A — Kananaskis Country
Although Season 2 was mostly filmed in British Columbia, Alberta enters the picture in Episode 1 for the mountain panoramas of Jackson. According to Travel Alberta, the scenes where Ellie trains in shooting while a group of clickers approaches their mountain base were filmed at Fortress Mountain, a ghost ski resort closed since 2004, and along Highway 1A at Exshaw. Alberta filming spanned approximately 9 days (March 5–6 and March 18–24, 2024).
The road was partially closed for 72 hours. The crew imported snow from surrounding areas to make the location even more wintry. The fictional « Entering Wyoming » sign was planted near Highway 40, at the Wedge Pond parking area. Fortress Mountain is also a recognised Hollywood set: Inception, The Bourne Legacy, Brokeback Mountain and The Revenant were all filmed there too.
Exploring the region
- Wedge Pond (Highway 40) — location of the « Entering Wyoming » sign; panoramic view of Fortress Mountain
- Spray Lakes Provincial Park — canoeing in summer, backcountry skiing in winter
- Ha Ling Peak — iconic Kananaskis hike (panoramic views of the Rockies)
- Canmore (30 min) — more affordable base than Banff for exploring the region
8. 7-Day Fan Itinerary
Complete circuit: Vancouver, Sea-to-Sky & Alberta
Here is an optimised itinerary to visit all the filming locations in one week, combining Vancouver (4 days), the Sea-to-Sky Highway (2 days) and the Alberta Rockies (1–2 days).
- Day 1 — Arrive in Vancouver. Gastown & Chinatown (Seattle scenes). Dinner at Guilt & Co. (180 Hamilton St)
- Day 2 — Stanley Park (morning, Beaver Lake Trail) + Harbour Green Park + Coal Harbour. Evening: concert at the Orpheum
- Day 3 — Mount Seymour (Mystery Lake trail, Joel’s flashbacks) + Fort Langley (Joel’s house, farmer’s market)
- Day 4 — Sea-to-Sky Highway: Britannia Mine Museum (morning) + Britannia Beach + Sea-to-Sky Gondola in Squamish (afternoon)
- Day 5 — Nanaimo by seaplane (Capitol Hill of Seattle, Episode 4) or free day in Vancouver
- Day 6 — Flight or train to Calgary (1h15 from Calgary → Kananaskis). Fortress Mountain, Highway 1A, Wedge Pond. Night in Canmore
- Day 7 — Ha Ling Peak or Spray Lakes hike. Departure from Calgary (YYC)
Practical information for your trip to Canada
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From €0.99/dayFrequently Asked Questions — The Last of Us Season 2 Filming Locations
Can you still visit the Jackson set built at Britannia Beach?
No. The Minaty Bay set (Britannia Beach), where the entire town of Jackson was built from scratch between February and August 2024, was completely demolished after filming ended. According to Hollywood North Buzz, the site was in any case located on private property with « private property » signs. However, the Britannia Mine Museum (a few minutes away) is still visitable, as are the Sea-to-Sky Gondola landscapes in Squamish.
How many filming locations were used in total for Season 2?
Season 2 was filmed in British Columbia under the working title Mega Sword, using approximately 60 to 70 different locations. Filming began on February 12, 2024 and ended in early 2025, with confirmed shoots in Vancouver, Squamish, Britannia Beach, Kamloops (Tranquille), Mission, Fort Langley, Langley, North Vancouver and Nanaimo (Vancouver Island). In Alberta, approximately 9 days of filming took place in Calgary and Exshaw/Fortress Mountain.
What is the best time to visit Vancouver for a « Last of Us » road trip?
September and October are ideal for several reasons: Vancouver’s frequently overcast sky provides a natural post-apocalyptic atmosphere, there are fewer tourists (making photos easier), and the autumn colours in Stanley Park and Mount Seymour are spectacular. For the snow-covered landscapes of Fortress Mountain (Alberta), aim for December to March. Avoid July–August in Vancouver (crowds, high prices) and July in Kamloops (extreme heat that can exceed 40°C).
Is the Orpheum Theatre open to the public without buying a concert ticket?
The Orpheum’s interior is only accessible during events and concerts. Free open house days are occasionally organised (check the City of Vancouver website). The most accessible way to see the auditorium — and recognise the exact « Pinnacle Theatre » from the series — is to attend a Vancouver Symphony Orchestra concert. Last-minute tickets are often available from 30 CAD at vancouversymphony.ca.
Will Season 3 of The Last of Us also be filmed in Vancouver?
Yes. According to Vancouver Is Awesome, filming for Season 3 (working title Calm Current) began in Vancouver, British Columbia, on March 2, 2026. It is expected to wrap on November 27, 2026. Bella Ramsey, Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Gabriel Luna and Jeffrey Wright are among the confirmed cast. If you visit Vancouver in 2026, you may even spot film crews in the neighbourhood!
Are there official guided tours of the filming locations in Vancouver?
Destination Vancouver has published an official episode-by-episode guide available at destinationvancouver.com/the-last-of-us-filmed-in-vancouver, including an augmented reality (AR) experience allowing visitors to scan clues at each location to complete a secret code. The guide covers locations season by season. Local tour operators also offer film-themed city tours of Vancouver including some of the sites.
What is the economic impact of the series on the filming regions?
The impact has been considerable. For Alberta alone (Seasons 1 and 2 combined), The Last of Us is the largest television production in the province’s history, having generated CAD 182 million and created 1,490 jobs. In British Columbia, the impact of Season 2 alone amounts to tens of millions of dollars, with direct benefits for communities such as Squamish, Fort Langley and Kamloops. The Britannia Mine Museum has seen its visitor numbers increase significantly since Season 2 aired.
Sources
- Destination Vancouver — Official episode-by-episode filming locations guide
- Vancouver Is Awesome — Season 2 filming locations: complete review
- Narcity Vancouver — Filming locations Episodes 5 and 6
- Time Out — Behind the scenes of Season 2 filming locations
- Travel Alberta — Official guide to Alberta locations
- Britannia Mine Museum — Visit information and admission prices
- Hollywood North Buzz — Real-time tracking of shoots in British Columbia
- Hollywood North Buzz – Mount Seymour — Joel & Ellie scenes on Mount Seymour
- Atlas of Wonders — Community database of filming locations
- Castanet Kamloops — Filming in the Tranquille area (Kamloops)
- Wikipedia — Production data and economic impact
Research conducted on March 24, 2026
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