If there is one sitcom that has successfully captured the hearts, laughs, and imaginations of American television audiences in recent years, it is undeniably CBS’s supernatural comedy Ghosts. The premise is brilliant in its simplicity: a young married couple, Samantha and Jay, inherit a magnificent, sprawling country estate, only to discover it is falling apart—and inhabited by a chaotic, lovable throng of spirits from different historical eras.
When a near-death accident allows Samantha to suddenly see and hear these ghosts, the couple’s dream of turning the grand estate into a boutique bed and breakfast is hilariously derailed. From a pantless Wall Street bro to a Viking explorer, the spirits are determined to stand in the way of the renovations, leading to a heartwarming and uproarious clash of centuries.
But beyond the brilliant writing and the spectacular ensemble cast, there is one character that anchors the entire show: Woodstone Mansion. The legacy estate offers a beautiful, vintage atmosphere that ties the ghost play together. If you have ever watched an episode and found yourself mesmerized by the stunning architecture, the grand staircases, and the sweeping grounds, you are not alone.
Here is the complete, behind-the-scenes guide to where CBS’s Ghosts is actually filmed, how a global pandemic shifted production, and the real-world locations that bring Woodstone Mansion to life.
From British Roots to an American Hit
Before diving into the physical locations, it is essential to understand the show’s origins. The CBS series is an American adaptation of the smash-hit BBC British sitcom, also titled Ghosts. The original UK version was created by the beloved comedy troupe known for Horrible Histories—a group that includes Simon Farnaby, Matthew Baynton, Jim Howick, Martha Howe-Douglas, Ben Willbond, and Laurence Rickard.
When American showrunners Joe Port and Joe Wiseman took on the daunting task of adapting the series for a US audience, they knew the setting had to be uniquely American. Instead of a crumbling English manor, they envisioned a historic estate in the Hudson Valley of New York. The home needed to feel grand enough to house centuries of American history—from the Revolutionary War to the roaring twenties—yet cozy enough to serve as a believable future bed and breakfast.
Finding the perfect physical location to represent this fictional Hudson Valley estate was the first major hurdle for the production team.
Filming Location 1: Pasadena, California (The Pilot Episode)
In television production, a “pilot” is the standalone first episode used to sell a show to a network. Because pilots are often shot before a series is officially greenlit for a full season, they are frequently filmed in Los Angeles for the sake of convenience and budget.
The recording of the Ghosts pilot was originally scheduled to begin in March 2020 in Los Angeles. However, the unexpected impact of the COVID-19 pandemic brought the global entertainment industry to a screeching halt. The production was forced into a massive delay, and the pilot was not actually shot until December 2020.
When the cameras finally rolled, they did not do so in New York. Instead, the production team found the perfect stand-in for Woodstone Mansion in Pasadena, California.
The Real Woodstone: 160 South San Rafael Avenue
To capture the majestic exterior of Samantha’s newly inherited ancestral property, the location scouts chose a legendary piece of Southern California real estate located on South San Rafael Avenue in Pasadena.
This specific Tudor-style mansion is a crown jewel of vintage architecture. Built with towering brick chimneys, intricate leaded glass windows, and sprawling, manicured grounds, it provided exactly the kind of supernatural, gothic narrative appeal the creators were looking for. In all its glory, the city mansion creates an immediate visual hook that enhances the eerie yet comforting vibe of the show.
If the architecture looks familiar to pop-culture history buffs, there is a very good reason for that. This exact Pasadena property famously served as the exterior for Bruce Wayne’s Wayne Manor in the classic 1966 Batman television series starring Adam West. By tying the comedic legacy of Batman to the supernatural charm of Ghosts, the house continues to cement its place in television history.
Filming Location 2: Montreal, Quebec (The Series Production)
While the Pasadena mansion was perfect for the pilot, shooting an entire network television season on location at a historic, privately owned estate in California is logistically difficult and incredibly expensive. Furthermore, the sunny, palm-tree-lined streets of Southern California do not exactly scream “upstate New York in the autumn.”
Once CBS officially placed a series order and greenlit Ghosts for a full first season, the production team made a massive logistical pivot. On August 2, 2021, the sitcom resumed recording, but they packed their bags and moved operations entirely to Montreal, Quebec, in Canada.
Rebuilding Woodstone on a Soundstage
Moving the production to Montreal was a masterstroke for several reasons. Montreal’s natural environment, distinct seasons, and historic architecture closely mirror the aesthetic of the American Northeast. The summer in Montreal is sunny and vibrant, which enriched the energy of the actors, while the harsh Canadian winters naturally provide the snowy, cozy backdrops needed for the show’s holiday episodes.
However, the team could not simply find a new house in Montreal; they had to maintain visual continuity with the Pasadena mansion seen in the pilot. To solve this, the brilliant set designers and construction crews did something extraordinary: they completely rebuilt the interior of the mansion on massive soundstages in Montreal.
Every creaky floorboard, peeling piece of vintage wallpaper, grand staircase, and secret vault was meticulously recreated indoors. This allowed the camera crews to fly through walls, easily execute special effects (like ghosts walking through solid objects), and control the lighting perfectly, regardless of the weather outside.
The Cast’s Perspective
The shift to Canada brought the cast incredibly close together, bonding them in a new city while they brought the hilarious ensemble of dead people to life. Asher Grodman, the actor who brilliantly portrays the pants-less, 1990s finance bro Trevor, spoke highly of the transition in an interview with CBS Denver.
Explaining the transfer of the recording from LA to Montreal, Grodman noted, “This is a team game. They built this house in Montreal and the attention to detail is amazing.”
The production staff truly went above and beyond to make the recording possible in Montreal. By rebuilding the legacy and foundation of the show from scratch on a Canadian soundstage, they created a permanent, highly functional home for Samantha, Jay, and their eclectic ghostly roommates.
The Magic of the Mansion
What makes Ghosts so special is that Woodstone Mansion is never just a backdrop; it is the ultimate antagonist, the primary setting, and the emotional anchor of the show.
For Samantha and Jay, the house represents a massive financial burden, endless repairs, and their ultimate dream of hosting a successful B&B. For the ghosts—including the Revolutionary War officer Isaac, the Prohibition-era jazz singer Alberta, the 1960s hippie Flower, the cynical Victorian lady Hetty, the sarcastic Lenape Native American Sasappis, and the boisterous Viking Thorfinn—the estate is their eternal purgatory.
Because the ghosts are bound to the property limits of the estate, the audience spends nearly every minute of the show within the walls or on the immediate grounds of the mansion. The fact that viewers never feel claustrophobic is a testament to the incredible set design in Montreal and the beautiful establishing shots originally captured in Pasadena.
Creating a successful supernatural comedy requires a delicate balance of heartfelt emotion, razor-sharp jokes, and an atmosphere that feels both spooky and inviting. By utilizing the historic, architectural beauty of a famous Pasadena estate for its exterior identity, and harnessing the world-class soundstages of Montreal for its intricate interiors, CBS’s Ghosts achieved television perfection.
The next time you tune in to watch Samantha negotiate a room arrangement with a Viking, or see Jay oblivious to the chaos happening right next to him, take a moment to appreciate the incredible cross-border production effort that built Woodstone Mansion. It is a stunning visual achievement that proves a great setting can truly bring a story to life—even if half the cast is technically dead.
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