Where Was “It” Filmed? - Peerspace

Is Derry, Maine a real place?

Before we can address the question “Where was ‘It’ filmed?”, let’s discuss the backdrop for the story: Derry, Maine. Like the fictional town of Castle Rock that has appeared in many of Stephen King’s stories, Derry is another creation of the author. The town was the setting for “Insomnia” and “Dreamcatcher,” among others. It feels almost like a character in itself with how much time King’s characters spend there. The town is host to many iconic locations from King’s mythos such as 29 Neibolt Street and Kitchener Ironworks.

Unfortunately for fans, they’ll have to stick to filming locations from the movies to satiate their urge to visit Derry. Let’s pull back the curtain to see where filmmakers found the perfect spot for the infamous town.

Where was “The Shining” filmed? Find out here!

The film version of Derry, Maine

You might expect the production to use a town in Maine to shoot in for the 2017 and 2019 versions of “It”. However, it turns out that they found their equivalent of Derry in the municipality of Port Hope, near Toronto, Canada. We’ll share some of the more iconic scenes from the movie so you know where to explore in Port Hope.

One of the places that fans of the movies will remember quite well is the creepy house with Pennywise’s lair. According to an article from Atlas of Wonders, the house was actually shot at two locations, one for the exteriors and one for the interiors.

To save some money, the production company built the exterior of the mansion on a lot on the corner of James Street and Eulalie Avenue in central Oshawa. Luckily, they only had to build the facade and filled the rest in with CGI. That was easier than trying to find an actual house that fit all of their requirements.

They also go on to talk about where they filmed the interiors of the creepy house. This was at a mansion called the Cranfield House, located on Papa Avenue in Toronto. No wonder it was so convincingly old in the movie, considering the mansion dates all the way back to 1902!

Further along in that Atlas of Wonders article they describe some of the other spots in Port Hope that made up many of the most memorable filming locations in “It.” In the first “It” movie, fans will remember the scenes that took place in the alley with the “Quality Meats” sign on the door. These scenes were filmed near the Capitol Theater, one of the more noticeable landmarks in Port Hope. Walton Street, where the theater is located, is not far from the filming locations of some other scenes that fans will remember, including Beverley’s house and the secondhand shop called “Rose” from the second movie. If you’re a big fan of the movies and hoping to visit its locations yourself, it would be well worth your time to visit Port Hope for a terrifying tour.