Seeds · Abbott garden
Quinta Brunson
Seeds · Abbott garden
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Seeds · Abbott garden
Janelle James
ABC · 2021 to now · set in West Philadelphia, made in Burbank
Autumn. The beds are full: real kale, grown on the lot.
The school is a set on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, but its garden is real, kept to Philadelphia’s seasons. When it has filmed in Philadelphia, the school has gone on outings. Sign the slips below and go with them.
The register
Willard
Will Smith’s real first name.
Abbott
Joyce Abbott, who taught Quinta Brunson sixth grade.
Two cards. Press to join them.
Spruce Street at South 57th Street, West Philadelphia
Joyce Abbott taught Quinta Brunson sixth grade at Andrew Hamilton in 2000–01. She worked at the school for 25 years, later as dean of students and then climate manager.
Brunson’s mother, Norma Jean Brunson, taught kindergarten at the school, and was a Philadelphia public-school teacher for more than 40 years. Barbara Howard, played by Sheryl Lee Ralph, is based on Brunson’s mother.
In May 2024 the school renamed its office for Joyce Abbott and unveiled her portrait by Ivben Taqiy, which shows her with her mother and with Brunson.
On 28 May 2025 Mayor Cherelle Parker gave Brunson the key to the city at the school, which unveiled Blooming Futures, a mural by Athena Scott with Mural Arts Philadelphia that paints the school as a garden. Brunson turned down a proposed mural of the show’s characters.
A working public school in West Philadelphia. Look from the pavement on school days; the mural and the office are for the school community. The Market–Frankford Line stops at 56th Street, a few blocks north.
The backdrops behind the Los Angeles sets were made to look like the area around 56th and Christian Streets. The corner is 0.8 km south of Andrew Hamilton School.
Each season the art department adds hallways, staircases or buildings across the street from the facade to ground the show in West Philadelphia, where schools are four storeys tall and sit in the middle of residential streets.
Joyce Abbott is an Overbrook graduate, and the school held a celebration of her career in 2023. She is also a US Army veteran who reached staff sergeant, and a graduate of Cheyney University and the University of Maryland.
20 South 33rd Street, University City
Around 200 rooms between the Penn and Drexel campuses, with a lobby café and a gallery of local and student art. The Market–Frankford Line runs west from here to 56th Street, for Andrew Hamilton School.
Read about the hotel3549 Chestnut Street, University City
300 rooms and suites on Chestnut Street beside Penn, with a seasonal outdoor pool. West Philadelphia is on the doorstep.
Read about the hotelSign and return
The show is made on a lot in Burbank. Its Philadelphia shoots have been outings: a science museum in 2023, a children’s museum and a ballgame in 2025. The fourth slip is the trip you can take.
0 of 4 slips handed in
Willard R. Abbott Elementary · Field trip permission
Sign on the line: draw with your finger or mouse, or press Sign for me.
Hand the slip in to see where the class went.
222 North 20th Street · Daily 9.30am–5pm · adults $29, teens $25, children 3–12 $23
The science museum of the season 2 finale, the first episode filmed in Philadelphia.
Plan a visitFairmount Park · Wednesday–Sunday from 9am (11am on 2nd and 3rd Sundays) to 4.30pm · $24
The children’s museum in Memorial Hall where the whole school went on its season 4 field trip.
Plan a visitSouth Philadelphia · Rain or shine · tickets in advance only · 215-463-1000
About 75 minutes through the Phillies dugout, the clubs, the broadcast booth and the media room, where the cast filmed a season 5 episode.
Book a tourThe lot, Burbank
In season 1 it stood across from the outdoor Friends couch on fountain square, and big pieces of sidewalk came out after every shoot to make room for the studio tour buses.
0 of 5 slabs lifted
A tour tram is coming. Lift the sidewalk.
Warner Bros. Television gave the show Stage 16, its biggest and tallest stage. The main hallway runs from one end of it to the other, roughly 140 feet.
The pilot had been shot on location, in a school built in 1920; for the series everything moved onto the lot. The school the set is based on was built in 1896. The facade went on the backlot, not against the stage, because of fire marshal concerns.
For season 2 the studio removed part of the Chicago “L” tracks built for ER to make room.
The garden outside the school is real: kale, zucchini and other hardy large-leaved plants, grown in autumn and spring and dormant in winter, as they would be in Philadelphia.
Janine’s season 2 apartment is a basement flat on the lot’s New York street, in the building where Annie was filmed.
On 3 October 2024 Rob McElhenney posted photos of himself, Charlie Day and Danny DeVito with Brunson, William Stanford Davis and Tyler James Williams in front of the school set on the lot. The crossover with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia aired on 8 January 2025.
3400 Warner Blvd., Burbank · 8.30am–3.30pm · closed 3–5 and 26 November · ages five and up · book ahead
A guided tour of the 110-acre backlot’s sets and soundstages, where the school front stands. Which sets you pass depends on what is filming.
See the tourBurbank
Live marketplace results for Warner Bros. studio tours and transfers in Burbank. Check what each includes.
Live marketplace results · itineraries change
Compare toursStaff room
Quinta Brunson
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Tyler James Williams
Janelle James
Lisa Ann Walter
At the Emmys here on 12 September 2022, Brunson won comedy writing for the pilot, the second Black woman to win the category, and Sheryl Lee Ralph won supporting actress, her first Emmy in more than four decades.
The show took three Emmys for its first season, including casting. The 7,100-seat theatre became the Peacock Theater on 11 July 2023.
In May 2024 Temple gave Brunson its Lew Klein Excellence in Media Award and, on 8 May, an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts. By then she had won two Emmys for writing and acting on the show.
Memorial Hall, Fairmount Park
Brunson chose the museum because it was a big part of her childhood, and because so many schools take their field trips there.
Many local children were cast as extras. Sheryl Lee Ralph said the episode shows the actual city and real Philadelphians, not a set in Los Angeles.
222 North 20th Street · Opening February 2027 · special exhibitions cost extra
The next big exhibition at the museum of the season 2 finale. Not Abbott Elementary: what is on next where the class went.
See what’s onPhiladelphia
Live marketplace results for walking and trolley tours of Philadelphia. None is about the show; check the routes.
Live marketplace results · itineraries change
Compare tours9 places you can visit. Andrew Hamilton and Overbrook are working schools: look from the street. The school itself is a set on the Warner Bros. lot, seen on the Studio Tour.
Pins mark public places; private homes are named but not pinned.
Site reference · Restricted access · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. A working public school in West Philadelphia. Look from the pavement on school days; the mural and the office are for the school community. The Market–Frankford Line stops at 56th Street, a few blocks north.
Site reference · Public access · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. A residential corner of rowhouses. Walk it; the houses are homes, so look from the pavement. The T2 trolley runs on Baltimore Avenue a few blocks north.
Site reference · Restricted access · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. A working high school on Lancaster Avenue. It stands on a rise and is easy to see from the street.
Building reference · Public access · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. Open daily, 9.30am to 5pm; closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Adults $29, teens $25, children 3–12 $23; special exhibitions cost extra.
Building reference · Public access · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 4.30pm (11am on the second and third Sundays). General admission $24.
Building reference · Public access · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. Home of the Phillies. Ballpark tours last about 75 minutes and run rain or shine; buy ahead online or on 215-463-1000, as no tickets are sold on the day.
Site reference · Public access · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. An open city campus on North Broad Street; the Bell Tower stands on the main lawn.
Philadelphia · Spruce Street at South 57th Street, West Philadelphia
Joyce Abbott taught Quinta Brunson sixth grade at Andrew Hamilton in 2000–01. She worked at the school for 25 years, later as dean of students and then climate manager.
A working public school in West Philadelphia. Look from the pavement on school days; the mural and the office are for the school community. The Market–Frankford Line stops at 56th Street, a few blocks north.
Philadelphia · South 56th Street at Christian Street, Cobbs Creek, West Philadelphia
The backdrops behind the Los Angeles sets were made to look like the area around 56th and Christian Streets.
A residential corner of rowhouses. Walk it; the houses are homes, so look from the pavement. The T2 trolley runs on Baltimore Avenue a few blocks north.
Philadelphia · 5700 Lancaster Avenue, Overbrook, West Philadelphia
Joyce Abbott is an Overbrook graduate, and the school held a celebration of her career in 2023.
A working high school on Lancaster Avenue. It stands on a rise and is easy to see from the street.
Philadelphia · 222 North 20th Street, Logan Square, Philadelphia
The season 2 finale, “Franklin Institute”, was filmed here on 31 January 2023: the first episode shot in Philadelphia.
Open daily, 9.30am to 5pm; closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Adults $29, teens $25, children 3–12 $23; special exhibitions cost extra.
Philadelphia · 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia
The cast travelled from Los Angeles to film the season 4 finale here: the whole school on an end-of-year field trip, with eighth graders who think the museum is for babies.
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 4.30pm (11am on the second and third Sundays). General admission $24.
Philadelphia · Pattison Avenue, South Philadelphia
In August 2025 the show filmed a season 5 episode here over two days, with about 200 extras on the Tuesday and about 400 on the Wednesday.
Home of the Phillies. Ballpark tours last about 75 minutes and run rain or shine; buy ahead online or on 215-463-1000, as no tickets are sold on the day.
Philadelphia · North Broad Street, North Philadelphia
In May 2024 Temple gave Brunson its Lew Klein Excellence in Media Award and, on 8 May, an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts.
An open city campus on North Broad Street; the Bell Tower stands on the main lawn.
Stay
Two hotels in University City, a short ride from Andrew Hamilton School.
20 South 33rd Street, University City
Around 200 rooms between the Penn and Drexel campuses, with a lobby café and a gallery of local and student art. The Market–Frankford Line runs west from here to 56th Street, for Andrew Hamilton School.
Read about the hotel3549 Chestnut Street, University City
300 rooms and suites on Chestnut Street beside Penn, with a seasonal outdoor pool. West Philadelphia is on the doorstep.
Read about the hotelGo there
The studio lot, the ballpark and both museums the class visited, plus marketplace tours.
3400 Warner Blvd., Burbank · 8.30am–3.30pm · closed 3–5 and 26 November · ages five and up · book ahead
A guided tour of the 110-acre backlot’s sets and soundstages, where the school front stands. Which sets you pass depends on what is filming.
See the tourSouth Philadelphia · Rain or shine · tickets in advance only · 215-463-1000
About 75 minutes through the Phillies dugout, the clubs, the broadcast booth and the media room, where the cast filmed a season 5 episode.
Book a tourFairmount Park · Wednesday–Sunday from 9am (11am on 2nd and 3rd Sundays) to 4.30pm · $24
The children’s museum in Memorial Hall where the whole school went on its season 4 field trip.
Plan a visit222 North 20th Street · Daily 9.30am–5pm · adults $29, teens $25, children 3–12 $23
The science museum of the season 2 finale, the first episode filmed in Philadelphia.
Plan a visitBurbank
Live marketplace results for Warner Bros. studio tours and transfers in Burbank. Check what each includes.
Live marketplace results · itineraries change
Compare toursPhiladelphia
Live marketplace results for walking and trolley tours of Philadelphia. None is about the show; check the routes.
Live marketplace results · itineraries change
Compare toursWhat’s on
The museum of the season 2 finale has a new exhibition coming.
222 North 20th Street · Opening February 2027 · special exhibitions cost extra
The next big exhibition at the museum of the season 2 finale. Not Abbott Elementary: what is on next where the class went.
See what’s onTake it home
Quinta Brunson’s book of essays.
Quinta Brunson
Quinta Brunson’s book of essays.
Find the bookDates, prices, rooms and stock change: confirm with the provider before you travel or buy. A stay or tour is described as a filming location only where the card says so.
Every place and moment behind this page, with sources.
9 of 9 places · 19 of 19 Moments
Spruce Street at South 57th Street, West Philadelphia
Brunson names the school for Will Smith and for Joyce Abbott, her sixth-grade teacher here.
Norma Jean Brunson teaches kindergarten here; Barbara Howard is based on her.
The school renames its office for Joyce Abbott and hangs her portrait.
The mayor gives Brunson the key to the city, and the school unveils a mural of itself as a garden.
South 56th Street at Christian Street, Cobbs Creek, West Philadelphia
The backdrops behind the Los Angeles sets are made to look like 56th and Christian.
5700 Lancaster Avenue, Overbrook, West Philadelphia
Joyce Abbott’s own high school celebrates her career.
222 North 20th Street, Logan Square, Philadelphia
The season 2 finale is filmed here, from the Train Factory to the Giant Heart: the first episode shot in Philadelphia.
4231 Avenue of the Republic, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia
The whole school goes on a field trip for the season 4 finale, filmed here with local children as extras.
Pattison Avenue, South Philadelphia
A season 5 episode is filmed at the ballpark over two days, then in the stands at a real game.
North Broad Street, North Philadelphia
Temple gives Brunson an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts.
Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California
The pilot is shot in a real school; the series moves onto the Warner Bros. lot.
The main school hallway runs the length of Stage 16, roughly 140 feet.
The school facade is built on the backlot, not against the stage, because of fire marshal concerns.
After every shoot, big pieces of sidewalk come out so the studio tour buses can pass.
Part of ER’s Chicago “L” tracks comes down to make room for the school.
The school garden is real kale and zucchini, kept to Philadelphia’s seasons.
Janine’s apartment is on the New York street, in the building where Annie was filmed.
Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Danny DeVito are photographed with the cast in front of the school set; the crossover airs on 8 January 2025.
777 Chick Hearn Court, L.A. Live, Downtown Los Angeles
Brunson wins comedy writing for the pilot, and Sheryl Lee Ralph wins supporting actress.
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