By Soren Rivero
Winner of several performance awards just for the first season, the hit drama series Euphoria has taken the world by storm. Exceptionally admired for its emotionally-charged depictions of real life, complex characters, incredible acting, and dramatic use of theatrical elements, this show is more than deserving of its praise.
But did you know that some of the settings in Euphoria are real? If you’re interested in learning about where Euphoria was filmed, keep reading! (major spoiler alert!)
Image courtesy of HBO
Setting the Scene
Wondering which state is Euphoria based in? According to Rue’s description (played by groundbreaking actress Zendaya), it’s roughly a middle-class suburban city. The name of the city is East Highland, supposedly somewhere around the Los Angeles area. Unfortunately the city is fictional, but there are some places in East Highland that are real. So if you travel to LA (or other parts of California) and want to visit some of the scenes in Euphoria, you’re in luck!
Ulysses S. Grant High School – Valley Glen, Los Angeles
First, the high school where all of the teenage characters in Euphoria attend is named East Highland High School. That’s not the real name of the high school though, as the scenes were shot at Ulysses S. Grant High School. This school is also home to some other famous movie scenes such as Clueless (1995) and Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)!
The auditorium where Lexie’s play took place, however, is not in the school. It’s a studio made by Sony Entertainment — so don’t plan on visiting the stage where Lexie represented Cassie’s… questionable choices at the carnival in season one.
Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS) – N. Alameda St, Los Angeles
The train station where Jules left Rue before her relapse on the season one finale was shot at of the main railways of the Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS). During Rue’s relapse, she has a bad trip where she envisions people carrying her around in church attire — a fantastic music-video type of scene starring Labyrinth’s original song, “All For Us.” The setting for the theatrical scene was actually in Disney’s famous Golden Oak Ranch!
Alta Dena Dairy – Temple City, CA
You can also visit the shop where Fezco and Ashtray ran their underground business. The store is a chain branch location of Alta Dena Dairy, located in Temple City. It's permanently closed as of now, so don't expect Fezco or Ashtray to be there!
Travel Inn – North Hills, CA
Jules’ encounter with Nate’s father happens at a real motel in North Hills. The name of the motel isn’t described in the show, but viewers uncovered that it is a branch of the nationwide motel chain called Travel Inn. They aren’t the most high-class accommodation (as you can tell by the show), but still a cool Euphoria filming location to visit.
Pann's Restaurant – La Tijera Boulevard, Los Angeles
We see Rue meet her sponsor Ali a few times at a diner where they share deep, intimate conversations. The setting is perfect for the scene’s ‘light through the darkness’ theme, all in a typical-style American diner. You can find it by looking for Pann's Restaurant at La Tijera Boulevard in LA.
You’ll find the typical American cuisine on their menu such as burgers, milkshakes, french fries, and sandwiches. The diner is notorious for being in other movies and also a great place to take pictures, so make sure to bring your camera!
Can You Visit the Places in Euphoria? (Season 2)
Season two brought us even closer to the character’s internal struggles as well as creating more tension between them. We had scenes where morals were questioned, mental health was highlighted, and friendships were broken which brought us some meme-worthy quotes such as Kat’s “Cass, that’s like… really bad.”
Knox Presbyterian Church – La Tijera Boulevard, Los Angeles
One of the more well-known scenes was when Rue hallucinated being in the church with her father, during which Labyrinth and Zendaya collaborated on a performance of the bone-chilling song “I’m Trying.” The scene was filmed at Knox Presbyterian Church, again at La Tijera Boulevard. Note: You likely won’t see Labyrinth serenading the crowd with his haunting voice if you decide to visit — sorry!
Family Donuts – Burbank, CA
You can also see the Donut Shop, named Family Donuts, where Fezco’s grandmother displays her brutality and relentlessness in Burbank. The shop has since closed down after being bought by collision place. If you want to see it before the name is changed (or even remodeled) you’ll have to act fast. Otherwise, there are a baker's dozen of other donut shops with the exact same name around the nation. You’ll just miss out on seeing the exact location.
Bowlium Lanes – Montclair, CA
Episode two’s bowling alley is a rather large bowling center in Montclair named Bowlium Lanes. This is when Maddy contemplates breaking up with Nate while playing with Jules, Cassie, Kat, and Ethan. Their times vary greatly by day and they have a handful of daily specials, so be sure to check their website for more information!
These are just a few of the real-life places where Euphoria was filmed. Which will you visit?
