Fans of the hit CBS sitcom Ghosts often wonder if the sprawling Woodstone Mansion is a real place they could visit. While you can’t book a stay at the actual Woodstone B&B, the beloved setting is a blend of several real locations, a Hollywood stand-in, and one very creative soundstage in Canada. The story behind the mansion connects a writer’s childhood memories, a genuinely haunted museum, and the magic of television production.
The Real-Life Inspiration: Pennsylvania’s Baker Mansion
The core inspiration for Woodstone Mansion comes from a real 19th-century home in Altoona, Pennsylvania, called the Baker Mansion. Joe Port, one of the show’s writers and executive producers, grew up near this historic building and used it as a creative starting point for the series.
He was inspired by the Victorian-era home, which is now operated as the Baker Mansion History Museum. In a nod to his muse, Port named two of the show’s central ghost characters after the mansion’s original owners, Elias and Hetty Baker. Hetty Baker’s maiden name was Woods, which likely inspired the “Woodstone” surname.
The connection extends beyond names. The real Baker Mansion has its own ghost stories, with staff reporting paranormal activity over the years. The museum even hosts an annual paranormal investigation and haunted lantern tours, embracing its spooky reputation much like its fictional counterpart.
“I grew up a couple blocks away from this place called Baker Mansion… it was cool to grow up in the shadow of that building and then use it for inspiration later on,” said executive producer Joe Port.
Where Ghosts is Actually Filmed
While Baker Mansion provided the initial idea, the physical filming of Ghosts happens almost entirely in Canada. The show’s primary production base is a soundstage in Montreal, where the show’s intricate interior sets are built.
The exterior shots of Woodstone Mansion that viewers see in every episode are of a real house located about an hour from Montreal in Montebello, Quebec. This estate, sometimes identified by fans as Chateau Valmont, provides the stone facade and the idyllic grounds. However, scenes filmed inside the house are shot on the Montreal soundstage, not within this actual property.
This setup differs from the pilot episode, which was filmed at a famous mansion in Pasadena, California. That house, located near the University of Southern California, has also appeared in productions like Bridesmaids and the 1960s Batman series. Once CBS picked up the show for a full season, production moved to Canada, and the interior of the California house was meticulously recreated on a Montreal soundstage.
Woodstone Mansion: The Eleventh Character
On the show, the mansion is more than just a setting; it’s a central character with a history spanning over a thousand years. The production team has put immense effort into building this world. The interior set is renowned for its detail, from the creaky floorboards to the vintage wallpaper.
“I like to think of that house as the 11th main character in our show, and it has so many stories. There’s so many things that happen in those walls and on that land,” said Rebecca Wisocky, who plays the ghost Hetty.
The set decoration team, led by production designer Zoë Sakellaropoulo, carefully designed each room to reflect the building’s long history, making it a believable home for ghosts from different eras, from a Viking to a 1990s finance bro.
Can You Visit the Ghosts Filming Locations?
For fans hoping to see Woodstone Mansion for themselves, the options are limited but exciting. You can visit the Baker Mansion History Museum in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to see the house that started it all. While it was never a filming location, it offers a tangible connection to the show’s origins and a dose of real haunted history.
The actual filming locations are not open to the public. The private residence in Quebec used for exterior shots is not a tourist destination, and the Montreal soundstage where most of the show is filmed is a closed set. The house in Pasadena used for the pilot is also a private home.
The fifth season of Ghosts premieres on CBS on Thursday, October 16.
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