Frankenstein 2025 Filming Locations You Can Visit Now
In Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025), the master of gothic cinema brings Mary Shelley’s classic tale to life with stunning real-world backdrops. The film was shot across Scotland, England, and Canada, using dramatic locations to create its moody 19th-century atmosphere. From Edinburgh’s cobbled streets to remote Canadian lakes, Frankenstein’s filming locations double as an unforgettable travel itinerary. Below, we journey through each major location featured in the film – with tips on what to see and where to stay (hello, hostels!) so you can “set-jet” like a true Franken-fan. Get ready to follow Victor Frankenstein’s path around the globe and maybe even bunk in a hostel near a castle or crypt!
What is Netflix’s Frankenstein (2025) about?
The film directed by Guillermo del Toro is a sweeping, gothic-science-fiction drama based on Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818) by Mary Shelley.
Here’s a simplified breakdown:
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Set in the mid-19th century in Europe (including the Crimean War era) where science, nationalism, and ambition collide.
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The protagonist, Victor Frankenstein (played by Oscar Isaac), is a brilliant yet hubristic surgeon who seeks to conquer death and create new life.
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His experiment succeeds: a new being (played by Jacob Elordi) is born—a creature both powerful and sensitive, thrust into a world that fears and misunderstands him.
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The movie asks: Who is the real monster? Is it the creator or the creation? What defines humanity? What do we owe to the beings we bring into existence?
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Although rooted in horror themes, del Toro frames the story as an emotional tragedy rather than pure jump-scares: it is “incredibly emotional” and centred on loneliness, grief, ambition and redemption.
Runtime & Release:
– The film has a runtime of ~150 minutes.
– It premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in August 2025 and was released on Netflix globally on 7 November 2025.
Edinburgh, Scotland – Gothic Old Town Backdrop
Edinburgh’s Old Town provided many of the film’s most atmospheric street scenes. Del Toro’s team transformed parts of the Royal Mile – the city’s historic main street – into 1850s Edinburgh. In Parliament Square outside St. Giles’ Cathedral, they even built a bustling 19th-century marketplace complete with a rain machine to drench the cobblestones for dramatic effect. Narrow alleys like Bakehouse Close and Canongate (the lower Royal Mile) were packed with muddy streets, period shopfronts, and costumed extras, standing in for the city’s “less-than-salubrious” quarters where Victor walks through a meat market on his way home.
One pivotal scene – the public gallows execution – was filmed in Makars’ Court, a small courtyard off the Royal Mile. This location, beside the Writers’ Museum, posed challenges due to tourist crowds and tight space, but its towering tenements gave the perfect gloomy enclosure for the hanging scene. Fun fact: Makars’ Court’s pavement is inlaid with quotes from Scottish writers, so be sure to look down as you stand on this literary (and now cinematic) spot.
After tracing the Frankenstein scenes in Edinburgh, you can soak up more dark history on an Old Town ghost tour or visit the Surgeons’ Hall Museum (fitting, since Victor was a medical student in the story!). With affordable hostels right on the Royal Mile, you can stay in the heart of the action – a stone’s throw from where Frankenstein brought Victorian Edinburgh back to life.
Coastal Scotland – Frankenstein’s Family Estate and Wild Shores
The Frankenstein family’s manor in the film isn’t a single place – it’s a composite of multiple stately homes in the UK. One of the primary locations is Gosford House in East Lothian, about a half-hour from Edinburgh. This grand 18th-century mansion served as the exterior of the Frankenstein estate where young Victor and his brother are raised. The film’s production also used Gosford’s elegant interior – notably its marble hall and staircase – to capture the opulent look of Victor’s ancestral home. (If you’re an Outlander fan, you might recognize Gosford House from that series as well.) Gosford is still a private residence, but it opens for occasional tours – a chance to walk the same stairs Oscar Isaac (as Victor) did!
Not far away on the East Lothian coast is Seacliff Beach, a windswept shore under steep red cliffs. In Frankenstein, Seacliff appears when the Creature escapes the tower and washes up from the sea. Filming took place on this beach with the majestic ruins of Tantallon Castle visible on the headland. It’s a truly cinematic vista – golden sands, crashing waves, and a medieval castle looming in the distance. You can visit Seacliff for a small parking fee; it’s a lesser-known beach, so you might have it nearly to yourself. The ruins of Tantallon Castle (open to the public) are also worth exploring for their gothic vibes. It’s easy to imagine the Creature wandering this dramatic coastline in despair.
Heading north into Angus, another key location awaits: Hospitalfield House in Arbroath. In the film, this Victorian baronial mansion stands in for the lavish home of Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz), Frankenstein’s benefactor. The memorable scene of Lady Elizabeth (Mia Goth) playing piano dripping in diamonds was shot in Hospitalfield’s drawing room – which, remarkably, needed almost no set dressing because the room’s walls are already covered in gorgeous 19th-century art. Hospitalfield has a long history (built in 1260 and later an art school and artists’ residence) and is said to exude a haunted energy in person. If you time it right, you can book a guided tour of the house. Arbroath itself is a charming seaside town – try the local smoked fish specialty “Arbroath smokies” while you’re there. Hostel options in Arbroath are limited, but you could base yourself in nearby Dundee or Aberdeen and take a day trip.
Bonus: While in Scotland, del Toro’s crew also ventured to rural Aberdeenshire to film inside Dunecht House, a private manor with a spectacular library. That long book-lined library you see in the Frankenstein family home is Dunecht’s real ballroom, refurbished and filled with props for the shoot. Dunecht House isn’t open to the public, but knowing its role might inspire a visit to Aberdeen’s other historic castles. Scotland’s countryside provided even more atmosphere for Frankenstein – in fact, many background shots of misty mountains were captured between Arbroath and Glasgow in the Scottish Highlands. So if you venture through Glencoe or the Cairngorms, you may glimpse landscapes that subconsciously shaped the film’s visuals. Nature and Frankenstein go hand-in-hand here!
Glasgow, Scotland – Crypts and Cathedrals
Though most of Frankenstein’s “Scotland” was centered in Edinburgh and the east, the production also made a key stop in Glasgow. Scotland’s biggest city added a dash of medieval gloom thanks to Glasgow Cathedral’s crypt. In the film, the crypt beneath the 12th-century cathedral serves as the shadowy chapel where Victor Frankenstein, disguised as a priest, hears Lady Elizabeth’s confession. With its low vaulted stone ceilings and eerie columns, the crypt amplified the tension of that scene perfectly. Visitors can enter Glasgow Cathedral for free (donations appreciated) and descend into the crypt to feel that chilling atmosphere firsthand. It’s a surreal experience to stand where the actors filmed – an active place of worship that doubles as a horror set!
After paying respects to the Frankenstein crypt, enjoy the lighter side of Glasgow – vibrant street art, cozy pubs, and live music venues galore. Many hostels in Glasgow are near the city center, making it easy to explore. Pro tip: After visiting the cathedral, treat yourself to a meal at a nearby eatery (Cosmopolitan magazine even name-dropped a local favorite for post-crypt dining). You’ll have earned some comfort food after all the spine-tingling sightseeing.
England – Stately Manor Settings in Lincolnshire and Wiltshire
Del Toro’s film crew crossed into England to capture two of the country’s most elegant estates for Frankenstein. These historic mansions provided lavish interiors (and some exteriors) for scenes set in the Frankenstein family home and beyond.
First is Burghley House in Lincolnshire, a 16th-century prodigy house famed for its Elizabethan architecture and expansive parkland. Frankenstein used several rooms in Burghley House – for instance, Victor’s bedroom in the movie is actually the Bow Room at Burghley, complete with 17th-century murals on the ceiling. The production also filmed in Burghley’s Great Hall, a grand space dating to the 1500s, which stood in for Henrich Harlander’s dining room. Even a brief corridor scene showcasing ornate decor used Burghley’s richly painted “Heaven Room” as a backdrop. When you visit Burghley House today, you can tour these opulent rooms and see the exact spots featured on screen – the artistry of the ceilings and woodwork is even more impressive in person. The estate’s gardens are lovely for a stroll, and there’s a garden cafe to recharge. If you’re hostel-hopping, the nearest big town is Peterborough (about 20 minutes away) which has budget accommodations and transport links. Burghley is open to visitors generally from spring through autumn, so plan accordingly.
Further south, in Wiltshire, lies Wilton House, another Frankenstein filming location and a period drama superstar. Wilton House (the seat of the Earl of Pembroke) is known for its stunning interiors – notably the Double Cube Room, a gilded 17th-century hall lined with portraits. In Frankenstein, Wilton’s ornate rooms stood in for parts of the Frankenstein estate as well as a ballroom scene and even a funeral sequence in the garden. The estate’s Palladian Bridge and grounds appear briefly during a melancholy funeral scene in the film. Wilton House’s grand staircase also caught Del Toro’s eye, featuring prominently as a visual in the family villa. Visitors to Wilton can tour certain rooms and the beautiful gardens, typically in summer months. It’s located just outside Salisbury – making Salisbury a convenient place to stay (there’s a hostel in Salisbury for budget travelers). Seeing Wilton House’s lavish interior, you’ll understand why it’s a go-to film location (it has appeared in The Crown, Bridgerton, and many more). For Frankenstein, its real Baroque opulence helped ground the emotional family scenes in authenticity.
Exploring these English manors offers a delightful change of pace from the dark streets of Frankenstein’s Edinburgh. It’s a chance to indulge your inner history buff and see how real aristocratic homes can become movie magic. Be sure to check each house’s visiting hours – and perhaps pack a nice outfit, because you’ll feel positively fancy wandering these halls! And if you fancy a night in London either before or after, it’s an easy train ride away – with plenty of hostels to choose from as your base in the capital.
Canada – Toronto’s Studios and Alpine Wilderness
Guillermo del Toro is a longtime Toronto filmmaker, so it’s no surprise that Toronto, Canada was a major production hub for Frankenstein. In fact, principal photography began in Toronto in February 2024, where crews constructed elaborate sets to bring Frankenstein’s world to life. The film’s opening Arctic scenes – with the Danish ship Horisont trapped in ice – were shot on a massive outdoor set at Toronto’s port. The production designer built the entire 130-foot ship on a backlot, mounted on a giant gimbal so it could rock as if at sea. Surrounding the ship, they created a fake ice field out of plexiglass, foam, wax, and real snow to mimic the frozen Arctic. (Imagine the crew working in Toronto while the CN Tower peeked over the horizon – a modern city landmark carefully kept off-camera!) For the dog-sled chase, the team ventured to a real frozen lake in Ontario – Lake Nipissing near North Bay – to film on actual ice under winter skies. If you visit North Bay in winter, you can appreciate the stark beauty of a frozen lake (just heed local safety advice before walking on any ice!).
Toronto itself hosted many interior scenes on soundstages. Pinewood Toronto Studios was the base for constructing Victor’s labyrinthine laboratory and the interior of the towering windmill-like structure where the Creature is born. (They actually built the tower’s base outdoors at a fairground outside Toronto – nearly 55 meters high!). While you can’t tour those closed sets, movie buffs in Toronto might drive by the Cinespace/Pinewood studios or the Markham fairground just to say you were “near Frankenstein’s tower.” More interesting for travelers, perhaps, is the University of Toronto campus: some reports indicate the production filmed brief scenes around U of T, taking advantage of its historic architecture as stand-ins for European locales. Strolling through U of T’s Gothic-style quads (like Knox College or University College) can indeed feel like walking through a period film set.
Beyond the city, Frankenstein also needed untamed nature to represent the Creature’s journey. The forest where the Creature awakens was shot at Rockwood Conservation Area in Ontario – a park known for its dense woods, caves, and picturesque river. If you love hiking, Rockwood is a fantastic day trip from Toronto (about an hour’s drive). You can wander the very woods that on screen became the Creature’s “Eastern European” wilderness. The production even built a rustic mill house on a farm outside Toronto (near Kleinburg) for scenes of the Creature hiding out in the woods. While that set was temporary, you can visit the area – Kleinburg is home to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and lovely trails along the Humber River, making for a pleasant excursion.
Finally, Frankenstein gives us a taste of the Canadian Rockies. To depict the Swiss Alps and other mountains in the story, the filmmakers spliced in background plates filmed in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. Those sweeping shots of snow-capped peaks weren’t Europe at all – they were the Canadian Rockies near Banff, merged with Scottish landscapes via VFX. If you’re inspired to continue your Frankenstein trip out west, consider visiting Banff or Jasper National Park. You’ll find hostel accommodations in Banff where you can wake up to the same majestic alpine scenery seen in the film’s backdrop. Imagine standing by a turquoise glacial lake with towering peaks, knowing that this natural beauty helped create Frankenstein’s chilling atmosphere. It’s the ultimate crossover of travel and cinema.
Book Your Hostel and Follow Frankenstein’s Footsteps
From the lantern-lit alleys of Edinburgh to the grand halls of English manors and the wilds of Canadian forests, the filming locations of Frankenstein (2025) span continents – offering a one-of-a-kind travel itinerary for adventurous fans. This journey lets you time-travel to the 1850s by day and swap stories with fellow travelers in hostel common rooms by night. Whether you choose to do a UK tour of Frankenstein sites or a North American expedition, you’ll be steeped in history, legend, and a bit of that Guillermo del Toro magic at every stop.
Ready to bring your Frankenstein fantasy to life? Pack your bags, book those hostels, and set off on your very own “monstrous” adventure. As Victor Frankenstein might say, “To the north I had resolved to go…” – and now, so can you, with a much better travel plan in hand! Safe travels, and happy set-jetting.
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