'Archive 81' Is the Latest Netflix Craze — Where Was the Horror Show Filmed?

Less than a week since its premiere, Archive 81 has already hit No. 1 among Netflix's Top 10 in the US. The newest horror series has been making a splash with rave reviews, almost immediately topping the charts as one of 2022's first streaming sensations. Already, the show has generated plenty of buzz with its unique spin on horror. The story is very focused on key locations, but where was the show actually filmed?

In Archive 81, archivist Dan Turner (Mamadou Athie) is hired to restore a series of videotapes that were burned in a mysterious fire. The tapes contain the video logs of Melody Pembras (Dina Shihabi) as she researches the Visser apartment complex in search of her missing mother. As she uncovers the terrifying secrets of the Visser, Dan soon discovers how closely he and his deceased family are linked to the events.

Location is everything in Archive 81, but where was filming located?

Though Archive 81 takes place in and around New York, the show primarily focuses on two distinct locations. One, of course, is the Visser apartment building in New York City, circa 1994. As Melody moves into the apartment for her dissertation and interviews the existing residents, she learns more about the building's dark history and the strange machinations of the tenants she now lives with. Many of her findings are captured on camera.

The other key location is the research complex where Dan works to restore Melody's tapes in the present day. As part of the job, Dan is housed in a remote facility located in the Catskills Mountains in New York. In typical horror story fashion, the complex lacks an internet connection and boasts spotty phone reception. Luckily, he is able to leave the premises whenever he wants, but the nearest town is 14 miles away and he only has a bicycle to take him to and from his living quarters.

Though the story of Archive 81 in both eras takes place throughout New York, filming took place just outside of the state altogether. According to Variety Insight, principal photography took place mainly in Pittsburgh, Penn., though some scenes were filmed in New York City. The city itself doesn't appear much to begin with, with most of the action occurring within the Visser or Dan's research complex. Outside of an establishing shot or two, no key NYC landmarks appear too often in the show.

Despite the contrast between the show's setting and the actual filming location, actor Matt McGorry claims that Archive 81 is a bonafide Pittsburgh story.

"The spirit of where something is filmed usually makes into the DNA of the show," Matt stated in an interview with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I do feel like that is true in this case as well. As much as we're supposed to be in New York City, I know for me it was always Pittsburgh and will forever be Pittsburgh in my mind."

The first season of Archive 81 is currently streaming on Netflix.