The Greatest Showman: Every Filming Location

Unlike most modern movies, The Greatest Showman was primarily filmed on location in New York City, the real-life setting of P.T. Barnum’s famous circus. Although some of the incredible sets were filmed on the Warner Brothers soundstage in Los Angeles, almost all of the places seen in the film are actual buildings and venues in New York City. Incorporating real historic buildings helped to ground the film in reality when contrasted with the dreamlike musical numbers and the larger-than-life character of P.T. Barnum.

The Greatest Showman is a musical loosely based on the life of P.T. Barnum, simplifying the controversial details of his life and telling an optimistic story about inclusion and acceptance. Although the movie was universally panned by critics, The Greatest Showman was a surprise hit and became one of the biggest movie-musicals of all time. Starring Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum with a star-studded cast that included Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, and Zendaya, The Greatest Showman balanced P.T. Barnum’s complex life with the mythology of his misfit troupe of performers.

Set in New York City and the surrounding areas in the mid-19th century, The Greatest Showman incorporates real-life buildings that make the world of the film even more realistic. From the sweeping beaches on the coast of Connecticut to the iconic historic buildings in New York City itself, here are some of the filming locations that make The Greatest Showman such a stunning movie.

Barnum Family Home, Exterior: Sleepy Hollow Country Club

At the beginning of The Greatest Showman, P.T. Barnum is in love with Charity, the daughter of a wealthy family in Connecticut. The grandeur of the house tempts Barnum, who returns to purchase the home for his family when his circus becomes a success. The lavish house was more than just an exterior for the movie: the building is now the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Westchester County, roughly 30 miles north of New York City. Originally built in 1892 as a Vanderbilt house, Sleepy Hollow Country Club has been used as a filming location for multiple films and television shows, including Netflix’s Daredevil. In The Greatest Showman, Sleepy Hollow is more than a lavish home: the house represents Barnum’s growing ambition and the life he is trying to build for his family

Barnum Family Home, Interior: James B. Duke House

Although the exterior of Barnum’s eventual home was Sleepy Hollow Country Club, the interior was filmed on location in the historic James B. Duke House located in New York City. The Upper East Side mansion was built in 1912, and the elegant interior was heavily inspired by a French chateau in Bordeaux. All of the interior scenes in Barnum’s home were filmed in the James B. Duke house, including the moment where he shows his two daughters their new home. Although the building is still a prominent part of Manhattan’s “Millionaire’s Row,” it is now the home of the New York Institute of Fine Arts. Fans of The Greatest Showman who watch the musical on Disney+ can still see the massive building in person, dominating the corner of Fifth Avenue.

P.T. Barnum’s Museum: Building 2, Steiner Studios

Deep in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, among the nondescript warehouses, an unimpressive brick building with a massive wall of windows sits at the corner of 14th Avenue and South Street. Although Building 2 of Steiner Studios doesn’t look impressive from the outside, it serves as one of the main interior locations of Barnum’s museum in The Greatest Showman. First appearing when P.T. Barnum, played by Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman, and his family tour the abandoned museum that later becomes home to his famous circus, the warehouse packs a visual punch as one of the primary interior locations in the movie. The building might not be accessible to visitors, but fans of The Greatest Showman can catch a glimpse of the recognizable windows from the sidewalk.

“Never Enough”: Howard Gilman Opera House

When P.T. Barnum meets famed Swedish singer Jenny Lind and convinces her to perform in New York City, it’s a pivotal moment in the film. Marking Barnum’s shift from prioritizing his circus troupe to elevating his image, Jenny Lind’s performance of “Never Enough” is one of the most emotional parts of the musical. Luckily, the spectacular venue where Lind performs is a real opera house located in the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The Howard Gilman Opera House was built at the turn of the 20th century, before the events of The Greatest Showman, but the opulent design makes it a perfect location for one of the movie’s most heartbreaking moments.

“This Is Me”: Gould Memorial Library

The Academy Award-nominated song “This Is Me” is the standout moment of The Greatest Showman. After Barnum’s troupe of performers is hidden away in a backroom following a sold-out performance, they collectively march into the room where Barnum and famed singer Jenny Lind are mingling with the snobby guests – and newcomer Keala Settle brings down the house with “This Is Me.” Unlike Hugh Jackman, who had to sit out singing the musical’s demo, Settle’s stunning voice is her own. Luckily, fans of The Greatest Showman can visit the very spot where the song was filmed: the Gould Memorial Library in the Bronx Community College. Open to the public, the Beaux-Arts style library was designed by architect Stanford White as an homage to classical learning and philosophy. In addition to the spectacular design, the atrium of the library is a stunning addition to The Greatest Showman‘s biggest moment.

“Rewrite The Stars”: Marcy Armory

While earlier interior shots of P.T. Barnum’s museum were filmed in Steiner Studios, the bulk of the interior circus scenes were filmed inside of the historic Marcy Armory located in Brooklyn, New York. The Marcy Armory was a main filming location for The Greatest Showman, including Zac Efron and Zendaya’s duet, “Rewrite The Stars,” although it was originally constructed to be an armory. Its location in Williamsburg stayed true to the original location of P.T. Barnum’s circus – although it was technically located in Manhattan, not Brooklyn. Marcy Armory has a long history of appearing as a filming location and was most prominently used as a location in Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes.

Barnum & Charity’s Beach: Caumsett State Park

Despite the grand venues and locations featured in the movie both the opening and the ending of The Greatest Showman see Barnum and his wife, alone together on a beach. Set in the movie just outside of their home in Connecticut, the beach is actually located in Caumsett State Park, a historical beach along the Long Island Sound and an hour away from Manhattan. When P.T. Barnum meets Charity in Connecticut, they bond while hiding from their respective families along the scenic coastline. That moment is mirrored at the end of the film when Barnum and his wife find their way back to each other on the beach and reconcile. In a film full of lavishly designed musical numbers, the most touching and human moments take place on the sparse and beautiful coast.

The Greatest Showman was a divisive musical that became a massive box office success. Although that success was largely based on the strength of its soundtrack, and Hugh Jackman’s unstoppable charisma as P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman benefits from the authenticity of the filming locations. Using real-life buildings helps ground the film in its more fantastical moments, such as the show-stopping “This Is Me,” or the heartbreaking “Never Enough.” Despite the mixed reaction to the movie, The Greatest Showman stayed true to its New York City roots by filming almost all of the important locations in the Big Apple – just as P.T. Barnum himself would have wanted it.

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