Fantastic Beasts: 16 Real Filming Locations and Where to Find Them

The wait is finally over: On April 7, Newt Scamander and his friends will once again take us into the beautiful and exciting world of magical creatures, wizardry, and magical adventures. After almost 3.5 years, the enchanting journey continues with 'Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore's Secrets.'

The trailer for the new film looks promising and already gives hints about where David Yates and J.K. Rowling will take us this time: Bhutan, China, Brazil, and Berlin.

We are incredibly excited to see which filming locations we can admire in the third part of Fantastic Beasts. To shorten the waiting time and heighten our anticipation, we have searched for real filming locations from the first two films and discovered 16 enchanting sites.

The essentials at a glance:

So, curious about where the magical filming locations are? This interactive map provides an initial overview.

Although the films take their viewers to distant New York and vibrant Paris, they were almost entirely shot in England, specifically in the Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, not far from London. There, entire worlds were created that make the films a truly magical experience.

However, alongside the fully constructed film sets, there are a few real filming locations that fans can visit and feel a bit closer to their heroes. We at Travelcircus searched for these locations and, with the help of a Revelio or two, were able to track down some spots.

Filming Location 1: New York Docks Film: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

At the beginning of the first film, Newt Scamander, played by the fabulous Eddie Redmayne, arrives in New York by ship. In an arrivals hall, he must show his papers and is also asked to open his suitcase for customs. However, it contains magical creatures that no one should know he has. Luckily, the suitcase has a secret function that makes it appear like an ordinary suitcase to others.

However, the impressive hall is actually not in New York, but in the Cardington Hangars in Bedfordshire, England. If you're thinking you've seen these halls in films before, you're absolutely correct: the former Royal Air Force base served as a backdrop for Batman, The Dark Knight, Inception, and even Star Wars.

Filming Locations 2, 3 & 4: Senator Shaw's Banquet, Streets of New York. Entrance to the Bank Film: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Arriving in the impressive New York, Newt must first look around and orient himself. Some of the exterior shots of the metropolis were not filmed in the studios. Although viewers feel as if they are in the heart of New York, the scenes were actually filmed in Liverpool, England. This includes both the outside and inside of the magnificent St. George's Hall.

This impressive building is distinctly recognizable in three scenes. Firstly, the steps outside the hall are where Newt first meets the Second Salemers, who seek to continue the Salem witch trials. Secondly, the banquet of Senator Shaw, where he is killed by the Obscurus, which leads to significant unrest between No-Majs and wizards, was filmed inside.

Additionally, it appears in the background at the end of the film when Thunderbird Frank ascends to the sky to rain down the memory charm over the people.

Filming Location 5: Steen National Bank Film: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Although the steps to the bank resemble those of St. George's Hall, another neoclassical building served as the film set for the scenes in Steen National Bank. These were filmed in Martins Bank, also in Liverpool.

Here, Newt Scamander and Jacob Kowalski meet. No-Maj Jacob wishes to apply for a loan for a bakery, while Newt is searching for his escaped Niffler. Unfortunately, after Jacob's application for his bakery is rejected, he sees Newt in the vault room shaking out money, gold, and jewelry from an unknown magical creature, the Niffler. Seconds later, the bank's security staff appears and suspects that Newt and Jacob are trying to rob the vault. To save both, Newt disapparates them out of the bank.

Outside the bank, Newt intends to use a memory charm to make Jacob forget what he saw, but Jacob is not on board with the idea. He knocks Newt down with his suitcase and runs away-unbeknownst to him, he has accidentally grabbed Newt's suitcase with the magical creature. And thus begins the adventure of the two men.

Filming Location 6: Macy's Department Store Film: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Who hasn't dreamed of being in a huge department store at night? In New York, no department store is better suited than the famous Macy's. This is also what two of the escaped magical creatures think, which Newt is trying to find. At Macy's, the adorable Demiguise and a stunning Occamy are hiding, the latter of which does not want to be caught easily.

To experience this place firsthand, you don't actually have to fly all the way to New York. This filming location is also situated in Liverpool. The impressive Cunard Building transforms into Macy's department store in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This spot has also appeared in many other films and series, such as the Netflix hit "The Crown."

Filming Locations 7, 8, 9 & 10: Streets of London, Embankment, St. Paul's Cathedral Film: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

The beginning of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald takes place in England's beautiful capital, London. And if you look closely, you can find a few real places in the film where filming actually took place. After Newt refuses to seek out and kill Credence at the Ministry of Magic, he must stay in England. While walking through the streets of London, a magical glove beckons him and urges him to follow. The glove leads him to the roof of St. Paul's Cathedral, where he encounters his old friend Albus Dumbledore. During their walk, Dumbledore also asks Newt to search for Credence.

The street where Newt meets the glove is on Lothbury Street at the corner of Tokenhouse Yard. However, if you look up there, you won't see the famous Cathedral; it's located about 800 meters further. The actors also weren't really allowed to go onto the roof of St. Paul's Cathedral.

However, they did indeed stroll through the streets of London along the Albert Embankment and over the Lambeth Bridge. So anyone can walk the same path as Newt and Albus and also make enchanting plans. By the way, Eddie Redmayne and Jude Law were not actually present for these scenes; they were both doubled, which, in our eyes, does not make this walk any less magical.

Filming Location 11: Newt's Residence Film: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Where does Newt Scamander actually live? The eccentric magizoologist has a lovely little English townhouse in London. However, the address Sherringford Square 9 is unfortunately fictional.

But those who absolutely want to see Newt's house from the outside should take a beautiful stroll through the Lambeth area of London. The exterior shots were filmed on St. Mary's Gardens Street. Lambeth, in general, is a wonderful area to stroll around.

Filming Location 12: Cliffs at the Border of England Film: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Newt cannot leave England, but he urgently needs to get to Paris. Luckily, wizards have a few other ways to travel than by bus or train. One of them is a Portkey - a magical object that transports one or more individuals directly to a chosen destination.

Since this is Newt's only option, he searches for a shady Portkey provider at the last stretch of English land. For a fee that's far too high, this person secretly transports the two of them to Paris.

While the Portkey itself cannot be visited, the location where the scene was filmed is: the Seven Sisters Cliffs in Eastbourne. A walk along the white chalk cliffs and the breathtaking sea view is definitely worth it.

Filming Location 13: Hogwarts Film: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

What would a story from the Harry Potter world be without a look at the most famous wizarding school in the world? Admittedly, Hogwarts does not appear in the first part, which took place entirely in the USA. However, the second part is set in Europe, and some scenes take place in and around Hogwarts.

In the past, several cathedrals and castles in Britain served as backdrops for Hogwarts. Lacock Abbey is one of them. This former nunnery was transformed into the famous school in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and it also appears in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, when Newt and his friends visit Albus Dumbledore at Hogwarts and also in flashbacks from Leta Lestrange's memories.

A visit to Lacock Abbey is definitely worthwhile: If you look closely, you can also find a few filming locations from the Harry Potter films, such as the house of Harry's parents or Professor Slughorn's hideout.

Filming Location 14: Market in Paris Film: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Few European capitals are as popular as Paris. This is truly understandable given the beautiful romantic streets, museums, parks, and attractions. Credence is also drawn to Paris, hoping to learn more about his origins. Once it becomes known that he is in Paris, all the main characters, except for Dumbledore, travel there to search for the boy.

Although the streets in the film indeed resemble the beautiful Paris of the early 20th century, it must regrettably be mentioned that filming did not take place in Paris. Jacob and Newt are not strolling through the lively streets of the City of Love, but through the beautiful streets of Leadenhall Markets in London.

This filming location should already be familiar to Harry Potter fans. Leadenhall Market has previously transformed into the enchanting Diagon Alley, and the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron is also hidden there. Instead of the popular pub, you'll actually find an optician.

Filming Location 15: Entrance to the Catacombs of Père Lachaise Cemetery Film: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Cemeteries often have their own charm, caught between gloomy and idyllic. One of the most famous in Paris is Père Lachaise Cemetery. Many celebrities are buried there, including Oscar Wilde, Jean de la Fontaine, and Frédéric Chopin. This alone makes the Parisian cemetery a popular destination.

It also served as inspiration for the perfect location for the gathering of Grindelwald and his pureblood followers. The family tomb of the Lestranges is also located in the film at this cemetery. However, filming took place at Highgate Cemetery in London, where Karl Marx is also buried.

Filming Location 16: Nurmengard Castle Film: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

At the very end of the film, J.K. Rowling and David Yates take us to Grindelwald's castle, which is hidden on a mountain. From a map, viewers learn that Nurmengard is located in Austria-but the actual filming location is in Switzerland. The mountain on which the castle stands is Schwarzmönch near Lauterbrunnen. Allegedly, not even the locals knew that filming for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was to take place there. However, they were delighted to see their mountain on the big screen.

At Nurmengard Castle, Gellert Grindelwald reveals Credence's true identity. Credence's real name is allegedly Aurelius Dumbledore. This revelation seems to deeply unsettle the young wizard, leading him to display the dangerous power he possesses.

According to rumors, Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore's Secrets was filmed not only in the Leavesden Studios but also in Rio de Janeiro and in our exciting capital, Berlin. Thematically, it would certainly fit, as the film is likely to tackle World War II.

It is also certain that the film crew shot once again in the Cardington Hangars. Residents were informed that a film titled "Vermilion" would be shot there over two days. Observant fans had already discovered that this is the code name for the third Fantastic Beasts film.

However, no further filming locations have unfortunately been disclosed in advance. It's still exciting to see which places Newt and his friends will take us to this year. One thing is certain: wherever the journey goes, it will surely be visually stunning, adventurous, and truly magical!