“Bel-Air” Filming Locations Guide

Like the original “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” series, many of the show’s scenes are filmed at the Banks family home. The estate at 460 Old Ranch Road in Bradbury, east of Los Angeles proper, was chosen instead of a home in Bel Air – which is in West Los Angeles – due to convenience and cost issues. Though the Bradbury estate lacks a short commute time to the beach, it does offer more than 24,000 square feet on a nearly six-acre lot of land – the perfect grounds for the family’s lavish soirees and fundraisers.

In season one, episode two, “Keep Ya Head Up,” Will heads to his first day of school at Bel-Air Academy and is seen strolling through campus in what he deems a Hogwarts-esque uniform, signature sideways cap, and a pair of headphones around his neck. The entrance scenes at Bel-Air Academy were shot on the campus of Woodbury University located in Burbank, just north of L.A. proper, in the San Fernando Valley.The private university was founded in 1884 making it one of the oldest educational institutions in Southern California.

The football field at Bel-Air Academy is the first place Carlton (Olly Sholotan) takes Will after Uncle Phil (Adrian Holmes) tells Carlton to show him around in season one, episode one, “Dreams and Nightmares.” While Carlton gears up for lacrosse practice, Will meanders around the grounds and stumbles upon his new crush, Lisa Wilkes (Simone Joy Jones), swimming laps at the pool. The pristine football field and pool used to film these initial scenes are located on the campus of Los Angeles Valley College in Van Nuys, also in the San Fernando Valley.

The Banks family mansion may not be located in Bel Air proper, but that doesn’t stop Uncle Phil from golfing there. At the top of season one, episode eight, “No One Wins When The Family Feuds,” Uncle Phil spends a foggy morning swinging golf clubs while Carlton caddies for him as punishment for throwing a party while his parents were out of town. Scenes with the pair were filmed at the Bel-Air Country Club. The prestigious members-only social club opened in 1925 and features an 18-hole winding golf course.

After fleeing Philadelphia for Los Angeles thanks to a run-in with local menace Rashad Denton (Eazy the Block Captain), Will is separated from his best friend Tray Melbert (Stevonte Hart) and eventually begs Aunt Viv (Cassandra Freeman) to fly his pal out to Bel Air for the weekend. As television dramas go, Tray’s visit ends in a feud between the friends, but before things go south, the pair visit the Staples Center with Uncle Phil to see (and meet!) their favorite rapper, D Smoke. By the time the episode aired in 2022, the downtown Los Angeles stadium had changed its name to the Crypto.com Arena, a name that really rolls off the tongue. The arena is home to the Lakers and Clippers of the N.B.A., along with other pro teams. You can catch Will, Trey, and Uncle Phil living it up in the VIP lounge in season one, episode five “PA to LA.”

In season one, episode four, “Canvass,” Carlton and Will are tasked with going door-to-door to get people registered to vote in support of Uncle Phil’s campaign to become the next Los Angeles District Attorney. After a rocky start and getting lots of doors slammed in their face, the pair find their footing as Will tries a new approach to get voters on their side, but not before a heated dressing down by a disgruntled constituent who doesn’t want to vote for Uncle Phil thanks to his wealth. If you’re keen on seeing where the exchange happened and stroll the same path as Carlton and Will did on their quest for signatures, the house is located at 3553 Cimarron Street in Leimert Park in Los Angeles.

This is where Will and Carlton run into Will’s father Lou (Marlon Wayans) while picking up a take-out order of food. Johnny’s Pastrami serves some of our favorite L.A. Jewish specialties like matzo ball soup, knishes with gravy, and stacked pastrami sandwiches on rye. Tip: If you don’t have an appetite for an entire sandwich, you can pick up pastrami by the half-pound to go.

After pounding the pavement all day for Uncle Phil’s District Attorney run, Will and Carlton head to the evening campaign event at a roller-skating rink in season one, episode four, “Canvass.” The sequence features plenty of skilled roller-skaters alongside Uncle Phil’s friends, family, and constituents at the neon purple-lit Moonlight Rollerway in Glendale. The rink has been around since the 1950’s and has been featured in films like “Beginners” and “Lovelace,” as well as the series “Euphoria.”

When Will’s mother, Vy Smith (April Parker Jones), came to visit him for his birthday in season one, episode eight, “No Win Wins When The Family Feuds,” three long months had passed since she’d last seen her son in Philadelphia. During her Bel Air stay, Will and Vy take a stroll down the Santa Monica Pier, which is where you can ride the Pacific Park Ferris wheel or watch body contortionists do (what looks to be) painful things with their limbs.

In season two, episode one, “A Fresh Start,” Will channels his personal problems to improve his basketball game and visits the Venice Beach Basketball Courts to show his skills off to Doc Hightower (Brooklyn McLinn), a no-nonsense basketball recruiter and coach with a reputation for turning out elite college basketball players. In hopes of gaining a spot on Doc’s team, Will beats Big Dre (Sheldon “Shel” Bailey) in a basketball game at the Venice course before rushing away to a family event – but not before meeting his future sweetheart, Jackie (Jazlyn Martin). The seaside courts are part of the Venice Beach where you can find rollerbladers riding down Ocean Front Walk and beefcakes showcasing their brawn at Muscle Beach.