Happy Days was a sitcom that ran for 11 seasons on ABC. The show debuted on January 15, 1974 and ran until July 19, 1984. It is notable for it’s accomplished cast, including Ron Howard, Tom Bosley, Marion Ross, and Henry Winkler. It also featured numerous appearances by Pat Morita, who starred in The Karate Kid movies.
The series focuses on the Cunningham Family and the their teenage children’s friends. The series is set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but was filmed in Hollywood.
The Cunningham House
For establishing shots of the Cunningham’s house, the production used a house located at 565 N Cahuenga Blvd. It’s in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles. Please remember that this is a private residence, and should only be viewed from the sidewalk.
Paramount Studios
The series was filmed at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. The interior scenes were all filmed on Stage 19. The stage was home to a number of other productions, including the classic film Citizen Kane, and the TV series Wings.
Stage 19 is said to be haunted by the ghost of Heather O’Rourke. The actress, famous for starring in Poltergeist, also appeared in much of the 10th season of Happy Days. She passed away at the age of 12, and her ghost is said to be seen playing on the stage and up in the catwalk.
The fictional Jefferson High School featured on the series used Lucy Park on the Paramount Lot. The park is part of the old Desilu Studios, and is directly across from Lucille Ball’s office. The same location was used as the school on The Brady Bunch.
The exterior set of Arnold’s Diner was also located on the lot at Paramount, however it was taken down after the series concluded in 1984. You can see some pictures of the location here.
If you want to visit Paramount Studios, you can book one of their Studio Tours. These excellent tours will give you a good look at the studio’s history. You’ll get to see a number of soundstages as well as the back lot.
