Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted in 1987, nearly 20 years after the Original Series was canceled. The series introduced a whole new cast, including Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. The show became a huge success, and ran for seven seasons. It was followed by four movies, and spinoff series Star Trek: Picard. The series was filmed in Hollywood and the Los Angeles area.
Starfleet Headquarters
We see Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco numerous times throughout the series. These scenes were filmed in the Japanese Gardens at the Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in Van Nuys. It was also used as an alien planet in the episode “Justice”.
Paramount Studios
Like the original series, Star Trek: The Next Generation was also filmed at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. The show originally used stages 5 and 9 for filming. After the first season, the larger stage 8 became available, and the series moved from stage 5, using 8 and 9 for the remainder of the run. The exterior of stages 8 and 9 are lined with offices, and appeared in the movie Sunset Boulevard.
The show also used the backlot area in the episode “The Big Goodbye”. The episode involves a holodeck story where Captain Picard plays a fictional investigator named Dixon Hill. You can see the backlots on the Paramount Studio Tour.
Vasquez Rocks
Another location used in The Original Series that returns here is Vasquez Rocks, a natural rock formation just outside Santa Clarita. The area was used in the episode “Who Watches The Watchers”.
Universal Studios
As different studios have different facilities and backlots, it’s not uncommon for productions to film at others studios. This was the case for the episode “A Fistful of Datas” that required a western setting. The episode was filmed at Universal Studios, which still has a western backlot. Once a staple at every studio, this is actually one of the only western sets still standing. This area is often included as part of the Universal Studios Tram Tour.
Toronto City Hall
In the episode “Contagion”, a gateway is shown leading to a number of locations across the galaxy. One of the locations is not a far-away planet, but Toronto City Hall. This futuristic building fits in nicely. One could only imagine how the episode would have turned out if they ended up here.
Picard’s Nexus House
I haven’t visited enough locations yet from Star Trek: Generations to put a full article together. But I did want to share one spot from the first TNG movie. In the film, Picard enters the Nexus and his reality brings him to a house, where he lives with his family and celebrates Christmas. This house isn’t really located on some distant planet, but rather in Pasadena.
Check out some other Star Trek filming locations, including The Original Series, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Picard, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
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