Where was The Institute shot? Revisiting the key filming location of the Stephen King adaptation

The Institute, based on Stephen King’s bestselling 2019 novel, has arrived on MGM+. The science-fiction thriller series follows the story of Luke Ellis (played by Joe Freeman), a boy with special powers who is kidnapped and ends up in a facility referred to as The Institute. At the mysterious facility, he meets other children like him who have extraordinary abilities and is subjected to brutal experiments. The horror series was filmed in Nova Scotia in Canada.

The Institute premiered on July 13, 2025, and comprises eight episodes. Along with Freeman, the series also stars Mary-Louise Parker as Ms. Sigsby, Ben Barnes as police officer Tim Jamieson, Simone Miller as Kalisha, Fionn Laird as Nick, and Hannah Galway as Wendy.

The Institute’s filming location

The filming for the series mostly took place in Halifax, which is the capital of Nova Scotia. The place is known for its history and culture. In the MGM+ series, when Luke wakes up in the Institute, he is overwhelmed by the many secrets and the mystery around the place. The location of Halifax, Nova Scotia, is the perfect setting for the mysterious Institute thanks to the eeriness of the forest and peaceful locality.

The filming for The Institute stretched from August to November 2024. The majority of The Institute takes place within the facility, where the children with the psychic abilities are accommodated. The production team used existing buildings as well as new set designs to create the cryptic Institute, complete with rooms and research and experiment facilities.

Nova Scotia is one of the more preferred filming locations for production houses these days because of its accessibility and relatively quiet neighborhoods. Shows such as We Were Liars, Washington Black, and The Mist were also filmed in Nova Scotia. As a matter of fact, Tim Houston, premier of Nova Scotia, also took to social media to promote the town as the filming destination. He stated,

“Nova Scotia’s film industry is growing — and we’re making the right investments to help it thrive.”

The Institute is developed by Benjamin Cavell for MGM+. The series is directed by Jack Bender and is executive produced by King, Cavell, Gary Barber, Sam Sheridan, Ed Redlich, and Bender. The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios.

Watch The Institute on MGM+.

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