CHEERS FILMING LOCATIONS

Searching for a place where everybody knows your name? Look no further than The Bull and Finch Pub on Beacon Hill, also known as Cheers. This neighborhood bar is the setting of the 1982 sitcom, though only used for its exterior shots. The actual name of the bar is a reference to Charles Bulfinch, who was responsible for most of the designing of the homes of Beacon Hill as well as the Massachusetts State House.

When the producers originally pitched the idea, they wanted it to take place in California, and our friendly bartender Sam Malone was supposed to be a retired football player rather than a baseball player. When holding auditions for the role, they loved Ted Danson so much that they decided to modify their idea to keep him on board. Danson was too “lanky” for the football role, so they moved the sport to baseball and moved the city to one that cared about baseball much more than San Diego.

While the exterior panning shots of Cheers were filmed at the Bull and Finch pub, only a few scenes with the actual cast were filmed on location. The first of these is a scene involving Frasier contemplating suicide on top of the building after a messy breakup with Lilith. The gang stands on Beacon Street in attempts to talk him down, speaking from a megaphone.

Another scene actually shot in Boston was the final shot in the series finale. In the last seconds before the cut to titles, the bar is shown from the outside at nighttime.

Check out The Bull and Finch Pub on the Boston Movie Mile Walking Tour or the private Boston TV & Movie Sites Tour, and you’ll be able to recognize the bar where everybody knows your name!

* In an effort to stay current, we are constantly updating our tours with new locations and cannot guarantee the presence of locations mentioned on our site. If you have a particular interest in locations from a specific TV show or movie, please let your tour guide know and we will do our best to accommodate your request.