Location, Location

Just two weeks ago (boy time does fly though) I was in Los Angeles 3,000 miles away from my town.  I attended a fan gathering, a convention called Mentalist Con.  While there I met up with four Twitter friends who were awesome.  They did a real search for Mentalist filming locations.  They posted some pics which you can check out by seeing their Twitter accounts  (@DualAlly, @everinn, @SteeleSimz and @klcarr892).

I did a bit of scouting locations and looking up Mentalist related LA things.  This was my fourth time in Hollywood and it is my favorite place to visit.  If you have never gone before seriously consider it.  If you are a fan of television (and how can you not be if you are reading this blog) there is always a chance you will see actual filming going on.  I happened upon CSI:NY filming two years ago.  If you like beaches, LA has those.  Not to mention the land is full of great shopping, wonderful dining, museums to explore and quite of lot of OMG- wow sites like the Hollywood sign or Capital Records building.  I was not paid by the Los Angeles tourism committee for that endorsement by the way.

Now on to some actual things for you to see.  This is just a sampling.  If you are a Mentalist fan then you are familiar with this building which acts as CBI Headquarters.

 The building is actually the back of the Pico House which is a historical landmark- it was the first hotel of Los Angeles.  The Pico House is located across the street from Union Station right after the always delightful Olvera Street.


If you venture into Beverly Hills you will find the Paley Center for Television which has an exhibit until 2015 called "Television Out of the Box" presented by Warner Brothers.  The exhibit features costumes etc of hit WB shows like Friends, The West Wing, Fringe and of course The Mentalist.

Want to see where they filmed Jordan Harper's great Red in Tooth and Claw?  Then ride the Expo Metro train to the USC stop.  There you can walk through the Rose Garden (a must if you are a fan of the series Bones).  This building is the Natural History Museum where that last season episode was shot.

The museum on it's own is a must see detailing the history of California, looking at dinosaur bones, seeing gems and meteorites.  Below is where one of the opening scenes of the Mentalist ep was shot.

You must attend the Warner Brothers Tour.  If you're lucky and they aren't filming on set you might be able to see the sound stage for The Mentalist!  It is cool anyways to learn more about the art of television and see such set pieces as this courthouse which has been used in The Mentalist often.

Another great place to see is the LA Zoo.  The zoo is huge but there are so many wonderful animals to gaze upon.  There is an elephant demonstration and also a petting farm for children (or the young at heart).   The zoo was used for the confrontation between Lisbon, Jane and Volker in Little Red Corvette.   The first picture is where Jane and Lisbon ran from.  The second is where Volker found Marvin.

Here is Union Station which has been used in countless shows.  Well every time you see a train station on television it is most likely Union Station.  I actually saw Chuck filming here once. This was used for The Mentalist episodes: Bloodstream, Miss Red and So Long, Goodbye, and Thanks for All the Red Snapper.  It provides easy transportation to places all over LA and actually California.  It is also neat to just look at.

So if you ever get a chance to go to Los Angeles see if you can find out places where your favorite shows filmed (they are most likely hot spots of tourist activity) and make your own scenic location route.  There is nothing like the feeling that you walked onto a set (one where you can actually take a picture) of something you love like a television show.