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Mean Girls movie cover Movie Locations Guide

Where was Mean Girls filmed

2004

City Locations

Toronto, Ontario (Canada), New Jersey, California (USA)

Location Types

Diners/ Coffee, School, Mansion, House, Storefront

Location Styles

Americana, Bohemian, Colonial, Luxury, Mid-century Modern

About Mean Girls

The film Mean Girls is a teen comedy written by Tina Fey and directed by Mark Waters. Starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, and Amanda Seyfried, it was released in 2004. The plot centers around 15-year-old Cady Heron (played by Lohan), who moves to suburban Illinois after being homeschooled in Africa. Cady struggles to fit in at her new high school but eventually befriends The Plastics, a famous trio of girls led by Regina George (McAdams), who proves to be malevolent. The movie follows Cady's journey through the treacherous waters of high school social politics as she learns to navigate an unfamiliar world of cliques and gossip while trying to maintain her identity. Along the way, she discovers that while it may be difficult to survive in such an environment, sometimes it's even harder to fit in. Mean Girls was released on April 30th, 2004, and has become a cult classic. It was nominated for several awards, including Choice Breakout Movie Actress and Actor and Choice Comedy Movie, at the Teen Choice Awards. It won three MTV Movie Awards, including Breakthrough Female Performance (Rachel McAdams) and Best Female Performance for Lohan. Critics mainly gave positive reviews to Mean Girls, praising the performances of Lohan and McAdams and stating that the movie was Seyfried's and Caplan's breakout performances. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has received an approval rating of 84% based on 190 reviews, averaging 7.00/10.

Mean Girls Locations

Mean Girls is a beloved comedy that follows an innocent teen as she tries to navigate the treacherous waters of the high school hierarchy. The production crew utilized various locations around Toronto, Canada, to bring the story to life. Most scenes were shot in residential areas, a mansion, and multiple spots around Toronto, including Edward Street for the principal’s office and Malvern Collegiate Institute for gym scenes. Sherway Gardens Mall was also used to recreate the Old Orchard Mall hangout place for The Plastics. The backdrop of Toronto looked perfect for Mean Girls with its beautiful architecture, local landmarks, and exciting sites. From vibrant neighborhoods like Kensington Market to ancient structures like St. Lawrence Market, Toronto has something for everyone interested in taking a trip down memory lane. In addition, visiting iconic places like the CN Tower or High Park will make it seem like you’ve stepped right into one of the movie scenes. A trip to any of these Mean Girls locations would be worthwhile because they offer an opportunity to explore beautiful and unique places while reminiscing about one of your favorite movies. Watching movie clips while visiting specific landmarks to see how they compare to real life can be enjoyable.

Cady's house scenes in Mean Girls

4 Balsam Rd, Toronto, ON M4E 1P3, Canada

The opening scene of Mean Girls takes place at Cady's (Lindsay Lohan) house. It is the morning of her first day of school, and her parents (Ana Gasteyer and Neil Flynn) are seen packing her lunch and getting her ready for school. They are trying to ensure she is prepared to transition from homeschooling to public high school. In this scene, we see Cady’s naivety and innocence as she is oblivious to the social dynamics of a regular high school. Cady is feeling overwhelmed and anxious about transitioning to a public school and nervously anticipates the challenges of navigating high-school social dynamics. This scene was filmed at 4 Balsam Rd in Toronto, ON M4E 1P3, Canada. The exterior shots were taken here, while the interior scenes were shot at a studio. The house at Balsam Rd is privately owned, so please be respectful when visiting it. However, you can still enjoy the exterior of the manor. To get to this location, you can take public transportation or drive there if you can access a vehicle. If using public transport, you can take either bus or train from Union Station in Toronto that stops at Danforth, 18 minutes from the house. You can use your navigation system or Google Maps to lead you there if you are driving.

Access Toronto Filming Locations

Janis and Damian explain to Cady about cliques in the school scene in Mean Girls

Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw St, Toronto, ON M6J 2W5, Canada

The hallway scene in Mean Girls captures the intensity of high school life and the social separation between cliques. On her first day at a public high school, Cady (played by Lindsay Lohan) encountered Janis (played by Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (played by Daniel Franzese) while unprepared. They then had a memorable moment where they walked through the hallway and talked about the different class groups. The Plastics are seen laughing and gossiping with other students around them. The scene has become iconic, with fans often reenacting this moment on social media platforms, such as TikTok and YouTube. It has also been referenced in other works like Netflix's hit show Stranger Things. The location where this scene was filmed is 180 Shaw Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Artscape Youngplace was a public school shut down by the TDSB in 2000. The operations were moved to the nearby Givins/Shaw Public School, making the building vacant until 2006. The TDSB then asked Artscape to study the feasibility of repurposing the building. So, this building has since been remodeled into Artscape Youngplace – an arts and culture center that houses over 30 artists-in-residence studios and 18 classrooms for workshops. You can visit this site as the interior still captures the movie's atmosphere. To get to this location, one can take public transportation such as bus or streetcar lines to Queen Street West Station (Line 2 Bloor-Danforth). From there, it is a 10-minute walk south to Artscape Youngplace. Alternatively, one can take a taxi or drive to 180 Shaw Street using GPS or Google Maps directions.

Visit Downtown Toronto Filming Locations

Cady goes to the mall with the Plastics scene in Mean Girls

Sherway Gardens Mall, 25 The West Mall, Toronto, ON M9C 1B8, Canada

The Plastics, who find Cady (Lindsay Lohan) interesting, invite her to have lunch with them and go shopping after school. We see a scene at Sherway Gardens Mall. It shows Cady Heron and the Plastics, led by Regina George (Rachel McAdams), walking around the mall and then going on a shopping spree. Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan), Cady's friend, is accidentally seen working at a retail store in the mall. The whole scene was very iconic of high schoolers in 2004 - girls wearing Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, and Hollister clothes, gossiping about the latest trends or scandals in their classes, and spending money like it was nothing. This scene was filmed inside Sherway Gardens Mall, located in Toronto, Ontario. It has been open since 1971 and boasts over 190 stores with popular brands like Apple, Coach, Nordstrom, Sephora, and H&M. In addition to retail stores, some restaurants offer various cuisines such as Chinese food, Italian food, sushi, and more. The location has remained unchanged since the filming, allowing you to experience the movie's atmosphere fully. Getting to Sherway Gardens Mall from Toronto is easy - you can take a local TTC bus or subway to Kipling Station, then take the bus to Sherway Gardens Bus Terminal, which stops directly outside the entrance of Sherway Gardens Mall. Alternatively, you can drive there. It's only a 40-minute drive away from Downtown Toronto, depending on traffic conditions.

Toronto Video Shoot Locations Map

Cady's first visit to Regina's house scene in Mean Girls

11 High Point Road, North York, ON M3B 2A3, Canada

The scene at Regina Goerge's (Rachel McAdams) house in Mean Girls is one of the movie's most iconic and memorable moments. As Cady (Lindsay Lohan), Karen (Amanda Seyfried), and Gretchen (Lacey Chabert) enter Regina's luxurious home, they can't help but admire its grandeur. As Gretchen whispers about Mrs. George's (Amy Poehler) plastic surgery, Cady is amazed by the massive foyer with a winding staircase and high ceilings. The walls are decorated with expensive artwork and lavish furniture pieces throughout the room. It's evident that money is no object for the George family. This scene was filmed at 11 High Point Road in North York, Ontario, Canada. This private residence has been a filming location for many movies and television shows over the years due to its picturesque exterior and unique interior features. You can only see the outside of the mansion since it is privately owned. The front yard is well-maintained and has a neat lawn bordered by a stone wall and bushes. To get to this location, you can take public transit: Take TTC subway line 1 (Yonge-University-Spadina) to Lawrence station, then take bus 162 on Lawrence Ave West at Yonge St to Park Lane Cir at Lawrence Ave East stop or take TTC bus 116 (Don Mills Road North) from Pape station to High Point Road stop located at Don Mills Road/High Point Road intersection then walk east towards High Point Rd. You can also drive. Enter 11 High Point Road into your GPS navigation system and follow the directions provided.

Toronto Film Shoot Locations Finder

Cady's speech at the Spring Fling dance scene in Mean Girls

Malvern Collegiate Institute, 55 Malvern Ave, Toronto, ON M4E 3E4, Canada

The scene of the Spring Fling dance in Mean Girls is one of the movie's iconic moments. We see Cady (Lindsay Lohan) surrounded by her classmates, dressed to impress and ready to party. Cady won the title of Spring Fling Queen, but instead of accepting it for herself, she declared that everyone was beautiful in their way and thus made her victory belong to everyone. In an iconic moment from the film, she breaks her tiara into pieces to symbolize this act of selflessness before reconciling with Janis (Lizzy Caplan) and Damien (Daniel Franzese), Aaron (Jonathan Bennett), and even The Plastics; a tension-filled moment that left viewers cheering. In the background, a live band plays popular pop songs as confetti cannons shoot off glittering streams into the air. Malvern Collegiate Institute was where this iconic scene was shot for Mean Girls in 2004. Located in Toronto, Ontario, it was founded in 1903 and has been home to generations of students since then. Tourists can visit Malvern Collegiate Institute for an up-close look at the setting for this cherished moment from the movie. Those looking to visit Malvern Collegiate Institute, where this pivotal scene was filmed, can take a train or subway line to Main Street Station, which is located about 1 km away from the school. From there, visitors can walk along Main Street until they reach Danforth Avenue, then turn east onto Jones Avenue, and Malvern Collegiate Institute will be on their right-hand side.

Toronto Production Spaces Tour

Conclusion

Mean Girls (2004) is a classic teen movie that stands out among its contemporaries. It is not only funny and entertaining but also captures the essence of high school life through its intelligent script by Tina Fey. The actors involved do a great job of bringing Fey’s characters to life, with Lindsay Lohan, in particular, delivering an emotional yet comical performance. The film takes on complex topics, such as cliques and bullying, honestly and thoughtfully, encouraging discussion and discourse. Moreover, Mean Girls provides a refreshing take on the traditional ‘teen movie’ genre by providing an exciting twist and unexpected plot developments that keep viewers engaged. The film made an impressive contribution to the movie industry when it was released in 2004, making over $129 million at the global box office. It also gained critical acclaim from well-respected film critics like Roger Ebert, who gave it three stars and earned itself among the best teen movies ever. In his article, he stated that the mothers in the movie were not very supportive. Nonetheless, Fey's screenplay effectively employs humor as a means of teaching. The director adeptly sidesteps many of the overused stereotypes that other teen comedies rely on. In conclusion, Mean Girls is worth watching for anyone who appreciates clever comedy films with strong characters and witty dialogue. Despite being nearly 20 years old, it still resonates strongly with teenagers today, as some of its themes are timelessly relatable.