Lights, camera, Doors Open: Visit some of the city's top film locations this weekend - Action News
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Toronto

Lights, camera, Doors Open: Visit some of the city's top film locations this weekend

This weekend's Doors Open Toronto, the annual event that allows visitors access to places typically closed to the public, is opening the doors to some of Toronto's most popular filming locations.

This year's event allows visitors access to the locations of The Handmaid's Tale, The Shape of Water and more

Behind the scenes with actress Elisabeth Moss in Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale. The series is filmed in Toronto. (George Kraychyk/Hulu)

We often catch glimpses of Toronto infilm and televisionwhileit masquerades as Washington, D.C., or depression-era New Jersey or the dystopianrepublicof Gilead.

This year's Doors OpenToronto is your chance to enter and learn more about the places in the city that often act as Hollywood's backdrop.The free annual event takes place this weekend and is opening the doors tosome of Toronto's most popular filming locations.

Here are a few to visit:

Bay Lower Subway Station

Closed to the public since the 1960s, the TTC station has starred in a number of Hollywood productions, with thelikes of Michael Douglas, Bruce Willis and Mark Wahlberg walking itsplatform. Most recently, it has been featured in Hulu's adaptation of the popular Margaret Atwood novel,The Handmaid's Tale.

Visitors will be provided a brief history of the location andallowedto tour the station, which will be dressed with movie posters and props from films shot inside.

This scene of Hulu's popular drama The Handmaid's Tale was filmed in Toronto's Bay Lower Subway Station. (Hulu)

Distillery District

Whether it stands in forCharlottetown in Road to Avonlea or a concentration camp in X-Men, the Distillery District's distinct features have played many parts on the silver screen. Films shot in the areaincludeCinderella Man, Blues Brothers 2000,Chicagoand more.

Visitors can take guided or self-guided tours of the district's filming locations, in addition to learning about the distilling process and exploringthe still tanks in an area rarely open to the public.

This scene in Cinderella Man was filmed in the city's Distillery District, posing as the New Jersey docks. (Youtube )

University of Toronto, Scarborough - Andrews Building

The Andrews Building has made appearances infilms, television shows and music videos, including The Shape of Water,Fahrenheit 451, Defiance, Covert Affairs, Private Eyes, Designated Survivor and the video for The Weeknd'sSecrets.

Tour guides will give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the location, explaining what was filmed where and whichcelebrities have visited.

The Andrews building at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus stood in for a government facility in The Shape of Water. (Fox Searchlight)

Assembly Hall

Visitors will be directed on a self-guided tour of the hall,as well as the historic grounds, buildings and underground tunnels ofHumberCollege'sLakeshore campus.

Animated stations on the tourwill revealfilm secrets, behind-the-scenes insightand location details. Among the films and television shows to be highlighted are cult-classics Police Academyand Strange Brew andrecent hitsSuicide Squadand The Handmaid's Tale.

Recent blockbuster Suicide Squad was filmed in multiple locations in Toronto. (Clay Enos/DC Comics/Warner Bros. Entertainment)

R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant

Built in the 1930s, this water treatment plant continues toprovide clean water to Toronto and York residents. Ithas beenused as alocation for many films, includingOrphan Black,Undercover Brother, and Strange Brew.

Through aself-guided tour, guests can explore the architectural features of the two largest buildings at the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant and plant staff will be available to answer questions about the treatment process and the building itself.

Daytime photo of the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant in Toronto. Built in the art-deco style, it looms over Lake Ontario and is surrounded by lush green lawns.
The R.C. Harris grounds have been featured in a number of films and television shows. (John Rieti/CBC)

Along with highlighting buildings that have been featured in television and film, this year'sDoors Open Torontoincludes access to more than100 other buildings, film screenings, exhibits,walking tours and more.