Heartland has been mostly shot in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and surrounding areas, including High River, for its on–location shots.
Heartland is CBC’s longest running one-hour drama series in the channel’s and Canadian television history.
Since first debuting in 2007, the nuclear family drama series has fifteen seasons to date. Fans now await the confirmation of a season 16 release date, which has yet to be announced by the channel.
However, for new fans of the Canadian series, who may have been introduced to the series following its availability on Netflix, one of the biggest questions is: what location is the series shot at?
The answer would be where most Canadian film productions go, Calgary in Alberta. In Calgary, there is a studio where the interiors are shot, while most of the exteriors are shot in High River.
What is Heartland?
Heartland, having first premiered on CBC in October 2007, was developed for television by Murray Shostak.
Moreover, the premise of the series, according to IMDb is, “A multi-generational saga set in Alberta, Canada and centred on a family getting through life together in both happy and trying times.”
In the title role is Amber Marshall as Amy Fleming, the initially rebellious teenager that is brought to the ranch to learn responsibility.
In the 15 seasons that follow, she becomes a mother, wife and leader of the ranch. The series currently has 15 seasons, and season 16 has yet to be confirmed.
Where is Heartland filmed?
It has been confirmed by CBC that Heartland is primarily shot in Calgary, Alberta in Canada. The town is one of the most popular shooting locations in Canada, since it has the feel of a small town, but is big enough to accommodate a film production, as it has a studio.
Besides Heartland, other productions that have been shot in Calgary include The Revenant, Fargo, Interstellar and Brokeback Mountain.
Moreover, while most of the interior scenes are shot in the studio in Calgary, the commonly used location for the exterior location shoots is High River, which is a 30-minute drive south of Calgary. In the story, the town is transformed into Hudson.
The only exterior location which still remains a mystery 15 seasons later is the location of the ranch. It is believed to be a private ranch where access to the public is prohibited.
How Heartland gave back to Calgary
With Heartland having been shot in Calgary for 15 seasons, the show has somewhat become part of the town and contributes to tourism for the city.
Therefore, when the area was flooded in 2013, and Maggie’s Diner, along with other parts of the town were severely damaged, Heartland worked with Calgary Studios to offer paid tours of the sets of the series.
Through the initiative they were able to raise over $80 000 dollars, and this helped the town recover from the effects of the flood.
Can I visit Calgary?
Considering that Calgary is one of the most popular Canadian towns for film and television productions, a big part of the revenue the town receives is from tourism. Therefore, the public can visit the town and Calgary Studios for a tour where Heartland is shot.
However, if you’re looking for an authentic Heartland experience, it is more advisable to visit High River, as this is where most exterior shoots take place.
These tours and visits allow you to physically see the inspiration behind some of the iconic buildings showcased on the show. This includes a museum where some of the memorabilia in the series is kept.
When is Heartland season 16 coming out?
Between October and December of 2021, CBC aired season 15 of Heartland. Moreover, it was finally made available on Netflix for its United Kingdom fans in March 2022, meaning that the series is now widely available to its international fan base.
As a result, fans are waiting to hear news of when season 16 is to be expected. Though, to date, CBC has yet to confirm whether it has greenlit the series for a sixteenth season.
As such, there is no projected release date for season 16 yet. But if the channel follows the standard same-time-each-year release, then the series can be expected to return in Autumn of 2022.
Final thoughts
Heartland is one of the longest-running drama television series in Canadian history and is popular amongst local viewers.
In more recent years, the series has received a new and more international fan base as the show was made more widely available on Netflix.
Fans of the show are most interested in finding out more about where the location is that the story takes place.
Interestingly, Heartland is shot where most film and television productions are shot in Canada – Calgary, Alberta, and surrounding areas, including High River for its exterior shots.
