School’s in session for California once again as Abbot Elementary season two returns from break.
Abbott Elementary is an Emmy-winning, mockumentary series set in the inner city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The smash ABC sitcom follows Janine Teagues, (Quinta Brunson,) an over-eager second-grade teacher, and Gregory Eddie, played by Jesse Tyler Williams, a substitute turned full-time teacher, as they navigate all the highs and lows of the school system.
The cast also includes a quirky boss, Ava played by Janelle James, and fellow elementary teachers played by Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walters and Chris Perfetti. Read up on the area of California used to create downtown Philadelphia for both seasons of Abbott Elementary, there may be a pop quiz.
SPOILER WARNING!
Los Angeles California
Abbott Elementary is sadly not a real school. The entirety of the hyper-realistic classrooms, hallways and even the parking lot featured in the freshman and sophomore seasons of the series are all part of a set created at Warner Brother Studios in Los Angeles, California.
The Warner Brother Studios are no stranger to smash hits or mockumentaries as the Friends set and parts of NBC’s The Office were filmed there. The studio, according to its website, offers tours of theirs sets including Abbott Elementary (pictured above.) The Hollywood Tour, the most popular tour, has tickets starting at $69 for a adults and includes “ABOUT 1 HOUR GUIDED + 2 HOURS UNGUIDED, SHOPPING AND DINING.”
The Andrew Hamilton School
The Andrew Hamilton School in Philadelphia is the school that Abbott is based on, the staff includes the inspiration behind the namesake of the series, Ms. Abbott herself. Quinta – who in addition to starring in the sitcom, also serves as writer and producer – was one of Ms. Abbott’s sixth-grade students. While the school and its teachers have received a massive amount of recognition from the success following the show’s premiere, The Andrew Hamilton School is still an institution for learning, not a tourist attraction, so students and families can still enjoy the time there in peace.
Pictured is the garden that seems to be the inspiration for Gregory’s side project.
The Descanso Gardens
The Descanso Gardens serves as The Philadelphia Zoo in the field trip episode in season one’s finale. This episode features a break up between Janine and her long-time boyfriend Tariq (Zach Fox) and gives a glimmer of the blooming crush between Gregory and Janine. Located in downtown LA, The Descanso Gardens “is a place of year-round natural beauty, with internationally renowned botanical collections and spectacular seasonal horticultural displays. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums as a museum of living collections, Descanso Gardens welcomes more than 750,000 visitors annually.”
The gardens was modeled after The Philadelphia Zoo for the filming of that episode. The producers tried to recreate little details of the zoo for Abbott to enjoy, but keep reading to judge the differences for yourself.
The Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo is another real-life location that the series uses as inspiration. Located again in Philadelphia, this zoo is known as America’s First Zoo, offering everything from lions to tigers to lemurs, oh my! Unfortunately, the zoo is closed to the public so no life-changing field trips can be taken until February 2nd, 2023.
Stream “Abbott Elementary” season one and two now!
