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Canada Film Location Road Trip Part 2: Visiting IT and Welcome to Derry Locations

  • 5 hours ago
  • 6 min read


Written by Jaimz Dillman



Mike took a skate break in Ajax, which was part of the sports complex featuring the baseball field and bleachers from IT Chapter Two. Then we were on to Port Hope, also known as Derry.


Rumor is, a supernatural evil lurks here and reappears every 27 years.

After a stop at Tim Hortons to fuel the day, we made our way to roam this cute little town. Once there, you can definitely see why it doubled as a Main Street in Maine. Same vibe and aesthetic, right on the water, with lovely locals.



We took pictures where the pharmacy, antique shop, and butcher took over a general store, bookshop, and thrift store respectively. Some items added for filming still remain. The counter and lights in the thrift store were left from production, and some alleyway artwork is still on the walls.



Most of the storefront signs and the large “Welcome to Derry” sign were gone (or never really existed since some elements were added digitally). A few locations were empty fields or spaces only used for exterior shots, like the movie theater, so pictures were quick to take before moving on.



Even though there is not a lot of signage around boasting the town’s claim to fame, we spoke with a lot of shopkeepers who were more than happy to share their experiences.



We heard about paint that was changed on walls, stores used only for window shots (I indulged in recreating a creepy scene), and how much the locals enjoyed their brush with Hollywood. On the way back to our hotel, we added a stop at the house from Adventures in Babysitting. Dishes are done, man!


Tips for visiting filming locations: have screenshots pulled up from the show or movie you are comparing and take your pictures from the same spot and angle if possible. Ask about filming in the places you visit. We discovered there was a small pamphlet produced by HBO for the town to help visitors find the right areas to snap photos.


Support the local businesses. If you can, buy something from them. It does not have to be anything big. We got a book, a thrifted T shirt, and pizza. That is the best thanks you can give to show your appreciation for these kind folks being a part of something you enjoy.


We woke up to rain on day three which, strangely enough, had us looking for a small break in a curb that served as the infamous storm drain a certain paper boat found its way down.


A lot of movie magic was used to create the space where we meet Pennywise, and subsequently lost Georgie, but you can still get a picture in the neighborhood where they all float down there. Bill and Georgie’s house was nearby, as well as the space used for Stan’s Bar Mitzvah.


Mike went to check out the underpass skatepark seen in DC Titans and skate to the Hockey Hall of Fame, so I took some time to visit a place especially for me… the mall!


Since it was his birthday, we celebrated at Medieval Times and had the best server, Rex. Mike was thoroughly celebrated, and we ended the evening with strawberry shortcake in our room.


The morning of day four greeted us with 69 degree weather and clearer skies than the day before. A little less than an hour later, we pulled into the Rosebud Motel from Schitt’s Creek. There was mixed info online about whether this was an actual functioning place, and we saw it definitely was, but the signage from the show was removed and only the “Motel” sign is left for fans to enjoy.



It is a shame the new owners did not lean into the notoriety of the space, but I guess they are trying to run a business. Tips for these places: they are just doing their day to day stuff. Do not bother anyone, take your pictures from public parking lots or the curb, and go on your merry way.


From there, we moved on to more locations from IT Chapter One and IT Chapter Two and took in Canada’s amazing natural beauty at the Elora Quarry in Elora, Ontario. We were not aware tickets were required to enter, so we had to sort that out online, but after our visit, it was totally worth the ticket price.


A few attendants and security guards knew the spaces we wanted to see and were excited to share info for our shots. And talk about picturesque landscapes! This place was gorgeous in the most beautiful way. Even just a photo on my phone looked like a postcard.


We found the spot where the railing was removed for the jumping scene in IT Chapter One (although jumping for guests is strictly prohibited and enforced) and made our way over to the beach where the Losers Club sunned themselves on the rocks.


Again, this is another location that does not heavily advertise its famous credits, and locals simply enjoy it for the trails, serene surroundings, and lake amenities. We climbed rocks, skipped over creeks, and Mike even braved the outdoor “washroom.” Roughing it at its finest! We both agreed we could have stayed much longer, but left with the quarry high on our favorites list.



Unfortunately, the covered bridge from another scene was under construction, and pictures were difficult to match up with the movie. We did visit the small general store nearby run by the Mennonite community, offering conveniences and freshly made baked goods, canned fruits, and veggies.


We had a bit of a drive heading to Hamilton to find more from IT, including the high school and sanitarium locations.


Remember, when entering private property, be respectful. Get in and get out. The school is still an active place of education, and the sanitarium is unfortunately closed and boarded up. We had a friend who filmed a scene here for the movie, so we sent him some pictures from the parking lot to make sure we found the right spot, and it seems we did.



Now, the best part of our trip happened completely by coincidence.

We went to the theater used for interior shots in Welcome to Derry (first episode, if you know, you know) and arrived perfectly timed between movie showings.

The Westdale is a small, beautifully restored art deco, single screen theater showing throwbacks like Mothra. We caught up with manager Stacy, and she was kind enough to guide us through the theater and show us behind the scenes photos she took during filming.


She also pointed out items the theater was able to keep from production, including new marquee frames and exit curtains. They even had props left like era accurate soda cups and popcorn boxes with the smallest details of the town of Derry printed on the bottom. When I asked if I could take a photo, she surprised us both by gifting the popcorn box to us! Mike was so excited he enthusiastically hugged Stacy… a couple times, and we thanked her again for her kindness.


This small theater is being used again for another filming project in a few weeks, and she said they would definitely welcome HBO back for any future projects because they were great to work with. Exactly what you hope to hear from a small business renting their space to Hollywood.


After a few more stops at exterior home locations from Welcome to Derry and IT, the high school from Derry and the movie Whistle, it was time for dinner.

Not at any random Chinese food buffet. This was The Mandarin, which stood in for Jade of the Orient, where the Losers Club reunited in IT Chapter Two for a planning session on how to stop Pennywise once and for all.


As we found a few other times, some employees were not aware of the location’s famous credits, but one manager knew exactly what spaces we were looking for and even offered to seat us in the same spot from filming by the fish tanks.


We were pretty tired and not very hungry at the moment, so we thanked him for the offer and ordered dinner to go. That way we still supported the restaurant and had something ready once we got back to our hotel.


On the way back, we stopped by the Hanlon home from Welcome to Derry, passed by the hospital entrance from Dawn of the Dead, and called it a day looking forward to our late evening meal.


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