Heartland Alberta locations start in High River, the foothills town that has stood in for the fictional town of Hudson since the CBC family drama premiered on October 14, 2007. Calgary does its share too, with studio interiors and neighbourhoods like Inglewood.
Here’s a detail we love. The producers first planned to shoot in Quebec, then Brokeback Mountain, filmed in Alberta, made them reconsider. Good call. The show has been rooted in this province ever since.
You can see the proof for yourself. Downtown High River is Hudson, Maggie’s Diner is a permanent set, and the Museum of the Highwood keeps Heartland props on display. Millarville Racetrack turns up on screen as well. The main ranch is private property, so enjoy it from the couch and leave the gate alone. High River even shows up in an archive of Superman filming photos.
The scale is something to cheer about. The series has reached families in more than 119 countries, and CBC calls it the longest-running one-hour drama in Canadian television history. When season 15 began production in June 2021, the cameras rolled in Calgary, High River, Millarville and Longview, and that season opener was the 225th episode overall.
If Calgary on screen is your thing, our Inglewood story about Fargo and the Last of Us piece will feel familiar, and set in Calgary versus shot in Calgary explains why those details matter.
So pick a sunny weekend, drive south to High River, and have a coffee near Maggie’s. Then stream an episode and spot the street you just walked.
Related reading from us: One Yellow Rabbit Turned Calgary January Into a Rodeo and Shanghai Noon Turned Drumheller Into Nevada.
Quick answers
Heartland is filmed in Alberta, mainly in and around High River, which plays the fictional town of Hudson. Crews also shoot at Millarville Racetrack and in Calgary neighbourhoods such as Inglewood, and interior scenes are filmed in a Calgary studio.
Heartland premiered on CBC on October 14, 2007. It is based on the books by Lauren Brooke, follows a multi-generational family on an Alberta ranch, and is produced by Dynamo Films and SEVEN24 Films, so a rewatch with a map open is a fine plan.
You can visit Maggie’s Diner, a permanent set in High River, and see Heartland props at the Museum of the Highwood. The main ranch is private property and is not open to the public, so plan your trip around High River.
Sources: CBC Media Centre, The Canadian Encyclopedia, Travel Alberta.
