“It’s a Wonderful Life” was filmed entirely in California, mainly on studio sets rather than in a real small town back East.

Main filming locations

  • The bulk of the movie was shot at RKO Radio Pictures Studios in Culver City, California , where many of the interior scenes were built on soundstages.
  • The town of Bedford Falls was created as a huge outdoor set on the 89‑acre RKO movie ranch in Encino, in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles).
  • The Bedford Falls main street set stretched about three city blocks and included dozens of storefronts and houses to sell the illusion of a real town.

Notable real-world spots

  • The famous gym floor that opens to a swimming pool during the Charleston dance scene was filmed at Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California.
  • Some exterior neighborhood shots (such as “Bailey Park”/Martini’s house) were filmed in residential areas around La Cañada Flintridge and other parts of greater Los Angeles.

“Bedford Falls” vs real town

  • The story’s town, Bedford Falls, is fictional but is widely believed to be inspired in part by Seneca Falls, New York , whose bridge and small‑town layout resemble the movie’s look and themes.
  • Despite that inspiration, no scenes were actually shot in New York ; all principal photography took place in California due to the studio system of the 1940s.

TL;DR: “It’s a Wonderful Life” was filmed at RKO’s studios and ranch in Culver City and Encino, California , with key scenes at Beverly Hills High School and other Los Angeles–area neighborhoods, while the look of Bedford Falls was partly inspired by Seneca Falls, New York , even though nothing was shot there.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.