Where Was “American Rust” Filmed?

Love Showtime series and are now wondering, where was “American Rust” filmed? We get it! This captivating crime series takes viewers through plenty of drama, with a corner of the Rust Belt as its setting. We’re going to take you on a tour of some of the most memorable filming locations from the show and see where we think the second season may be shooting.

Be sure to make it to the end, where we provide an “American Rust”-inspired filming location from Peerspace that you can rent for yourself! Peerspace has thousands of filming locations and production studios available right at your fingertips, so we’re excited to show you what we found. In the meantime, let’s go ahead and discover some more familiar locations from “American Rust”!

What is “American Rust”?

Fans of the show “American Rust” have been happy to hear that the show has survived cancellation and is being revived for a second season. The slow-burning mystery of the first season kept people coming back to the run-down steel town that serves as the backdrop for all of the show’s drama.

Based on the novel of the same name by Phillip Meyer, the show stars Jeff Daniels as Del Harris, the chief of police in a small Rust Belt town called Buell, who has to investigate a murder in which the suspect is the son of the woman he loves. Part of what makes the show so unique is the Rust Belt setting, which provides a little-seen side of America and begs the question among viewers, “Where was ‘American Rust’ filmed?”

Love Showtime? Then be sure to also catch where they film “Shameless”!

Is Buell, Pennsylvania a real place?

Before we get started on some of the locations from the movie, we should first establish whether or not Buell, Pennsylvania is a real place.

It turns out that while the town of Buell itself is not a real place, it takes place in the very real Fayette County, located in Western Pennsylvania. An article in the Pittsburgh City Paper says that the county has the nickname “Fayette-nam” because of its reputation of being gutted by declining industry and manufacturing.

They go on to say that the author of the novel, Phillip Meyer, actually grew up in Baltimore, but felt that Fayette County was a more appropriate location for the story he was looking to tell. Now that we know a bit about the inspiration for Buell, we can move on to answering the question: where was “American Rust” filmed?

Did they actually film “American Rust” in Pennsylvania?

Just because the story takes place in the Rust Belt doesn’t necessarily mean that the production filmed in Western Pennsylvania. Many television shows and movies find different locations that better suit the look of what they need, which often means shooting somewhere other than the actual place the story is set.

In the case of “American Rust,” authenticity was paramount, and the filming of the show took place in and around Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, according to Pittsburgh’s Action News. While it is not exactly filmed in Fayette County, the area where the production chose is very similar and had better filming infrastructure.

We now know that the show was shot around Pittsburgh, but there is still more to cover when answering the question “Where was ‘American Rust’ filmed?”

Notable “American Rust” Pittsburgh filming locations

Before we start branching out to the rest of Allegheny County, we are first going to check out where filming took place in Pittsburgh. An article in The Cinemaholic tells us that the base of operations for filming was the 31st Street Studios, which had ample space for many of the interior sets.

Another notable Pittsburgh location that was used is the Carrie Blast Furnaces. The space was formerly an operational steel mill, but over time has been renovated and is now an arts space and a National Heritage Landmark.

These are especially notable, according to the website for Carrie Blast Furnaces: “Since the collapse of the region’s steel industry in the 1970s and 1980s, these are the only non-operative blast furnaces in the region that remain.”

Next, check out the 10 great movies filmed in Pittsburgh for more production inspiration!

Other Allegheny County “American Rust” filming locations

We’ve been to the big city and seen some of the locations around Pittsburgh that were used, but there are plenty of other places you’ll want to know about if you’ve ever asked the question “Where was ‘American Rust’ filmed?”

In an article by OtakuKart, it is revealed that the production shot quite frequently in the town of Monroeville, keeping a couple of streets closed down for the duration of filming. There are many other towns in Allegheny County that were used to create the fictional town of Buell, including Braddock and McKeesport. It is very rare to find a show or movie that is trying to create a certain distinguishing look for a region by only shooting in one town. The team who made “American Rust” were clearly interested in creating the perfect Buell by using all that Allegheny County had to offer.

As for locations outside of Allegheny County, the production utilized the State Correctional Facility located in nearby Westmoreland County for all of the scenes at the jail.

Find your own “American Rust”-inspired filming location

Fans will be glad to know that “American Rust” is returning to the Pittsburgh area for its second season of filming. An article with CBS Pittsburgh has a quote from showrunner Dan Futterman that shows his dedication to the area. “You can’t do this show anywhere else. It’s a character, the city of Pittsburgh, and also the south of there along the Mon River”. Stay tuned and keep an eye out for some of the locations from the first season when the second one finally airs.

If you’re an aspiring filmmaker or creative, then you know how important it is to film in the right location. That’s where Peerspace comes in! The platform is home to awesome filming locations like the SafeHouse, a cozy industrial loft located near Pittsburgh. There are hundreds of great spots just like this that can help you create an “American Rust”-inspired vibe.

If you’re looking for filming locations, event spaces, and more in Pittsburgh and beyond, be sure to take a look at Peerspace.

Find unique filming locations on Peerspace