Manhattanville University serves as background and inspiration for films and television shows

From Hollywood films to acclaimed television shows, Manhattanville University has quietly built a reputation as a sought-after filming location. With its picturesque grounds and historic architecture (including the iconic Reid Castle), the campus offers filmmakers a setting that can convincingly stand in for everything from a college campus to a Gilded Age mansion. 

Recently, HBO's acclaimed period drama The Gilded Age chose Reid Castle as one of its filming locations. Producers were drawn to the castle's authentic late-19th-century architecture and interiors. Manhattanville’s Reid Castle provided genuine historical character that cannot easily be recreated on a soundstage.   

The Gilded Age isn’t the only television show that’s filmed at Manhattanville. Boardwalk Empire and Law & Order: SVU have also filmed scenes at Manhattanville.  

The film The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) filmed scenes at Manhattanville and also featured a character with a Manhattanville connection. The 2013 feature film Admission, starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd, filmed numerous scenes at Manhattanville. Production crews spent weeks on campus, using Reid Castle and several of its interior spaces, including administrative offices, to help bring the story to life. HBO's TV adaptation of The Time Traveler's Wife (2022) also used Manhattanville as a filming location. 

Manhattanville's connection to film and television extends beyond serving as a backdrop.  

In the film The Funeral (1996), one of the main characters mentions graduating from Manhattanville.   

Richard Rodgers visited Manhattanville's Pius X School of Liturgical Music (1918–1969) in 1959 to conduct research for The Sound of Music. He was so moved that he was inspired to write the song “The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music.”  

Jonathan Tropper, the bestselling author, screenwriter, and creator of the Apple TV+ series Your Friends & Neighbors, formerly taught fiction writing at Manhattanville University. In 2008, he told the New York Times that he would work on his novels in the library at Manhattanville. While the series was not filmed on campus, Tropper's connection to the University reflects Manhattanville's role in nurturing creativity and storytelling both in and beyond the classroom.  

Whether appearing on screen in productions or contributing to a story behind the scenes, Manhattanville University continues to leave its mark in theaters, on television screens, and across streaming platforms.