Admissions

When people think of New York, they often immediately think of New York City. And we get it: There’s a lot to love about the five boroughs three hours south of us. 

But that said, we wouldn’t relocate Siena’s peaceful upstate suburban campus if we had the choice. 

Because the truth is: Upstate NY is seriously cool, and continues to get more exciting every year. New restaurants from NYC chefs who are moving north, new entertainment centers, world-renowned headliners at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), and beautiful new shops around every corner. Upstate NY is a mood. These t-shirts are everywhere.

In fact, in recent years especially, Upstate NY has become a major hub for production companies. These movies were filmed in the Capital Region, and these 10 TV shows below cameoed in the Capital Region and beyond. Check it out:

  1. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017). The Golden Globe Award-winning series filmed scenes for season 2 in the Southern Tier, just 20 minutes from Siena.
  2. Escape at Dannemora (2018). Directed by Ben Stiller, this Showtime series tells the true story of the 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility prison escape in Dannemora. Many of the scenes were filmed at the real-life locations in Upstate New York. 
  3. The Punisher (2017). Starring Jon Bernthal from The Walking Dead, this Marvel spin-off filmed significant parts of its 2nd season in downtown Albany. 
  4. Modern Love (2019). In the 1st season of this Amazon Prime series, the show featured a star-studded cast including Anne Hathaway, Tina Fey, Andy Garcia and Dev Patel. Opportunities for celebrity sightings just minutes from our campus were endless, as the show filmed at Albany’s Washington Park, the Monument Square area in Troy and at the Dame Bishop Gibbons School in Schenectady. 
  5. The Gilded Age (2021). Ever heard of Downton Abbey? The Gilded Age is Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes’ latest series for HBO. Set in 1880s NYC, scenes were filmed in Troy just minutes from Siena’s campus. The historical transformation was amazing to watch—dirt roads and all.
  6. The White House Plumbers (2022). HBO’s upcoming 5-part political drama miniseries about the Watergate scandal is set to begin filming in downtown Albany later this year—and will bring some big stars to the area, like Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux. 
  7. Hyperdrive (2019). Many scenes were shot at the Rochester Eastman Business Park property for the Netflix race car reality TV series. The Executive Producer of this show? None other than A-lister Charlize Theron. 
  8. Manifest (2018). In the NBC series about a missing plane (now on Netflix), scenes were shot at Stewart International Airport. The production company even sought out locals to play as extras for the TV pilot. 
  9. Succession (2018). Season 2 of this fantastically written HBO drama included scenes filmed at Six Flags Great Escape in Queensbury and the Legislative Building in Albany.
  10. The Sinner (2017). With Jessica Biel and Bill Pullman as the main characters, the 4th season of this crime series will be primarily filmed around the town of Lunenburg. 

Intrigued by the buzz surrounding our neck of the woods? We suggest you see it for yourself and visit Siena!