If you're an Office fan, you know that Office love runs deep.
If you're an Office fan and the show's filming locations are basically in your backyard, you pretty much have no other choice but to see them in person.
Episode: "Beach Games" Season 3, Episode 22
Guys, our first stop was real hard to get to. Like, we sweated a lot for these pics. BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. Google Maps took us to a restricted entrance to the Hansen Dam, and a man who saw us walking around offered to let us go through his backyard and then walk a mile or two to the correct spot. We politely declined.
But we eventually got to the correct spot, and, after stumbling through some mud with our precious Dwight bobblehead, we found the location of "Beach Games." You know, the episode where Michael takes the office on a day trip to test them to see which one of them will be the new manager (and when Pam walks over hot coals and bares her soul to everyone and Jim). No, we didn't have 800 hot dogs or sumo suits (none of our friends had any we could borrow), but we did have a red bandana to help us re-create Karen almost falling into the lake. Success.
Episode: "Office Olympics" Season 2, Episode 3 and "Dinner Party" Season 4, Episode 13
Michael's condo (and the one across the street that he thought was his) was protected by an iron gate, so we couldn't take an unobstructed photo until a post office truck arrived and the gates to heaven opened up. We were SO tempted to run past the gate and take photos of these private homes, but we decided to be sane, rational, no-fun citizens and stay on our side of the gates. Although, when they started to close, Ali stuck her hand out to try to keep it open just a liiiiittle longer. (It did not work. Ali could have lost a hand, people.)
While longingly holding on to the gate that wouldn't open for us, we laughed ourselves silly thinking about the most awkward dinner party in the history of dinner parties and wondered if Hunter's CD was still playing somewhere in that house. We also did a quick prayer for Jan and her candle business.
Episode: First seen in "Cocktails" Season 3, Episode 18
To deal with our sadness about not getting closer to Michael's condo, we needed a drink. So we headed to Poor Richard's Pub! (Which is really Pickwick's Pub, located in the glorious Valley.) While we were cooling off at the bar, the bartender pointed out the best decoration in the entire pub: the Poor Richard's Pub mirror that had "Scranton, PA" on it. Dwight the bobblehead's reflection looked great in it.
Episode: Pretty much all of them.
Our fourth stop was Dunder Mifflin in all its glory — or rather, the building that stood in for Dunder Mifflin — and it was THE BEST experience ever. Why? Because that's where we met Casey and Julie, two Office fans who were visiting from Las Vegas. (That really happened.) After we were done obsessing over the show together, we asked them a very important question: Would they like to re-create a scene from The Office with us? AND THEY SAID YES.
So together we re-created the amazing cold open from "The Duel" where everyone goes outside to measure their speed against the speed radar. In the scene, as Michael is running, a car drives up alongside him and greatly "increases" his speed. Everyone knows it's the car, but Michael brags anyway. Classic Michael.
Episode: "Frame Toby" Season 5, Episode 9
Fifth stop: Our favorite couple's home. Sure, Jim totally pulled a noob move and bought the house from his mom without talking to Pam, but we'll forgive him because the outside of this home is really cute. It was definitely more manicured than we remembered it but, hey, a lot has changed over the years.
Then we stood outside the home and cried for five minutes while thinking about the relationship that is Jim and Pam. (JK, we didn't do that. But we definitely were close.)
Episode: "Niagara: Part 2" Season 6, Episode 5
We really wanted to go inside and dance down the aisle to Chris Brown's "Forever," but it was Good Friday and we thought that might be a step too far. Instead we found the spot where Jim admits that he told everyone that Andy's scrotum was torn off. (Clearly a moment that needs to be remembered.)
Obviously the main takeaway here is the fact that Ali is much shorter than John Krasinski. Like, much, much shorter.
Episode: "The Fight" Season 2, Episode 6
Thank god someone was there to let us into the martial arts studio, because inside we found a beautifully framed photo of Steve Carell, which was presumably taken during the amazing episode where Michael tries to prove he's better than Dwight at karate. Dwight bobblehead whispered into our ears and told us he was upset he wasn't asked to be in the original photo so we took a redo for him. He was in a much better mood the rest of the day.
Episode: "Women's Appreciation" Season 3, Episode 21
The Westfield Fashion Square mall in Sherman Oaks doubled for the Mall at Steamtown (a real mall in Scranton, Pennsylvania). Although the mall has gone through some renovations since The Office filmed "Women's Appreciation," we were DELIGHTED that the infamous fountain, where Michael makes wishes for all of his female employees, remained exactly the same. So delighted, in fact, that Casey tried to get in it while getting stares from other shoppers. Zero fucks were given by us.
Then we went into Victoria's Secret with one mission: Find a hot pink bathrobe, which sad Pam used to make hand towels while Karen shopped for sexy lingerie. We did not find a pink robe, but we cheated the shot with a pink pajama suit, and I think we nailed it.
Episode: "Niagara" Season 6, Episodes 4&5
Since Jim and Pam's wedding lasted for two episodes, it was only natural that we got two locations out of it. We ended up at the Sportsmen's Lodge, the hotel where Andy tears his scrotum, Michael hooks up with Pam's mom, and Kevin cools his nasty feet in the ice machine. The space has gone through major remodeling in the time since the episode was shot, but with the help of some awesome hotel staff, we were able to find this staircase in the fictional hotel's lobby. We wanted to find Pam's room, but we are not THAT creepy, you guys. JK — they wouldn't let us upstairs.
Episode: "Phyllis's Wedding" Season 3, Episode 15
Because one church just isn't enough, we ended up at the church used for Phyllis and Bob's wedding.* Because it was still Good Friday and we didn't want to be obnoxious, we just found the courtyard where depressed Michael sat after being kicked out of the wedding. All that was missing were the twinkly lights and a missing uncle.
*Fun fact: Many years ago, Casey accidentally stumbled across this episode being filmed and sat across the street for an awkward amount of time until someone working on the show came over and said, "If I give you a signed autograph from the cast, will you go away?" She took that deal.
Episode: "Michael's Birthday" Season 2, Episode 19
And, finally, we ended up at the location of Michael's birthday party where good ol' Kevin found out he did not have skin cancer. We were too tired to ice skate (and all of the really good kid ice skaters intimidated us), but we did try to find the bleachers that Michael sat on during the episode.
Mission accomplished!
