Garrett Graham Was Here: An "Off Campus" Fan’s Guide to Vancouver

Let me start with something that might surprise you if you haven’t heard it yet.

Briar University is supposed to be in Massachusetts, but it isn’t a real place. Massachusetts is beautiful, though, and Cape Cod is definitely worth visiting if you want to see it like the Briar crew did. Beau’s summer home from that unforgettable Episode 2 birthday party is exactly the vibe you want. I plan full trips, not just hotels, so if Cape Cod is on your mind after this, I can help.

And before you go booking a New York trip to track down Dean’s apartment, keep reading. That one is closer than you think.

The campus where all the scenes were filmed where Garrett practiced, where Hannah bumped into him after the shower incident, and where their story began is actually the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. You can explore the whole place yourself.

There is something that happens when you visit a place you know from a story. You are not just a tourist. You know what happened in these hallways, on these ice rinks, at this bar. The locations carry the scenes with them, and being there in person does something to you that no amount of rewatching can replicate. You will feel it the moment you step onto that campus.

The campus: University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia, or UBC, is Briar. All of it. The campus scenes, the academic buildings, the quad moments, the hallways where Hannah and Garrett were anything but subtle about their arrangement that was quietly becoming something very real. UBC stood in for everything, and it is stunning in a way that makes you understand why the production chose it.

Three specific spots are worth knowing before you visit:

• The Irving K. Barber Learning Center is one of the main campus buildings used for interior shots, and it's just as beautiful in person as it is on screen. Its architecture gives off that classic university feel, making Briar seem like a real place with real history.

• The Chan Center for the Performing Arts is where the music happens. If you're a Hannah Wells fan, this spot will feel special. The performing arts spaces here are amazing, and standing in them, knowing this is where her story was filmed, is a real experience.

• The Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Center is the Off Campus hockey rink, home to the UBC Thunderbirds, and one of the places where the Briar Hawks' practice scenes were filmed. This is Garrett Graham's ice. You're welcome.

UBC is also home to the Sigma Phi Delta fraternity house, which stood in for the guys' off-campus house where the show brought both its excitement and its heart. The scenes here weren't just about hockey or the team hanging out. They were about a group of people becoming something to each other. You can feel that energy just by standing outside.

As you walk around the campus, think about how much of Garrett and Hannah's story happened right here. The slow build, the moments where something was clearly shifting between them and neither of them was ready to say it out loud. So much of what made their connection feel real was rooted in this campus, in passing each other in these hallways, in the tension of two people circling something they had not named yet. Walking these paths with all of that in your head hits differently than you expect.

Malone’s: The Heatley

If you've read the books, you know Malone's. It's where Hannah worked, where the team hung out, and where many of the show's best moments happened in a bar booth. The real Malone's is The Heatley, a neighborhood pub and live music spot in Strathcona, East Vancouver.

It looks exactly like you want it to look. Unpretentious, local, the kind of place that has character without trying to have character. Go for a drink. Sit in a booth. Order something. Picture Hannah juggling her two jobs, her arrangement with Garrett, and her showcase, and somehow keeping it all together. She really had a lot going on.

Strathcona is one of Vancouver's most interesting neighborhoods, with an arts and music scene that truly feels alive. Take some time to walk around before or after your visit.

The hockey: Pacific Coliseum

The big hockey scenes and arena moments were filmed at Pacific Coliseum in Hastings Park. If you've seen the show, you know how important hockey is to Garrett's relationship with his father, the pressure of leading his team, and the fact that the final game happens alongside Hannah's showcase in the finale. That moment is where everything comes together, and you realize the ice was about more than just hockey. It's where Garrett and Hannah finally committed to each other, openly and honestly. Standing in that building with all of this in mind feels different until you're actually there.

Pacific Coliseum has a long history as a sports and entertainment venue in Vancouver, and the building has that classic old arena vibe the show captured so well.

If Garrett Graham made you love hockey like he did for Hannah, Vancouver is a great place to enjoy it. The Vancouver Canucks play at Rogers Arena ‌downtown, and if you're here during the season, catching a game is truly worth it. There's nothing like watching real hockey in a real arena in a city that cares about the sport. Hannah would totally get it.

Photo courtesy of the Douglas Hotel

Dean’s apartment: The Douglas

This is the spot. The Thanksgiving apartment scenes, the ones that really showed who Dean Di Laurentis is, were filmed inside The Douglas Autograph Collection Hotel. And you can actually stay there. Every aspect of our hotel is crafted to tell a story, from the local art in their modern rooms and suites to their rooftop urban park, an extension of the awe-inspiring nature that surrounds the hotel.

Yes, you read that right. The hotel that played Dean's New York apartment is a real place where you can actually stay. The interiors are just as beautiful as they look on screen, with a stylish luxury that matches Dean's character. It's in downtown Vancouver, close to everything else in this guide.

The Douglas is where this trip becomes more than a location tour. It becomes an experience. You are not just visiting where the show was filmed. You are living inside it, at least for a few nights. And if you really want to commit to the moment, find a chessboard and sit down for a game. Dean and Allie fans will know exactly why. For any Off Campus fan, there is no better place to base yourself.

Vancouver beyond Briar

Vancouver is worth more than just a filming locations tour, so if you're coming, make sure to spend some time really experiencing the city.

Stanley Park is one of the world's best urban parks: 1,000 acres of old-growth forest by the water, with mountain views that don't feel real until you see them. Granville Island has a public market, unique shops, and a waterfront vibe that shows why people move here and never want to leave.

The food scene here is excellent, especially if you love Japanese or Pacific Northwest cuisine. Gastown is the place to go for dinner and evening plans; it's historic, beautiful, and easy to walk around.

Vancouver offers outdoor adventures most cities can only dream of. There are mountains for hiking in summer, skiing in winter, and kayaking on the water all year. If you have extra time, explore beyond the city.

Planning your Briar era trip

The filming locations are spread out across Vancouver, but you can see them all in a few days. Two or three days is enough for the full tour: UBC in the morning, Strathcona in the afternoon, The Heatley at night, Pacific Coliseum if there's an event, and The Douglas as your home base.

If you want to see more of British Columbia, Whistler is two hours north and definitely worth the trip. Victoria is a ferry ride away and offers a completely different kind of beauty.

Bring the book. Watch the show again on your flight. Before you land, pull up the Off Campus soundtrack on Spotify and hit play. The music will bring you right back into every scene and feeling you're about to experience in real life. One personal tip: Listen to Remi Wolf's "Soup." If you know, you know. If not, you're about to find out.

One last thing: Garrett Graham was here.

Now it's your turn.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Vancouver page.