The new Netflix show “Locke & Key” revolves around the mysteries hidden inside this grand old mansion. The magical ancestral family home is known as Keyhouse, and today I’m giving you the tour with all the scoop on how they created it and where the show was filmed (hint: it’s not really in Massachusetts!).
“Locke & Key” is based on the popular comic book series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. It’s about Nina Locke and her three children, Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode, who move across the country in search of a fresh start after their father’s murder.
To say they get more than they bargained for after moving into this long-abandoned mansion would be an understatement.
The kids soon discover that their father’s childhood home comes with magical keys that are hidden around the property. But the magic and long-held secrets the keys reveal unleash powers they never could’ve imagined.
Take a look!
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The Keyhouse in “Locke & Key” on Netflix
You know this isn’t going to be your average family home when they arrive at the front gates.
“Locke & Key” is set in the fictional small town of Matheson, Massachusetts,
but the filming locations were actually in Canada. The exterior of Keyhouse was built in Toronto,
and interiors were created on a soundstage at Toronto’s Cinespace Film Studios.
Fancy Pants Homes reports:
Most of the filming took place in Lunenburg — a port town on the South Shore of Nova Scotia — and in Toronto, Canada.
And while many of the homes in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, are fairly similar to the one in the show, apparently Keyhouse manor was mostly CGI.
When you see the house onscreen, it does have a kind of “unreal” quality about it.
But that kind of suits the show, since Keyhouse is based on the artwork in a comic book series and is supposed to be magical.
With all of the supernatural goings on in this place, it would’ve been difficult to use a real house for a lot of those scenes.
My guess, based on other TV and movie houses I’ve researched like this, is that the first floor with the front porch were real structures built for the show, and the upper stories were added later with special effects. Hence the reports that it was “mostly CGI.”
When they pull up to the house for the first time, Tyler says, “It’s bigger than the pictures. Also a little more Norman Bates.”
Not only does he have a point, but it made me laugh because Carlton Cuse, one of the show’s creators and producers, also produced the series Bates Motel.
The Entry Hall and Staircase in Keyhouse
This show immediately reminded me of “The Haunting of Hill House,” another “family horror story” that revolves around an old mansion that would be hard to get a good night’s sleep in.
So I found it interesting to learn that Meredith Averill, one of the creators and producers of “Locke & Key,” was also an EP on “Haunting of Hill House.”
I would say that “Locke & Key” isn’t as grim, however. It has more warmth, and a lot of heart. As good as “Hill House” was, I enjoyed this one more because it was more hopeful and less depressing.
Like “Hill House,” Keyhouse has a grand staircase in the entry hall.
When they first step inside the house, Nina says, “These floors are original!”
Her late husband’s brother Duncan, who is giving them the tour, says, “Oh, it’sall original.”
He’s been the caretaker of the mansion, but because “it wasn’t a happy place to grow up,” he’s spent as little time here as possible over the years.
The Keyhouse Drawing Room
Gabriel Rodriguez, who did the artwork for the comic book series, was trained as an architect. He says he treated the design of Keyhouse in the books as an architectural challenge from the beginning.
He wanted it to be unique, “as uneven and unsymmetrical as possible, from every point of view. From thereI did the actual blueprints as an actual architectural project. So we could have these highly detailed battlegrounds for all the action that was going to happen later, and to figure out how many places we have to explore for the story.”
But it was also important to make sure it felt like a real place: “I think one of the things that makes Locke and Key such a compelling story is that there are grounded elements of the story that are rooted in reality. So when you add the fantasy element, it gets sort of a huge contrast on that.
“I did entire research for the kind of architecture we were going to use and the kind of house we were going to try to make. With all of that as a reference, I was able to make a detailed design of the blueprints and all the elements.”
The Winter Study in Keyhouse
When Uncle Duncan gives them the tour and tells them the Winter Study has books on every topic imaginable, the kids are less than impressed.
I was, though. I’d love to have a Winter Study with bookshelves like these.
Or even, as Scot says when he gets the tour, an “Autumnal Study.”
The Keyhouse Great Room
Duncan (Aaron Ashmore) tells them who’s who in the portrait gallery on the wall of the Great Room, starting with Devon Locke and ending with “Phoebe, Chandler, and Monica.”
The Great Room is one of the cozier family spaces in the house where they spend time together by the fire.
Director Michael Morris told Decider that when he pitched the look for central location Keyhouse, he aimed to make it, “dilapidated, but not menacing.”
He says he didn’t want it to be as dark and creepy as the one in “The Haunting of Hill House,” for example. You can see my post about “Hill House” to compare the two:
Keyhouse might be dusty and outdated, but they wanted to signal
that “not everything we discover here is going to be unpleasant.”
The Keyhouse Kitchen
The kitchen may not have been updated in decades, but it’s charming and warm
with stained-glass skylights and an enormous gas range.
The floor plans designed for the comic-book version wouldn’t work for the sets, so they had to be redesigned to be more workable for filming.
Cuse told CBR.com, “When we adapted it for production, we had to make it really functional and practical. So the layout of the rooms, it was important to create these traffic patterns, these circularities so you could actually follow the characters. It was certainly something practical I learned on the Psycho house in Bates Motel, just kind of thinking how you move actors from space to space.”
“We built the exterior of the house in Toronto. And then we built the interior and we wanted to make sure the way the rooms were laid out on stage allowed for the characters to move easily [within] the various spaces.”
“The essence of it all came from Gabriel’s design. The emotional goal was to make it feel inviting… there are a lot of incredible details in Keyhouse that will pay off down the stream.”
Rory Cheyne was the Production Designer for the project.
According to an interview with Director Michael Morris, “Cheyne went above and beyond to create the look of the house, even down to hiding the KH initials of Keyhouse throughout the wood moldings around the set.”
The attention to detail in every room is amazing, from the vintage light fixtures to the stained-glass windows.
Nina’s Bedroom
Darby Stanchfield plays Nina, the grieving widow of Rendell Locke, who thought that moving to his long-abandoned childhood home would help her learn more about his past.
Instead, there seem to be new questions about him facing her at every turn.
How well did she really know her husband after all?
Bode’s Bedroom
The Upstairs Landing
The Town of Matheson in Massachusetts
In the books, the town is called Lovecraft, but it was changed to Matheson for the show.
It’s really the coastal town of Lunenburg, in Nova Scotia.
According to an article in Decider:
Located South of Halifax in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia (and about a 12 hour drive from central Massachusetts), Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with most of the buildings preserved in the same state they were in from the 18th and 19th centuries. That’s thanks to a decision by UNESCO in 1995 stating that Lunenburg showed off one of the best examples of what British colonialism looked like, in the modern day.
In the comics, the history of Keyhouse stretches all the way back to the Revolutionary War. And even if the location is Canadian, instead of American, getting the colonial period right is probably a good start.
The ominous Drowning Caves that play a big role in the series were also filmed in Lunenburg.
The Matheson Academy
The scenes for the Matheson High School were filmed at Humber College
on the shores of Lake Ontario, west of Toronto. (Source: iNews UK.)
The show is based on the popular comic book series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
and you can see what the house looked like in it here (scroll down on that page).
Amazon affiliate link
One of the design inspirations for the house was Bluenose Lodge, an historic inn in Lunenburg,
and you can see the similarities to it if you click over to their website, although this one’s bigger.
“Keyhouse is absolutely a character. It’s the lead, in many ways.” -Director Michael Morris
These photos are screenshots I took while watching the first season of “Locke & Key” on Netflix.
They haven’t announced whether there will be a second season of the show yet, but I’ve got my fingers crossed. After the cliffhanger at the end of this one, I want to see what happens next!
2021 Update: The second season is now streaming on Netflix.
For more information about Keyhouse in “Locke & Key:”
- 25 Details You May Have Missed (Insider)
- Interview with Comic Book Artist Gabriel Rodriguez (CBR.com)
- Interview with Director Michael Morris (Decider)
- Filming Locations Guide (Atlas of Wonders)
Check to see others I’ve featured, listed A-Z,
including “The Haunting of Hill House.”
Are you hooked on houses? More to tour:
- “The Golden Girls” House Is For Sale: See Inside!
- Inside the Real Beach House from “Grace and Frankie”
- The Haunted House in the Sitcom “Ghosts”
- The Caldwell Family’s House in the Christmas Movie “Happiest Season”
- Mystery Solved: Harlan Thrombey’s Mansion in “Knives Out”
FAQs
What does the keyhouse key do in Locke and Key? ›
The Ghost Key
The first is that it can only ever be used on one door in Keyhouse, and that it must remain open the whole time the spirit and the body have been separated because if it shuts you'll be trapped indefinitely — appearing dead to whoever finds you.
Tracking down Locke & Key manor & filming locations
And while many of the homes in Lunenburg look a lot like it, Keyhouse manor is mostly CGI. That's right. Realistic as it may seem, Keyhouse doesn't exist in real life, and every scene that featured the manor was shot at the Cinespace Film Studios.
Keyhouse Manor is a Manor House, located in the seaside town of Lovecraft, Massachusetts. It is the ancestral home of the Locke children. The manor has been owned by the Locke family since its construction.
What is the strongest key in Locke and Key? ›Not only is the Omega Key the original of the entire set, it's also the most powerful. Whomever is in possession of the Omega Key can use it to open the Black Door in the sea caves.
Why can only Duncan make keys? ›Even without the Riffel Rule, Duncan is unable to remember the existence of magic given his memories were removed by the Head Key due to witnessing a traumatizing event. It's later revealed that Duncan is one of very few people known to have made new keys, having created the Memory and Demon Keys.
Who built keyhouse? ›Peter Locke was a member of the Locke family. Little is known about him, only that he was the one who built Keyhouse Manor in the summer of 1750. He has never been shown in the comics but was mentioned in The Guide to Keyhouse.
Where is keyhouse located? ›Set in the fictional town of Matheson, Massachusetts, Locke and Key was filmed in Toronto and in the colorful town of Lunenburg in Nova Scotia. However, the Keyhouse, the ancestral home of the Locke family, filled with intriguing doors and magic keys, doesn't exist in the real world.
Is Matheson Massachusetts a real place? ›Is Matheson a real place? Where is it filmed? Netflix's Locke and Key series takes place in the fictional town of Matheson, Massachusetts, which is based on the (equally fictitious) setting from the comic books, Lovecraft – named after horror writer HP Lovecraft.
Who was the monster girl in Locke & Key? ›It is played by Erica Pickering.
What is the monster in Locke and Key? ›You may be looking for Kinsey's Fear from the Netflix adaptation. Kinsey Locke's Fear is a small monster created when Kinsey Locke removed it from her head with the Head Key. After being removed, together with Kinsey's Tears, Kinsey becomes completely fearless and without sadness.
Is Season 3 The last season of Locke and Key? ›
At the time of writing, Locke and Key has not been renewed for a fourth season. Given the ending though, that's hardly surprising. At the start of this year, Netflix and the creators came out to tell us that this would be the third and final series.
How old is Bode Locke and Key? ›Born on September 18, 2008, Bode actor Jackson Robert Scott is only 13 right now. He plays the youngest Locke child, so that makes sense.
Is Locke and Key based on a true story? ›The Netflix original series Locke and Key is based on a series of comic books. The comics were written by Joe Hill and illustrated by artist Gabriel Rodriguez and published between 2008-2013. The characters and storylines stay true to the comics, with some of the details being switched up for the series.
Is Locke and Key related to Haunting of Hill house? ›He was executive producer on Bates Motel, while fellow Locke & Key executive producer Meredith Averill worked on The Haunting of Hill House.
What key did Eden find? ›Captain Gideon took the Anywhere Key from Eden, but he left behind the Echo Key - which, in truth, he didn't even know exists. Eden had used the Echo Key to enter the well-house and summon him, but now it has been unlocked, and anyone can enter it and create an echo by simply saying the name of someone who has died.
Why can't Dodge take the keys? ›The keys are "loyal" to the Lockes and Dodge can't take them without permission.
Who is the other ghost in Locke and Key? ›Sam Lesser is a major antagonist in Netflix's Locke & Key, serving as the secondary antagonist of it's first season, a minor anti-hero in it's second season, and a supporting anti-hero in it's third season.
Who Has the ghost key? ›In the comic, the Ghost Key is in the possession of the Cenobite Pinhead.
How did Eden get the Anywhere key? ›At Bode's request, Tyler lends him the Anywhere Key so that he can go visit Rufus in Nebraska, trading him the Hercules Key for it. Javi later gets the key and Eden eventually gets the key back from him by killing him and then shoving him through a door to the desert.
Why can't demons take keys from the Lockes? ›The keys have a supernatural type of ownership with the Lockes. Demons such as Dodge are unable to take the keys from the Lockes by force, and must be willingly given to them. This principle was exclusive to demons, as humans outside the Locke family could also take these keys without asking for permission.
What does the Omega Key do? ›
Like many keys, The Omega Key simply opens up a door. It's just that the door it opens up is The Black Door in the caves near the house. Rendell and his friends first used the key when they were children, unwittingly opening up a portal for demons to enter into our world.
What is the alpha key? ›Uses. When a person is possessed by a demon, the Alpha Key has the power to separate the demon from the host's soul. When the Alpha Key is near the host's chest, a lock appears on their chest and when the Alpha Key is inserted and turned, the demon materializes inside the host and turns into Whispering Iron.
Who owns the house in Locke and Key? ›Welcome to Keyhouse manor
The manor, which has been owned by the Locke family for generations, becomes the central figure in the story, its doors opening to other dimensions and fantastical places.
'Locke & Key' actually isn't filmed in the United States.
The aforementioned Radio Times report notes that interior shots set in the Drowning Caves were filmed at Cinescape. Exterior shots of the Drowning Caves were filmed in Lunenberg, a town located in Nova Scotia.
Locke and Key is set in the fictional town of Matheson in the very real state of Massachusetts, but the show is actually filmed in Canada. The town itself is actually a small port town called Lunenberg in Nova Scotia, while the majority of scenes set outside the town itself are filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
How many keys are there on Locke and Key? ›But we're willing to bet that you may not actually remember — or even understand — exactly what all 12 keys collected by Bode (Jackson Robert Scott), Tyler (Connor Jessup) and Kinsey (Emilia Jones), and a few by Dodge (Laysla De Oliveira), do.
What year does Locke and Key take place? ›In 1988, a group of teenagers, having used the keys extensively in their high school years to their great delight, decide to open the black door with the Omega Key, hoping to trick a demon into entering the real world in order to provide more metal with which to make more keys.
Where is Haven filmed in Nova Scotia? ›Images of Haven are mainly derived from the town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, which is one of the main locations where the series is filmed, along with the village of Chester, Nova Scotia, which provides many of the shop fronts used in the series.
Are Kinsey and Tyler twins? ›Kinsey Locke is the daughter of Rendell and Nina Locke, and the sister of Tyler and Bode Locke.
Why does Dodge look like a woman? ›In short, Dodge is actually a boy named Lucas (Felix Mallard), who is using one of the keys to switch his appearance from male to female. Additionally, Dodge/Lucas is dead. Yes, Lucas was killed after he was possessed by a demon after opening the Omega Door many years ago.
Does Erin Voss get out of her head? ›
Tyler and Kinsey lead Erin out of her head where she's shocked to find her body in the hospital and how old she now is. Erin removes the Head Key from her head and finally awakens from her catatonic state.
Does Dodge have a crush on Kinsey? ›She was also willing to date Kinsey as an apparent ruse, despite risking exposing herself to her enemies. However, her love for Kinsey was later revealed to be genuine, with the demon wanting Kinsey by her side even after Kinsey discovers the truth.
Is Eden an echo? ›Unlike Dodge, this new Eden is not an immortal echo, but they are dangerous — and ravenous too. While Eden and Gabe are major antagonists in Season 2 of the Netflix show, unlike the Locke kids, they're not from the Locke & Key comics.
What key did Eden find in Gabe's room? ›Meanwhile, Eden steals the Echo Key from Gabe's unoccupied dorm room, and summons the Echo of Captain Frederick Gideon at Keyhouse's wellhouse. She seems to be familiar with the demon that possessed Gideon, and tells him he is indebted to her for bringing him back.
Are they making a Locke and Key season 4? ›Sadly, we now know that there will not be a season 4 of Locke & Key (which TBH we should have known after Netflix's announcement just a few months ago.
Will there be a season 4 of you? ›You Season 4: Release date
Season 4 of “You” was shot in March 2022, and is on the home stretch. It'll be finished by the end of August.
In Locke & Key, the Omega key keeps demons from entering Matheson. Once Gabe started creating his own demons using the Demon Key, the Lockes had to find a way to stop the demons. None of the other keys are strong enough to fight them, so Tyler eventually creates the Alpha Key.
What key did Tyler Locke make? ›Key information
The Alpha Key was the first key created by Tyler Locke, made from the Whispering Iron in the fishing lure given to him by his father, Rendell Locke.
Meanwhile, Eden steals the Echo Key from Gabe's unoccupied dorm room, and summons the Echo of Captain Frederick Gideon at Keyhouse's wellhouse. She seems to be familiar with the demon that possessed Gideon, and tells him he is indebted to her for bringing him back.
Why can't demons take keys from the Lockes? ›
The keys have a supernatural type of ownership with the Lockes. Demons such as Dodge are unable to take the keys from the Lockes by force, and must be willingly given to them. This principle was exclusive to demons, as humans outside the Locke family could also take these keys without asking for permission.