In the Footsteps of Severance: From Lumon to the Landscapes of Bonavista

The three Severance regions

A large glass building, a waterfall at the foot of a rocky cliff, and roads through a coastal community create a convincing geography on screen. In reality, these locations are spread out. The town of Kier is fictional: searching for its downtown on a map leads to confusion between several locations, sometimes in different countries. The best way to prepare is to choose the scenes that interest you, then plan the trip that lets you experience their landscapes.

Bell Works in Holmdel is the most straightforward choice for recognizing Lumon’s image. Ulster County brings more locations together in one region: Minnewaska, the restaurants in Phoenicia and Kingston, and the Mohonk Preserve gateway. Newfoundland calls for a separate stay, with its own transportation, accommodations, and weather conditions. We recommend building this trip around Bonavista and the coast rather than treating it as a simple hunt for camera angles.

For a short stay in Manhattan, a single excursion is enough to give the series a place in your itinerary. With two extra days and a car, Ulster County offers a more varied collection of locations. If you’re already planning a Canadian vacation, the landscapes around Bonavista can become the focus of one leg of your trip. The suggested durations in this guide are intended to set the pace; adjust them to your travel plans and comfort with walking.

According to Apple, season 2 began airing on January 17, 2025. Some of the locations mentioned here appeared as early as the first season and remain useful for understanding the series’ world. This guide covers locations and filming circumstances without revealing the major plot twists.

Bell Works, the Face of Lumon

In Holmdel, Bell Works first lets you recognize a silhouette: an immense rectangular volume, a repetitive glass façade, horizontal lines, and a broad expanse in front of the building. This architecture gives Lumon employees’ arrivals a very particular scale. Even without finding the exact camera position, the relationship between the building, its surroundings, and the people is enough to make the place recognizable.

The former Bell Labs complex, associated with architect Eero Saarinen, is now called Bell Works. Its own website links to several articles about its role in Severance. When planning a visit, search for the building’s real name and Holmdel to plan your route. A search limited to “Lumon offices New York” may lead you to content about the series rather than useful information about the location.

The façade is the main landmark to look for. Access to interior spaces depends on which areas are open to the public, activity in the building, and restrictions on the day. Check these conditions with Bell Works before you travel. Workspaces, service doors, and any filming areas remain subject to authorization. Don’t expect the famous corridors and rooms on the severed floor to be part of an accessible visitor route.

From New York, set aside a separate day for Holmdel if you want to travel without rushing. By car, travel time depends on your starting point, the route you take out of the city, and traffic. If using public transit, also plan the final connection to the building and your return trip; the mere presence of a station nearby does not solve that last leg. Save the real address and a return plan before setting out.

While there, take photos from authorized areas without obstructing employees or entrances. Calmly observing the façade often offers more than a series of poses in the middle of a traffic lane. The contrast between this real building and its use in the fiction is precisely part of what makes the architectural stop interesting.

Minnewaska and Awosting Falls

For an outdoor outing during season 2, Ulster County Tourism identifies Minnewaska State Park Preserve as the landscape of the fictional Dieter Eagan forest. The tourism organization also mentions Awosting Falls, the waterfall featured with particular emphasis in the episode. In reality, this cascade is part of a landscape of forests, lakes, and rocky cliffs in the Shawangunks.

Awosting Falls is the most fitting starting point for a fan of the series looking for a focused walk. Then choose how far to walk using the official map and the trails that are open. You can keep the day centered on the waterfall and the shores of Lake Minnewaska, or turn it into a longer hike. In the latter case, travel time, elevation gain, and trail conditions should shape your plans.

The main entrance listed by the park manager is at 5281 Route 44-55, Kerhonkson. The Sam’s Point area has a separate entrance: seeing its name in an article about filming locations does not mean it can be reached directly from the lake parking lot. For a short first visit, the waterfall and main area make a simpler destination than trying to visit every landscape shown in the episode.

New York State Parks lists a daily opening time of 9 a.m. and a closing time that varies by season. Check the hours for the day before deciding how long your loop will be. Parking lots can reach capacity, causing admissions to be temporarily suspended. Arriving early gives you more flexibility; roadside shoulders on nearby roads are not a parking option.

Swimming is prohibited in waterfalls and streams. Stay on authorized trails, pack out your trash, and wear footwear suited to wet sections. In winter, ice affects footing and travel time. The snowy landscape shown on screen cannot predict trail conditions during your visit. The park’s alerts, map, and on-site staff determine which routes are actually possible.

Pip’s and Zufu, the real restaurants

Two stops in Ulster County offer a chance to see more everyday settings. In Phoenicia, the Phoenicia Diner appears as Pip’s starting in the first season. In Kingston, Eng’s becomes Zufu in the series. The county’s tourism office identifies these connections. They offer two possible stops to choose from based on your route, rather than automatically adding both to the same lunch outing.

The Phoenicia Diner is especially appealing to those who enjoy recognizing an ordinary establishment transformed by the camera framing and the actors’ performances. Plan for a proper meal break during your day in the Catskills. The interior belongs to a working restaurant: available seating and service will determine where you can sit. A particular table or the same viewing angle as in the series cannot be reserved as part of a filming-location experience.

Eng’s lets you pair the Severance theme with a stop in Kingston. This option fits more naturally into an overnight stay in the area or a day when you are already exploring the city. Traveling from Phoenicia to Kingston takes up a real part of your schedule; adding both establishments to a long hike may mean spending more time on the road than at the locations.

Before you leave, check the restaurants’ current service days and menus. Hours listed in an older tourism article may have changed. If a meal is your main reason for traveling, it is worth checking before booking a car or accommodation. For allergies, contact the establishment directly.

Inside, ask permission before photographing an occupied dining room. Staff and other customers are there to work or eat. A discreet photo of your table, the façade, or an approved detail is enough to remember your visit. The names Pip’s and Zufu help identify the fictional locations; use the real business names when searching for directions and reservations.

The Mohonk Preserve gateway

The Testimonial Gateway, near New Paltz, offers another way to explore the locations: a stone structure and a tree-lined path instead of a long hike. Ulster County Tourism links this gateway to the series’ birth center entrance. Mohonk Preserve, the land manager, provides the information you need to visit it as a real walking destination.

The trailhead is at 35 Route 299, New Paltz. Mohonk Preserve says its lands are open from sunrise to sunset. The historic tower, dating to around 1907, served as the entrance to Mohonk Mountain House until 1945. The Pin Oak Allee offers a relatively flat route; longer trails continue into the preserve.

The distinction between the properties matters when planning your day. Mohonk Preserve and Mohonk Mountain House are separate entities. The land manager notes that the nearby hotel is not an entrance to the preserve. Use the name Testimonial Gateway Trailhead to reach the correct starting point, then check the access details that apply to your walk.

This stop works well as part of a day around New Paltz, especially if your group wants to walk without spending the entire outing at Minnewaska. Even a fairly flat trail may be uneven or become wet. If you are bringing a stroller or someone with specific mobility needs, ask about current trail conditions. Allow enough daylight for the round trip, particularly in autumn.

Two days in the Hudson Valley

To visit several locations without making multiple trips back to Manhattan, we suggest spending two days and one night in Ulster County. This is a suggested itinerary: it assumes you have a car, roads are passable, and the walking is suitable for your group. Choose your overnight stop based on the place you are most interested in, rather than looking for a theoretically central point between every site.

You could spend the first day in New Paltz and at Minnewaska. Arrive at the park early enough to choose a walk to Awosting Falls, then add the lake if time and conditions allow. You can fit in the Testimonial Gateway that day if you want a second, shorter walk. In late autumn, scale back your plans: the park’s closing time and sunset can bring your visits to an end quickly.

On the second day, you could focus on Kingston, with a meal at Eng’s if its service hours fit your schedule. If the Phoenicia Diner is your main priority, an overnight stay and a second day focused on Phoenicia and the Catskills make more sense. You can then leave Kingston for another trip. Part of the appeal of this getaway is the time spent in the region, beyond the few minutes needed to recognize a façade.

Bell Works belongs on a different day, in New Jersey. Visiting Holmdel, Minnewaska, and Phoenicia in a single outing from Manhattan involves enough driving to throw the visits out of balance. If you have only one day, choose either Lumon’s architecture or the forest scenery. With two days, Ulster County offers more variety without changing regions at every stop.

Bonavista and Trinity Bay North

The Bonavista Peninsula belongs to a different scale of travel. Radio-Canada collected a firsthand account from Melanie Mooney, the on-site costume supervisor: a team from New York worked in the region in April 2023 with local craftspeople. The report also mentions Trinity Bay North and natural landscapes still marked by snow.

This account documents the regional shoot without providing a comprehensive public itinerary. It can help you plan a coastal visit, without promising that every house, road, or hotel you come across appears in an episode. To experience a coastal atmosphere, Bonavista Harbour, the rocky shorelines, and the peninsula’s communities already offer plenty to explore.

Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism places Bonavista on Route 230 and gives an approximate driving time of three and a half hours from St. John’s. Treat that as an estimate; it does not include breaks, weather, or stops along the way. Plan to spend several nights on the peninsula if you want time to enjoy the walks and coastline. One night leaves little room after travelling from the provincial capital.

Cape Bonavista and its lighthouse, the Dungeon site, and trails in the Hike Discovery network are among the attractions suggested by the tourism office. These are ideas for enriching your stay; their inclusion in this guide does not identify them individually as confirmed Severance filming locations. The harbour and heritage sites also offer insight into the role of fishing in local history.

Choose the season based on the activities you have in mind. A spring shoot with snow on the ground is not a recommendation for winter hiking. If you plan to hike and use tourist services, check the opening dates for each site and provider. Wind, fog, and rain can change the course of a day on the coast. Keep an alternative activity in mind and leave some flexibility in your schedule.

Whale, bird, and iceberg sightings depend on the season and conditions. Ask locally about your travel dates rather than building your whole stay around a photograph. On cliffs, keep well back from the edges and follow permitted access routes. Private property and working sites remain in use, even when a landscape has been used for filming.

New York on screen

A stay in Manhattan can also include a filming-locations tour between days spent on excursions. The NYC TV & Movie Locations bus tour, offered by On Location Tours via Viator, lasts three hours and is led by an English-speaking guide. The advertised departure point is Ellen’s Stardust Diner, at 1650 Broadway; follow the meeting instructions on your ticket.

We include it as an urban add-on for travellers interested in how New York becomes a setting for films and TV series. The itinerary covers several productions and offers a chance to discover other filming locations. This guide’s Severance itinerary is arranged separately: Bell Works, Minnewaska, and Bonavista are not part of this tour.

This option suits you if you would prefer a guided half-day to another day of driving. Food and drinks are not included in the offer we reviewed. Read the exact itinerary and departure conditions before booking; prices, duration, and available reviews are listed on the activity card and are not repeated in this guide.

Season and budget

For a trip combining walks in New York State with coastal stops in Newfoundland, May through October is a useful starting window for planning. It is still a broad range: services and conditions vary between spring, summer, and late autumn. In Ulster County, shorter days mainly mean cutting back on detours before heading back. In Newfoundland, check the opening dates for each site and excursion individually.

Travellers who enjoy winter landscapes can plan a visit to Minnewaska for another season, with the necessary equipment, experience, and flexibility. Check alerts before setting out: respect a trail closure, even if it means you cannot reach the location you had planned to see. The park’s website posts changes to hours and occasional maintenance work; an old screenshot is no substitute for checking current information.

For your budget, account separately for transport, accommodation, meals, and admission. When we checked, Minnewaska listed an admission fee of 10 US dollars per vehicle carrying fewer than fifteen people. Recheck this fee with the park before you leave. Rental, toll, and parking costs depend on your route; sharing a car can make a substantial difference to the per-person cost of an outing.

A stay in Newfoundland adds travel to the island and requires its own planning. Compare it as a complete trip, with several nights and some flexibility for the weather. For commercial activities, check the displayed currency and the terms of the option you choose. There is no single ticket covering all the locations featured here.