NY Film Locations: Orange is the New Black Exterior Set at Rockland Psychiatric Center

Our readers have been eating up our roundup of film locations for the hit Netflix show Orange Is the New Black, but we wanted to share more in detail about the semi-abandoned Rockland Children’s Psychiatric Center, which serves as the exterior film set of Orange Is The New Black. The locale combines two of our favorite things: urban exploration and film locations. In fact, Untapped Cities reader James Garcia, a filmmaker and paranormal investigator, headed back to Orangeburg, New York this past weekend on our suggestion to capture more shots of both the set area and the creepy abandoned buildings–he’s been filming this complex for quite some time. If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll recognize many spots.

Filmed inside the barbed wire protected walls are many scenes of the Litchfield inmates during their recreational activities:

The benches and canopy on the left are often featured, as the inmates socially gather. In the third season, it’s where showdown between Red and Tastee’s crew takes place, after they steal the corn from the garden:

You can see the many warning signs in the background in many scenes in Orange Is The New Black, added as props for the set:

A guard tower:

Below is a tool shed, but not the shed where Red and team do their gardening, and where Alex Vause gets confronted by Aydin, a man from her drug dealing past who gets hired as a CO in the last episode of season 3.

In the background you can also see glimpses of Lake Tappan, which borders the facility. It appears the actual lake scene, where the inmates are playing in the water after making their escape through the open fence, was likely filmed somewhere else as the shoreline is less rocky than in the show.

This is the long walkway into and out of Litchfield, where the new innates (which seemingly may double the population here) are dropped off:

You’ll recognize the distinctive white and brick window patterning from the background of scenes in the show:

Stay tuned tomorrow for a feature on Garcia’s photographs of the abandoned portion of Rockland Psychiatric Center.

Next, see the full list of Orange is the New Black Film Locations. Explore the haunted explorations of James Garcia on his My Haunted Diary YouTube channel.