“The X-Files” is back. (FOX)
Are you ready for the return of “The X-Files?” The city of Vancouver was, when the six-episode event series returned to film there last summer. The destination has mimicked just about everywhere the FBI duo has ever gone, from famous locales to desolate landscapes around the world – which means one thing for sure, Mulder and Scully were certainly racking up the frequent-flier miles over their at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Here are five places you would swear the show filmed on location, but were actually shot in B.C.
Washington, D.C.
During the show Vancouver was a stand-in for some pretty famous places. Central Park, meet Stanley Park. Smithsonian Institute, say hello to the Vancouver Art Gallery. Since the main characters work at the FBI, Washington, D.C. has featured prominently in every episode, so Vancouver masqueraded as the capitol on more than one occasion.
In the most recent episodes, the crew turned to the streets of downtown to play the part of the U.S. Capitol and later they digitally altered them to show the U.S. Capitol Building and the Washington monument.
Roswell, New Mexico
In the new series, the show returns to Roswell, N.M., otherwise known as Aschcroft, B.C. The filming took place at the Wilderness Way Adventure Resort zipline park, according to the Vancouver Sun.
In the episode, they recreate the Roswell Crash of 1947 complete with flying saucer and Ashcroft’s semi-arid desert landscape provides the perfect landing site. Visitors to the resort may not see a spacecraft, but they can fly through the park on ziplines, as well as hike, mountain bike, whitewater raft, horseback ride and more.
Navajo Reservation, New Mexico
At the end of season two and the beginning of season three, Mulder and Scully find themselves on Navajo land in New Mexico. The location is memorable mostly for the famous red dirt that is native to the area – a hue not found in Vancouver. Did they shoot on location? Nope. To create the red-rock quarry, producers used more than 1,600 gallons of red paint and composite images to create the New Mexico desert at a disused rock quarry in the nearby city of Coquitlam (don’t worry, they had the blessing of local environmental groups). If you’re visiting, Coquitlam is renowned for its urban fishing at Como Lake.
Puerto Rico
Vancouver may seem far from a tropical jungle, but it’s not that far. When Mulder travels to Puerto Rico in the episode “Little Green Men,” he doesn’t actually leave the Vancouver area. The Seymour Demonstration Forest in Mount Seymore Provincial Park was used for the National Astronomy & Ionosphere Center in Arecibo, Puerto Rico – it’s also known as one of the best places to take a bike ride in Vancouver. And in the same episode, Vancouver’s oft-used Plaza of Nations makes an appearance as the Miami International Airport.
Russia
Travel to Russia without leaving the North American continent? It’s no problem for intrepid FBI agent Fox Mulder in “Terma” and “Tunguska.” The crew traveled all the way to Stanley Park and again to the Seymour Demonstration Forest to create the Russian works camp and the Siberian forest. Mulder might be running for his life, but you don’t have to if you choose to go for a job through Stanley Park, which was a favorite spot for actor David Duchovny.
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