Is there a real-life location behind New Bethlehem in The Handmaid's Tale?

Modified Apr 16, 2025 11:30 GMT

The Handmaid's Tale season 6 premiered on Hulu on April 8, 2025, with three episodes. The story picks up from where it had left off in the season 5 finale. Serena Joy and June Osborne try to escape Gilead to go to Alaska on a train. However, things take a turn when the other women on the train recognize Serena and ask her to leave the train.

Most of the lead actors have reprised their respective characters in the final chapter of The Handmaid's Tale. While Gilead remains the mainland of the dystopian series, New Bethlehem also plays a major role in the narrative now.

Located within Gileadean territory, New Bethlehem is introduced in the season 5 episode 5 titled Fairytale for the first time. The location is further explored in the same season in episode 8, Motherland.

One of the biggest questions many might have is whether there is a real-life location behind the settlement. The answer is: Yes, the filming of New Bethlehem has taken place in the Crystal Beach lakefront community in Ontario.

Where is New Bethlehem from The Handmaid's Tale actually located?

On The Handmaid's Tale, New Bethlehem is the brainchild of Commander Lawrence, one of Gilead's founding architects, and the laws here are less oppressive for women than they are in Gilead. In the show itself, New Bethlehem is believed to be near Boston so that Lawrence can live in Boston and continue working on this new settlement from there. The exact location might be revealed in the upcoming episodes of the sixth season.

According to Fort Erie Radio, the Crystal Beach lakefront community of Fort Erie, Ontario, is located on the northeast shore of Lake Erie. Interested fans can also visit this destination, which is also known as the Bay Beach. Per the radio broadcaster, the beach offers a variety of amenities, including washroom facilities, a pavilion, beach mats, a playground, a festival square, viewing decks, and an accessible ramp leading to the shoreline.

The show is primarily set in Gilead, a fictional dystopian community. The patriarchal theocracy takes over the U.S. with a strict regime that oppresses women and subjects them to childbearing slavery.

Envisioned by Commander Lawrence, who never liked living in Gilead, New Bethlehem is described as a "modernized, strategically liberalized island" in Gilead territory. It is a coastal island settlement that offers a better life for women and allows refugees to unite with their loved ones.

Also read: What time will The Handmaid's Tale season 6 episode 4 be released on Hulu? Release timings for all regions

Bradley Whitford on Commander Lawrence's plans for New Bethlehem in The Handmaid's Tale

During an interview with ScreenRant published on April 8, 2025, Bradley Whitford, who portrays Commander Lawrence in the series, opened up about the architect's plans for New Bethlehem.

"I think what he's betting on is economic power, and I worry about this in real life. I worry that we're never going to deal with climate change until Florida and California are uninsurable. Economic imperatives power moral decisions, unfortunately. But I think that's the angle," he shared.

Whitford further said:

"I think he's hopeful, and I think the early signs are good that he can turn this into kind of a Hong Kong, and make the North Korea situation a little more of a China situation. He may be naive, but we'll see. Fingers crossed."

As seen on The Handmaid's Tale, to promote this community Lawrence is building, he seeks the help of Serena Joy Waterford, who is a public figure and has turned on some of the laws of Gilead herself. However, whether or not he will succeed with his plans for New Bethlehem remains to be seen as the story unfolds with weekly episodes.

Also read: Watching June and Nick’s emotional arc in The Handmaid's Tale season 6 left me both satisfied and heartbroken

The Handmaid's Tale is available to stream on Hulu.

About the author

Ankita Shaw is an Entertainment Writer at Sportskeeda. While she has a Bachelor's degree in Physiology, her interest in films, television shows, and books has propelled her into the world of entertainment journalism.

With a passion for storytelling, she has worked as a writer for the digital publication TheThings and served as a full-time Entertainment News Writer at Animated Times, accumulating over one and a half years of experience. As an entertainment reporter, she enjoys reading and writing about the personal experiences of celebrities, with a particular emphasis on their human side beyond fame, wealth, and glamour.

Outside of her professional commitments, she is an aficionado of compelling narratives and enjoys watching films across diverse genres. In music, her favorite is the British-Irish boyband One Direction. She is fascinated by their creative output, which evokes joy and positivity through themes such as self-discovery, heartbreak, and love.

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