What Department Store Was Elf Filmed In

You know the scene. Buddy the Elf bursts into a department store, sees a fake Santa, and politely informs him, “You sit on a throne of lies.” That store is called Gimbels in the movie. But the real department store where they filmed those chaotic, tinsel-covered scenes? That’s a little more interesting.

In Elf, the store is Gimbels. Not Macy’s. Not Nordstrom. Gimbels was a real New York department store, once a fierce rival to Macy’s. It closed in 1987, so the movie basically brought a retail ghost back to life.

But the interior scenes weren’t shot in New York. They were filmed in Hudson’s Bay in Vancouver, Canada. Specifically, the flagship store on Granville Street. It had that old-school department store magic: high ceilings, wide aisles, and the vague smell of perfume and carpet cleaner.

The Department Store That Played Gimbels

Hudson’s Bay in Vancouver did the heavy lifting. The toy department, the escalators, the Santa Land—all of that was Hudson’s Bay dressed up as Gimbels. It’s like when your friend borrows your nice jacket for a party. Same jacket, different vibe.

The store’s exterior, though, was shot in New York City, at the former Gimbels building on 33rd Street and 6th Avenue. Yes, the real Gimbels. So the movie used the real Gimbels building for the outside and a Canadian Hudson’s Bay for the inside.

That’s a bit like using your grandmother’s recipe for the photo, then actually ordering pizza. Delicious, but not exactly authentic.

Why Hudson’s Bay Worked So Well

Hudson’s Bay had the right look. It felt like a proper old department store, the kind where you can buy a winter coat, a lamp, and a tiny overpriced candle in one trip. You walk in for socks. You leave with a fondue set and questions about your life.

The movie needed that classic retail labyrinth feel. You know the feeling. You’re looking for the exit, but somehow you end up in home goods, then jewelry, then a random hallway that smells like popcorn.

Elf Film Locations - On the set of New York.com | Gimbels department

Buddy’s escalator scene? Filmed there. His run through the toy department? Also there. The moment he meets Jovie and awkwardly tries to be charming? Yep, Hudson’s Bay.

The Real Gimbels and the Movie Magic

Gimbels was a real place, and it was huge. It opened in 1887 and became a New York institution, even famous for a Thanksgiving Day parade rivalry with Macy’s. Imagine that: two department stores fighting over giant balloons like overgrown kids.

By the time Elf came out in 2003, Gimbels was long gone. The building had become an office and mall complex, so the filmmakers had to fake it. That’s showbiz, baby.

They slapped a Gimbels sign on the old building for exterior shots. Then they went to Vancouver and filled Hudson’s Bay with fake snow, Christmas trees, and a very confused Will Ferrell in yellow tights.

What It’s Like to Visit Today

If you go to Hudson’s Bay in Vancouver now, you won’t find Buddy. You will find normal shoppers buying towels and complaining about parking. But you can still ride the escalator and whisper, “I’m in a store, and I’m singing!”

The old Gimbels building in New York is now Manhattan Mall. It’s less Santa’s workshop and more “where did I park?” But the outside still has that grand department store bones.

The Gimbels Dept Store and all the locations where Elf was filmed

It’s funny how movies make places immortal. A store that closed decades ago lives on because a grown man in elf ears yelled at a mall Santa. That’s more legacy than most of us will ever have.

Everyday Department Store Energy

We’ve all had an Elf moment in a department store. Maybe not climbing into a Christmas tree, but definitely feeling out of place. The perfume section alone can make you feel like you’ve wandered into a chemical attack.

Or you get trapped in a conversation with a salesperson who insists you need a credit card. Buddy would probably just hug them. You might want to, but society says no.

Department stores are weirdly magical and deeply exhausting. They’re like airports for errands. You go in with a plan, and you come out disoriented, holding a pretzel and a scented candle you didn’t need.

So the next time you watch Elf, pay attention to the department store. That’s Hudson’s Bay in Vancouver doing its best New York impression. The outside is the old Gimbels building. The inside is a Canadian retail legend.

And if you ever feel like a cotton-headed ninny muggins for not knowing that, don’t worry. Now you do. You’re basically a Christmas elf with a film degree.