CSI was originally shot at which Lockheed Martin-owned corporate campus?

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was originally shot at Rye Canyon, a Lockheed Martin-owned corporate campus in Valencia, part of Santa Clarita, California. The location stood in for the outskirts of Las Vegas because its dry landscape and suburban-industrial surroundings resembled the show’s setting.

Using Rye Canyon helped the production create a convincing Nevada atmosphere without filming every scene in Las Vegas. The campus provided adaptable buildings and outdoor spaces for the crime lab, offices, and investigation scenes. The series did occasionally film in Las Vegas, but much of that work involved second-unit material such as street exteriors.

Rye Canyon was only the show’s initial base. After the eleventh episode, “The 1-15 Murders,” production moved to nearby Santa Clarita Studios. After season five, most episodes were filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood, although the Santa Clarita area continued to supply useful outdoor locations. Thus Rye Canyon refers to CSI’s original filming campus, not its long-term studio home.