Sopranos Tour NYC: Visit the Show’s Real Locations

Years later, critics still call The Sopranos the pop culture masterpiece of its decade. Even more so after the death of James Gandolfini, the legendary Tony Soprano. Today you can relive it on this Sopranos tour through the show's most recognizable locations in New Jersey.

Along the way you'll remember the great Tony and that constellation of characters full of light and shadow who kicked off the golden age of television we're still living in.

The Sopranos still tops respected lists as one of the best series of all time, and it remains the most successful cable show in history.

The New Jersey of The Sopranos

After that introduction, don't you want to take a tour of The Sopranos filming locations? If you're visiting New York, you're just a short hop away with this tour.

This David Chase creation owes a lot to New York.

For starters, the interiors were shot at Silvercup Studios in Queens, and in the story the characters were constantly crossing into the city and dealing with the New York «families.»

When it came to exteriors, though, New Jersey was always the Sopranos' stage.

On this bus tour that leaves New York for New Jersey, you'll follow in Tony Soprano's footsteps and visit several of the show's most iconic spots, including:

• A look at the Bada Bing club: every interior and exterior shot of The Bing was filmed at Satin Dolls, a real strip club in Lodi, New Jersey
• A drive past the actual house in North Caldwell, New Jersey, that serves as the Soprano family home on the show
• A visit to Father Phil's parish: the church where that mischievous priest offered «moral support» to the local mob wives
• A stop at the building that plays Tony's legitimate business on the show: Barone Sanitation
• The spot where Big Pussy Bonpensiero passed information to the FBI
• A pass by Pizzaland, the Muffler Man, and the rest of the New Jersey landmarks filmed for The Sopranos opening credits

The story of the real Mafia

Visiting New Jersey isn't just about getting close to this fictional family's story. It's also about getting close to the history of the real Mafia in the United States.

Did you know the plot of The Sopranos was inspired by the DeCavalcante family, New Jersey's main organized crime family?

You'll learn that and plenty more from your guide, who promises to be as big a fan of the show as we are.

We'll close by remembering that for Chase, the show's creator, the story was always about more than the crime plot. What he wanted to explore was Italian American identity, which shapes so much of the East Coast's character. He absolutely pulled it off.