One of the most important aspects ofBoneswas the backdrop ofDr. Temperance “Bones” Brennanworking at the Jeffersonian Institute, but is it even real? FromBones’very beginning, Dr. Brennan always boasted that she ran the forensic anthropology department at the Jeffersonian, and, after seeing the lab and its facilities, it wasn’t surprising that she was the best in the world. Not only did the Jeffersonian have state-of-the-art facilities and tools, but it was clear that they often recruited people with only the highest potential.
This can be seen withDr. Brennan’s squniterns, who often assisted her on cases she worked on with the FBI. It was sometimes hard to remember that characters like Wendell, Fisher, and Daisy were graduate students and were interning with Dr. Brennan to learn from her. ThroughoutBones’ 12 seasons, it became clear thatthe Jeffersonian was more than just the lab, it was a landmark in Washington DC,even if audiences hardly saw anything other than the medico-legal lab.
Is the Jeffersonian Institute Real?
Can Audiences Visit the Real Jeffersonian?
WhileBonesfans would likely love to visit the lab where Dr. Brennan and her team worked,the Jeffersonian is not a real institution. The Jeffersonian is modeled after other museum institutions that house research centers. While many scientists, from forensic anthropologists like Dr. Brennan to entomologists like Dr. Jack Hodgins, perform their research and experiments at universities, there are some museums that are dedicated to furthering scientific advancements.
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Additionally, throughoutBones’ 12 seasons,audiences learned that there were other niche departments, including Egyptology, and ancient weapons departments.Audiences have even seen professors at the Jeffersonian restore old paintings, observe Egyptian mummies, as well as a model of a mastodon. It’s not entirely clear how large the Jeffersonian Institute is, what the exhibits are on display at the museum, and how or if they relate to specialists' like Dr. Brennan’s ongoing research.
What is The Jeffersonian Based on?
Audiences Can Visit the Museum The Jeffersonian is Based On
WhileBones' Jeffersonian isn’t a real place audiences can visit,the institute is based on the Smithsonian, which is also located in Washington DC.The Smithsonian has multiple museums and sites scattered across the DC area, and it’s not quite as centralized asBonesdepicts the Jeffersonians to be. There are clear similarities that help audiences make the connection between the Jeffersonian and the Smithsonian.
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Dr. Jack Hodginswas known for his crazy experiments and he often“borrowed”exhibits from the museum part of the Jeffersonian to help him complete his work. Often, Jack’s experiments involve murder weapons, but there was one instance where he borrowed and took apart a piece of pop culture history.Hodgins once took Archie Bunker’s TV set from anAll In The Familyexhibitfor an experiment. Visitors to the Smithsonian’s American History Museum in DC would remember that Bunker’s armchair fromAll in the Familyis on display there, not his TV set.
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InBonesseason 10, audiences actually got to see one ofthe Jeffersonian’s exhibits dedicated to J. Edgar Hoover, where controversial former FBI Director hid his shadow government conspiracy evidence in plain sight. While it’s likely that the Jeffersonian that Brennan worked at isn’t the same as the American History Museum, it wouldn’t be surprising to find a forensic anthropologist at one of the other Smithsonian museums like the Natural History Museum.
The Lab at the Jeffersonian Was Still Real (Kind of)
The Set Originated As a Filming Location
In theBoneheadsrewatch podcast, Emily Deschanel revealed thatthe medico-legal lab that audiences see inBonesoriginated as a filming location at the California Science Center,the same place that has the rose garden whereAgent Seeley Booth and Dr. Brennan would get marriedinBonesseason 9. Deschanel explained that for the pilot ofBones, they filmed on location, but later the medico-legal lab was rebuilt on a soundstage for the rest of the show’s run.
Audiences can be glad to know that they can still visit some ofBones’most famous settings.
One of the cool things aboutBones’lab set is that it was all practical, meaning that all of the rooms were actually connected, something that isn’t common on TV sets. Deschanel explained that an actor could walk from Dr. Brennan’s office up to the platform, then into Angela’s office, and so on, all without ever having to cut a take. This likely made the set feel more lived-in and more real. While it’s disappointing that the Jeffersonian Institute isn’t real, audiences can be glad to know that they can still visit some ofBones’most famous settings.
Bones
Cast
Bones is a crime drama series centered around Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist at the Jeffersonian’s Medico-Legal Lab, who, along with Special Agent Seeley Booth, solves murder cases involving severely decomposed remains that defy standard identification methods.
