Where was Lifetime’s Girl in the Garage filmed? All shooting locations explored

Modified Jan 20, 2025 12:48 GMT

Still from the trailer (Image via Lifetime)

Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowen Story is a television film directed by Manu Boyer, with a screenplay by Avery O. Williams. It was released on Lifetime on January 18, 2025.

The film tells the story of Laura Cowan, a young woman struggling to survive financially after her husband's arrest. A family friend, Musa, shelters her and her children in his house temporarily. However, Laura soon discovers that they have become Musa's hostage, and she must find a way to escape.

The film was shot in and around Kansas City, Missouri. It stars Paige Hurd, Jackson Little, Brad James, and Stephen Bishop in prominent roles.

Girl in the Garage was filmed in Missouri

The film tells the true story of Laura Cowen and her children, who were allegedly subjected to years of s*xual and physical abuse by their abductor. As a result, most of the scenes in the film was shot indoors, depicting Musa's basement where she and her kids were held hostage.

Kansas City

The story is set in Los Angeles and Ohio, but the filming was done in Kansas City around October and November, 2024. The production team utilized the neighborhoods of Westport and Swope Park to set up camp.

Overland Park

A few scenes were shot in the city of Overland Park at Monstera’s Books. The location was trasnformed to suit the film's requirements, which attracted the attention of local residents.

Talking about choosing Kansas City for filming, one of the producers, Corey McCartney, told KSHB:

"The good thing about Kansas City is that it is like a very diverse landscape, and depending on what part of town, we actually have locations that can represent a lot of different places."

More about Girl in the Garage

The film is available exclusively on Lifetime. Here's how the platform describes the plot:

"After her husband is arrested and thrown in jail, Laura Cowan finds herself struggling to make ends meet. When a family friend offers to move her and her children into his home temporarily, Laura lets out a sigh of relief, believing this is an act of kindness that will give her time to get back on her feet. Overnight, this blessing turns into a nightmare when Laura and her children realize they’ve been abducted. Held captive in a cold and dark garage, Laura is repeatedly sexually assaulted by her abductor and her and her children are beaten and abused for years."

It continues:

"One day, Laura manages to sneak a note to the outside world and authorities are able to rescue her and her family. Much to Laura’s surprise, her note not only lead the police to her and her family, but two other women and their children being held captive in the same house. Starring Paige Hurd, and Stephen Bishop (2025)."