Bella Shepard’s Favorite Spots In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s Incredible Sets

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Be warned, this article contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 7 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, titled “Ko’Zeine.” Bella Shepard discusses her favorite locations on the show’s impressively large sets. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is filmed at Pinewood Studios Toronto, and features the biggest sets ever created for any Star Trek series – they’re even among the largest in North America.

In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, the starship USS Athena isn’t just a vessel – it is Starfleet Academy. Right from the start of the series, viewers are shown the incredible, high-tech campus built inside the Athena, including the expansive Sato Atrium, classrooms, and student housing.

I recently chatted with Bella Shepard over at ScreenRant, and she gave me the inside scoop on her favorite spots on the set of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy! It was so cool to hear her talk about all the places we saw throughout season one. She shared some really fun details, and I’m excited to share her thoughts with you. Here’s what she had to say:

ScreenRant: What’s your favorite place on the set?

I definitely have a few favorite spots! The atrium is beautiful, but what I really love is the viewscreen near the window. It’s amazing because it can show so many different scenes – we’ve seen Earth, the moon, other planets, even entire galaxies! It’s also shown us what warp speed looks like. Standing near the stairs with that window gives you a real feeling of being in space.

I really enjoy filming in the atrium ponds – I’ve even waded in them a few times! It’s a bit mischievous, because you’re not supposed to be in there, which makes it exciting. There’s a thrill in doing something you know you shouldn’t, and capturing that feeling on camera is fun.

I especially enjoy seeing the dorm rooms. A room feels so personal, and it’s fascinating to get a glimpse into the cadets’ lives and personalities through their living spaces. Whenever we’re allowed inside, it feels like a special, intimate look at who they are as individuals.

The large viewscreen at the base of the stairs in Starfleet Academy’s main hall is remarkable. When the USS Athena is back on Earth, it displays a realistic view of the San Francisco skyline and bay. While the ship is exploring space, the screen shows the incredible sights of the cosmos.

The Sato Atrium, dedicated to Hoshi Sato from Star Trek: Enterprise, features the Wall of Heroes at Starfleet Academy. Bella Shepard particularly enjoys the ponds in the Atrium. Fans may remember that in the third episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Genesis and SAM (played by Kerrice Brooks) were playfully transported into the water by students from the War College.

Cadets at Starfleet Academy live in comfortable, high-tech dorm rooms. One example is the shared space occupied by Caleb Mir, Darem Reymi, and Ocam Sadal.

In the seventh episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Caleb and Genesis were given free rein of the empty USS Athena, including the bridge – something many fans dream of experiencing. The show’s detailed, multi-level sets of Starfleet Academy, and the idea of actually being a cadet there, are a big part of what makes Star Trek: Starfleet Academy so appealing.

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2026-02-20 13:08