Grey's Anatomy is in the news for airing star Ellen Pompeo's final episode last week. But do you remember when Grey's shouted out the Land of 10,000 Lakes?

Ellen Pompeo has played the title character of Meredith Grey on the ABC-TV show, Grey's Anatomy ever since it first aired back in 2005. And her character, along with several others on the show, has visited the North Star State, and the city of Rochester on several occasions over the years.

For the first Minnesota mention, you have to go back to the fall of 2012, which was season 9 of Grey's Anatomy Anatomy. In that season, the main characters had just been involved in a plane crash earlier that year (season 8, actually) and are trying to process their losses.

One of the main characters, Dr. Christina Yang, seeks out a new position at what Grey's called 'The Clinic,' which happened to be located in Minnesota, more specifically, in Rochester. (Gee, which internationally-known medical facility were they trying to imply?!?)

Mayo Clinic's Gonda Building in Rochester (Curt St John - Townsquare Media Rochester-Preston)
Mayo Clinic's Gonda Building in Rochester (Curt St John - Townsquare Media Rochester-Preston)
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I'm guessing Mayo Clinic didn't allow Grey's usage of their name-- nor the right to film on their property-- so various other sets were apparently used to replicate buildings that kind of looked like the Mayo Clinic's Gonda, Plummer, and other prominent buildings on their campus in Rochester.

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However, if I recall correctly, there was one scene involving Dr. Yang that was actually filmed on location here in Minnesota-- though it wasn't on the Mayo campus. It was shot in downtown Rochester, on the old circle drive of Mayo Civic Center. In the episode, behind Dr. Christina Yang, you could see the Rochester Public Library sign along with a pile of snow.

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While the plot lines involved various things I'm guessing would NEVER be allowed to take place at Mayo Clinic, it was still kind of fun to see how Hollywood portrayed our state. (Yes, there was the obligatory Mall of America reference, for example.)

More recently, the character of Dr. Nick Marsh is a Minnesota native, who also once worked at 'The Clinic.' In the past few seasons, Meredith has flown to Minnesota to see him (and turned down a job here too) but those scenes weren't actually shot on location here in the Bold North.

You can check out Season 9 here. And if you pause the following trailer at 1:03 to see a screenshot of Dr. Yang-- wearing a big winter coat UNDER her scrubs, because that's what doctors DO here in Minnesota-- as well as the 'The Clinic' sign on the door.

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