Wilmington's Famous Film and TV Sites

Get ready for an exciting adventure on the brand new Wilmywood Movie & TV Location Walk! Join lively, costumed guides every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. for a fun-filled 90-minute tour through the iconic filming locations of Wilmington. Whether it's visiting an active film set, exploring historic interiors or spotting movie props around town, each tour is unique and packed with surprises. 

You'll think you're back in Tree Hill as you make your way through Wilmington with the self-guided One Tree Hill locations tour. Explore popular and recognizable film locations like "The Naley Bench" overlooking the Cape Fear River on the Riverwalk, Greenfield Lake Park, the backdrop to Lucas and Peyton's wedding in season six, or Wilmington's Harry Forden Bridge (694 N. Sixth St.), the one-lane metal truss bridge that appears in the show's opening sequence in seasons 1-4. Join TRIC Tours for an exclusive look inside the iconic TRIC Nightclub in downtown Wilmington. This self-guided tour features replica props from Chase's apartment and Peyton's bedroom, the original Red Bedroom Records door and more. Afterwards, shop for exclusive merchandise at the OTHmerch Souvenir Shop.

Transport yourself to Capeside with the Dawson's Creek self-guided tour to dozens of locations in Wilmington made famous by the popular WB series, "Dawson’s Creek." Follow along the tour to find popular film sites like Hell's Kitchen, which served as a Mollye's Market during season 2-4 and where the Hell's Belles band often performed scenes. Or, spot multiple sites along the Wilmington Riverwalk like where Andie and Pacey's first kissed across from the Alton Lennon Federal Courthouse, located at the foot of Market Street and Water Street. After, head to Airlie Gardens' Bradley Creek Lawn, which served as the location of Joey and Dawson's dream wedding or stop by the New Hanover County Arboretum's Ability Garden where Jen said her goodbyes to her daughter in the final episode.

Embark on a self-guided tour and visit popular film sites from Amazon Prime Video's hit series, "The Summer I Turned Pretty." Based on the books by New York Times best-selling author, Jenny Han, "The Summer I Turned Pretty" follows Belly, a teenager who spends the summer in Cousins Beach reconnecting with two old friends, Conrad and Jeremiah. The series filmed in Wilmington and its nearby beaches. Visit locations like Fort Fisher State Historic Site in Kure Beach where Cam and Belly cycled along the trails or snap a photo where Taylor and Belly walk along the beach near Crystal Pier in Wrightsville Beach. In Carolina Beach, visit The Fat Pelican, where Laurel and Susannah decide to stop at a local bar. Season two is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video and features several local spots including downtown Wilmington's Hell's Kitchen and the Rooster & The Crow.

Season three of the series, "The Summer I Turned Pretty" is now filming to Wilmington and Island Beaches. The plot continues to follow teenagers Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah's love triangle story in Cousins Beach. Season three will expand to eleven episodes, up from seven and eight in the previous seasons.

Get ready for The Runarounds, a new series filming in Wilmington, North Carolina. Created by Jonas Pate, the co-creator of Outer Banks, this eight-episode series follows a diverse group of young adults forming a rock band the summer after high school. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Wilmington, Set to be released on Amazon Prime, The Runarounds explores the challenges of young adulthood, as the band members face the pressures of real life while pursuing their dream of becoming the greatest band of all time.

Amazon MGM Studios' upcoming romcom "Merv" is now filming in Kure Beach. Currently in production, the film, starring Zooey Deschanel, follows a recently separated couple who take their dog on a beach vacation to cheer him up.

TV Series:
Now "Outer Banks," a popular Netflix series, recently filmed in the destination is now streaming Season 4. The plot follows teenager John B (Chase Stokes) and three of his best friends, JJ (Rudy Pankow), Kiara (Madison Bailey) and Pope (Jonathan Daviss), as they search for legendary treasure. Season four filming locations included Crystal Pier and Oceanic Restaurant in Wrightsville Beach and Fort Fisher State Recreation Area in Kure Beach. 

Now playing in theaters, "Monster Summer," a mystery thriller, stars Academy Award-winning director and actor Mel Gibson and rising actor Mason Thames. The plot follows a local boy who begins to suspect a supernatural entity is hunting the children on Martha’s Vineyard. 

Based on a best-selling novel by Edward Kelsey Moore, "The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat" follows three lifelong friends, nicknamed The Supremes, who find their friendship tested when one is faced with a major life crisis. Emmy award-winning Uzo Adubo from “Orange is the New Black,” Sanaa Lathan from “Love & Basketball” and Oscar-nominated Aunjanue Ellis from “King Richard” lead the cast as The Supremes.

Starring Russell Crowe, "The Exorcism" is now playing in theaters. Filmed in Wilmington in 2019, the film, originally titled "The Georgetown Project," is a psychological thriller following an actor (Crowe) who becomes unhinged while filming a horror movie. The film also stars Adam Goldberg from "Dazed and Confused" Ryan Simpkins from "Revolutionary Road" and Chloe Bailey from "The Little Mermaid." Filming locations include Front Street, Dock Street, Brooklyn Arts Center and more.

Season 3 of "Hightown," a Starz series and television drama is now streaming on Starz website. The series continues to follow a woman’s journey to sobriety that is overshadowed by a murder she feels she must solve. Some filming locations include Johnnie Mercers Fishing Pier, Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Center, Wilmington Riverwalk, Elijah’s Oyster & Fish Camp and more. 

“I.S.S.,” a space thriller following astronauts who receive a distressing message from Earth, debuted during this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Put on by LD Entertainment, the movie stars Chris Messina and Pilou Asbaek and is directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite. The film is now playing in select theaters.

"Breakwater," a new thriller film directed by James Rowe, was filmed in Wilmington and is now playing in theatres. The plot follows Dovey (Darren Mann), an ex-con who risks his freedom to help Ray (Dermot Mulroney), a fellow inmate who escaped prison, search for his estranged daughter. Some filming locations include Airlie Chapel located in the Airlie Gardens.

"Zoey 102," a movie sequel to the hit Nickelodeon television series "Zoey 101," was filmed in Wilmington. The movie takes place present day and follows the original "Zoey 101" characters, including Zoey Brooks (Jamie Lynn Spears), Erin Sanders (Quinn Pensky), Matthew Underwood (Logan Reese) and more when they reunite for a wedding. Filming locations include Origins Food and Drink, the Common Desk and Hell's Kitchen. The film is now playing on Paramount+.

Season 2 of the Amazon Studio television series, "The Summer I Turned Pretty,” filmed at Carolina Beach Boardwalk, Cape Fear Country Club, Kure Beach and Fort Fisher. The series continues to follow teenager Belly (Lola Tung) as she spends the summer at Cousin's Beach reconnecting with two old friends, Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). Season 2 is now streaming on Prime Video.

"Florida Man," a television series starring Edgar Ramirez and Abbey Lee, is now streaming on Netflix. The series follows a former cop who travels from Philadelphia to his home state of Florida for a quick gig. His job is to hunt down a mobster's fugitive girlfriend, but his journey turns into a discovery of buried family secrets. Filming locations include the Rusty Nail, Wilmington Riverwalk, Jack Mackerel's Island Grill, Carolina Beach Boardwalk and Robert's Grocery.

You'll be surprised by the number of stars who have filmed in Wilmington and our island beaches. Browse through an extensive listing of stars, including many Oscar, Grammy and Tony Award-winners, who've worked on productions filmed here and see how many you recognize.

Dubbed as one of the largest film festivals in the South and recognized by Moviemaker Magazine as "One of the Coolest Film Festivals in the World," Cucalorus Film Festival attracts filmmakers, dancers, performers and cultural travelers from all over the world to Wilmington to celebrate the film industry. This annual festival features more than 90 films from around the world, events and a diverse selection of stage performances over the course of five days each November.

If you're looking for one of the most popular filming locations from box office movies and top-rated TV shows, head to Airlie Gardens in Wilmington. Discover film locations featured in "King Kong Lives," Nicholas Spark's "The Choice," "Black Knight," the "Sleepy Hollow" and "Dawson's Creek" TV series and more with their Filmed at Airlie brochure.