4 South Carolina Towns Where Famous Movies Were Filmed
South Carolina has long been a welcoming destination for film crews and actors making movies for the silver screen. With stunning natural backdrops of moss-draped plantations, remote barrier islands, and historic port cities, the state's film history stretches back decades, serving as a convincing “dupe” for everything from colonial America to the landscape of Vietnam.
Its unique mix of elegant antebellum architecture, unspoiled coastal wilderness, and accommodating local communities still makes it a favorite for authentic Southern settings. All of which is great news for film fans looking to combine a little movie magic with their travels.
Cypress Gardens
About 30 miles north of Charleston, the swamps of Cypress Gardens have been attracting filmmakers since the 1982 cult classic Swamp Thing brought crews to these beautiful waters. The 170-acre preserve opened to the public in 1932 and has since appeared in more than a dozen major movie productions.
For many, the most beloved scene is the rowboat sequence in The Notebook, when Noah takes Allie through waters covered with hundreds of swans shipped in especially for the shoot. It also served as the militia's secret headquarters in The Patriot, where a band of fighters hid in the swamp between raids on British forces. The ruined church built especially for the film can still be seen on the grounds.
The 1985 television miniseries North and South, based on John Jakes' Civil War novels, brought Patrick Swayze to the screen. More recently, the Netflix series Outer Banks has been filmed here as well. You can explore these same waters by renting a flat-bottomed boat or booking a guided tour.
Charleston
The beautiful city of Charleston has served as a backdrop for dozens of film and TV productions. None, however, has captured its romantic essence quite like the 2004 adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook. Charleston and its surrounding communities appeared in nearly all of the film's South Carolina sequences, transforming the city into a 1940s summer paradise where Noah and Allie's love story unfolds.
The American Theater from 1942 was the scene of the couple's first date, its attractive Art Deco facade and vintage marquee creating a perfect period atmosphere. Though no longer a movie house, it’s still in use, serving as a venue for events, and chances are, when you visit, you’ll spot a couple re-enacting that famous movie moment when Noah and Allie dance in front of it.
Nearby Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens in Mount Pleasant also made the cut, appearing as the exterior of Allie's family's luxurious summer home. Famous for its magnificent entrance way with its 300-year-old live oaks draped in Spanish moss, it’s one of the most photographed locations in the Lowcountry.
Founded in 1681, Boone Hall is one of the country’s oldest still-working plantations. In addition to daily tours and the chance to explore the grounds and formal gardens, you’ll learn about Gullah culture from displays in the original slave cabins. The opulent interior scenes of Allie's home were filmed separately at the Calhoun Mansion, the largest residence in Charleston. Guided tours of its 35 rooms and magnificent 90-foot cupola are available.
Another notable film shot in and around Charleston was Mel Gibson's Revolutionary War epic, The Patriot. It was filmed in 2000 with several scenes shot around the College of Charleston. The college also appeared in the 2003 Civil War drama Cold Mountain with Nicole Kidman and Jude Law.
A great way to see the best film locations in Charleston is via a movie-themed tour. Several businesses, including All About Charleston Tours, operate a dedicated Notebook tour covering King Street, Mount Pleasant's Old Village, and other film locations. On Location Tours does a fun walking tour called Sparks of Love that visits sites from both The Notebook and Dear John, another Sparks adaptation filmed in the area.
Beaufort and Hunting Island
No small town in South Carolina can claim a more distinguished film pedigree than Beaufort, where Hollywood discovered the Lowcountry’s movie potential in the late 1970s. It was the 1979 adaptation of Pat Conroy's The Great Santini, starring Robert Duvall, that introduced audiences to Tidalholm, an 1853 Italianate mansion that was to become the most famous private residence in the state.
Four years later, it was the turn of The Big Chill. This time, the by now famous white mansion served as the vacation home where a group of college friends reunites after a funeral. Starring Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, and Tom Berenger, the cast and crew spent two months filming in Beaufort and were frequently spotted in and around town.
The Big Chill's opening funeral scenes were shot at Sand Hill Baptist Church near Varnville, about 35 miles northwest of town, while Bay Street in downtown Beaufort appears in the film's jogging sequences. An interesting footnote: Kevin Costner was cast in The Big Chill as the deceased friend Alex, but his scenes were cut, with only his corpse appearing briefly during the opening credits. A decade later, in 1994, Costner would return to Beaufort for The War, filmed beneath a magnificent live oak near the Carolina Shores subdivision.
The 1991 adaptation of Conroy's The Prince of Tides brought Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte to Beaufort and nearby Fripp Island, with the opening shot famously crossing the Woods Memorial Bridge over the Beaufort River. Streisand, who also directed the movie, rented a home in town during filming, and Nolte received dialect coaching from an English instructor at the Technical College of the Lowcountry to perfect his Southern accent.
Then, of course, there’s Forrest Gump. While many scenes from this iconic movie were filmed in Georgia, Island State Park and Fripp Island provided the Vietnam War scenes where Forrest meets Bubba and Lieutenant Dan. The area’s semi-tropical maritime forest convincingly doubled for Southeast Asian jungle. The spot where Forrest dropped his wounded comrades was filmed along the lagoon at Hunting Island, now South Carolina's most popular state park.
Georgetown
Founded in 1729 and South Carolina's third-oldest city, Georgetown played a supporting (but important) role in The Patriot. It served as the exterior of Charlotte Selton's plantation, where Benjamin Martin's children took refuge during the Revolutionary War. Mansfield Plantation, established in 1718 on the banks of the Black River, served as the filming location. Today, it operates as a bed-and-breakfast where you can stay in the very buildings that appeared on the big screen.
Movies aside, the close to 1,000-acre property is recognized as one of the most architecturally intact antebellum rice plantations in the United States. Pay a visit, and you’ll see the original main house, a schoolhouse, a chapel, and the mile-long Avenue of Oaks that rivals Boone Hall's famous approach. The grounds alone are worth the stay and are ideal for birdwatching and hiking.
Be sure to also take a wander around Georgetown's well-preserved historic district. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the region's plantations produced so much rice that Georgetown County was once the wealthiest in the United States. You can learn more about this fascinating past at the Rice Museum, which documents this history through dioramas, artifacts, and exhibits in the town’s distinctive clock tower building.
As you can see, South Carolina's film locations are among the best in the United States. This makes diving into the state’s film heritage a unique opportunity for film buffs to pull together an unforgettable travel itinerary. From blockbusters like The Big Chill to Forrest Gump, South Carolina’s most famous film locations are ideal vacation spots for travelers with an appreciation for classic movie moments.
