The 2004 romance classic The Notebook was set in the fictional town of Seabrook, but was it actually filmed on Seabrook Island? See where the shots from the movie took place.
Filming Locations
Boone Hall Plantation
This popular tourist spot was used as a backdrop for the Hamilton’s summer home. Several scenes were shot on the property, such as the Hamilton family dinner, which takes place on Boone Hall’s back lawn. Fun fact: the scene in which Ryan Gosling’s character runs into the gate at Boone Hall was not originally scripted, but the director liked it so much he decided to leave it in the final cut.
Cypress Gardens
Remember the lake scene with the flock of swans? That was shot at Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. The geese that were portrayed in the shot weren’t native to the area, so the birds were brought in and had to be trained to follow the boat and appear on screen at the appropriate time. Cypress Garden’s scenes were filmed during January so as to avoid the alligators, which were hibernating at the time.
College of Charleston
The College of Charleston was used for the scenes where Rachel McAdams’ character Allie Hamilton is attending college at New York’s Sarah Lawrence College.
King Street and the American Theater
The scene where Allie and Noah are lying watching the traffic light occurs at King and Mary Streets in downtown Charleston. The movie theater where they catch “Lil’ Abner” together is the American Theater on King Street. The 19th Century William Aiken House on King was used for the film’s wedding scenes. There is also a shot where Noah and Allie are taking a stroll and chatting in which the local store fronts and parking meters were altered to reflect the style of the period.
Martins Point Plantation
Martin’s Point Plantation, historically referenced as Bears Bluff Plantation on Wadmalaw Island, is the home that Noah rebuilds in the movie (otherwise known as the notebook house.) The filmmakers initially sought out a run-down house that they could renovate but eventually decided to use the home at Martin’s Point.
Old Village
Sorry, Seabrook Islanders, the Old Village neighborhood of Mount Pleasant was the actual setting for the town of Seabrook Island. The 1996 Nicholas Sparks’ novel from which the film was adapted was set in the town of New Bern, North Carolina.