Cousins Beach, the fictional setting for Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty, was conceived as a mashup of several seaside spots in the Northeast, according to author Jenny Han, who wrote the novels the show is based on.
But the TV version was not made on Cape Cod or in the Hamptons. Instead, the three love- and loss-filled summers in the life of Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung) were all shot in and around Wilmington, North Carolina.
The picturesque gateway city to the state’s Cape Fear Coast has long been a popular locale for the makers of movies and TV shows, who are drawn to the area for its proximity to telegenic beaches as well as charming downtown architecture (and for its budget-friendly tax incentives and relative affordability).
Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill, The Conjuring, Iron Man 3, and a bunch more onscreen credits have helped earned Wilmington the nicknames of “Hollywood East” and “Wilmywood”—though don’t you think “Filmington” sounds better?
As The Summer I Turned Pretty nears the finale of its third and final season on Wednesday, September 17—when, let’s hope, Belly at last decides between brothers Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) Fisher—fans can get an extension by visiting the show’s Wilmington filming locations in person.
Some places to add to your itinerary follow, along with mild spoilers.
The Summer I Turned Pretty Filming Locations in Wilmington, North Carolina
Many of the show’s sandy scenes were captured at Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach, and Kure Beach.
Notably, the nighttime bonfires of Season 1 took place at Kure Beach’s Fort Fisher State Recreation Area—where bonfires aren’t allowed in real life.
Crystal Pier in Wrightsville Beach is where you’ll find the Oceanic, an Atlantic-facing seafood restaurant that served as the setting for the dramatic moment in Season 3 when Belly announces she’s engaged to one of the brothers.
Neither the country club nor the Fisher family’s beach house seen onscreen are open to the public. The latter is situated inside a gated community called Porters Neck Plantation, and unless you’re a member you can only see the Cape Fear Country Club from the road (the address is 1518 Country Club Rd.).
If it’s any consolation, many of the show’s interior shots weren’t filmed where the exteriors were captured, anyway, but at Wilmington’s Cinespace Studios, according to People magazine.
You can definitely visit the many Wilmington shops, bars, and other businesses that have appeared on the show.
Among the must-sees: Papercut Books (200 Market St.), which stands in for the fictional Whale of a Tale bookstore in the series; Little Loaf Bakery & Schoolhouse (3410 Wrightsville Ave.), where Belly shops for wedding cakes; and bars such as Hell’s Kitchen (118 Princess St.) and The Fat Pelican (8 Lake Park Blvd. S., in Carolina Beach).
As for Season 3’s memorable peach scene, in which wiping fruit juice from someone else’s face is presented as the most intimate act two people can experience: That was shot at Trask Family Farms (3650 Blue Clay Rd.) in nearby Castle Hayne.
Currently closed, the farm will reopen for fall fun on September 20. Peaches won’t be in season, but there’s a corn maze and a pumpkin patch.
For an exhaustive list of Wilmington area filming locations featured on The Summer I Turned Pretty, as well as a map with driving directions, go to the region’s official tourism website, WilmingtonandBeaches.com.
