Walking through the cobbled streets of Charleston on a summer’s night as a warm breeze gently sways palm trees against a midnight sky, it’s easy to see how this city became home to one of Hollywood’s greatest love stories.
Two decades ago, film producers came to South Carolina to scout locations for a new film based on the novel The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. With its historic mansions, beautifully preserved architecture and horse-drawn carriages slowly clopping through the city streets, they fell for Charleston and settled on it as the setting for the fictional town of Seabrook, South Carolina, where the majority of Allie and Noah’s love story takes place (although the novel itself was actually set in the real town of New Bern, North Carolina).
The film debuted on 25 June 2004, propelling Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams to stardom and cementing itself as a cultural touchstone in the public consciousness.
Read more on USA travel:
- The best beaches to visit on a US trip
- How to do the perfect New York City break
- The revival of California’s vintage motels
Charleston’s history is not without controversy – the city was once the slave trade capital of North America, acting as a key port for the movement of enslaved people from west Africa. But the city has taken strides to face up to its troubled past – the excellent International African American Museum helps to tell the story – and has grown into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the south of the USA, with charming hotels, a thriving restaurant scene and rows of boutique stores.
And fans of The Notebook can experience all this while visiting locations that, 20 years on, are still easily recognisable from the movie. These are the 12 that are worth a look both in and around the city – some are private residences and you won’t be able to enter, while others welcome visitors and have fully embraced their Notebook fame.
The Admiral’s House (and the Old Navy Base)
Address: 1100 Navy Way, North Charleston
Built in 1905, the Admiral’s House was used for several interior shots of The Notebook, including the scene where Allie paints on the balcony – it’s the “white house with blue shutters and a room overlooking the river” and the “big old porch that wraps around the entire house” of her dreams. Downstairs, the blue room was used for a scene in the old people’s home where Noah tells his wife their story. The interior of a nearby desanctified chapel went through several set transformations to serve as the backdrop for multiple scenes as well.
Just a 20-minute drive from Charleston, the Admiral’s House sits at the Old Naval Base – the area was where some of the (behind-the-scenes) production offices were located. The house itself is picture-perfect South Carolina, with weeping willows surrounding the property. It’s now used for weddings and corporate events, and can be booked for overnight stays as part of these packages.
Boone Hall Plantation
Address: 1235 Long Point Road, Charleston
Exterior shots of Allie’s family’s summer house were filmed at the Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens in Mount Pleasant, which is around 25 minutes’ drive from downtown Charleston. Photography and video recording isn’t allowed inside the house, so production used a second location (the Williams Mansion) to film indoor scenes.
Fans will recognise the gates that Noah skids and crashes into when arriving at the house (a fun fact is that this wasn’t planned – Ryan Gosling simply didn’t brake on time), and the front porch that Allie runs up. The creek behind the house was used for the famous lake scene where Noah jumps in the water.
The plantation is a popular tourist destination, but has come under scrutiny in the past for holding weddings – Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively were criticised for marrying at the location without recognition of its troubled history. There are nine 18th-century slave dwellings on the property, and Boone Hall now holds educational programmes where visitors can learn about the history of the estate.
Cypress Gardens
Address: 3030 Cypress Gardens Road, Charleston
Cypress Gardens is a 40-minute drive out of the city, but it’s worth making the trip and taking a boat out through the man-made swamp that’s lined with cypress trees – just like Noah and Allie did in The Notebook’s famous boat scene.
As you glide through the water that’s criss-crossed by pretty white bridges, you’ll spot herons, yellow sliders, egrets, turtles, wood ducks and osprey – and even some alligators. You can also take a stroll along the trails that surround the swamp.
Although the lake that Allie and Noah row through is filled with swans, these birds are actually not native to the area – filmmakers bought the ones seen in the movie as chicks and then raised them on a nearby lake in a playpen so that they would get used to the location before using them in filming.
Martins Point Plantation
Private residence, Wadmalaw Island
Although this is a private residence and visitors cannot enter, it’s on our list as it’s the location of the house Noah built Allie – so worth a mention. Rumour has it that Ryan Gosling wanted Noah to burn the house down after completing its renovations.
The American Theater
446 King Street, Charleston
Opened in 1942, the wonderfully retro American Theater Scene was the setting for Noah and Allie’s first date. Although it no longer shows movies, its beautifully preserved Art Deco charm both inside and out is used as a venue for events, including weddings, dinner receptions and corporate retreats. The board outside that once showed screenings now displays messages – in fact, it’s become very popular for marriage proposals. Although you’ll need to be part of a planned event to enter the building, its exterior is a must-see when strolling around Charleston.
High Cotton
Address: 199 East Bay Street, Charleston
Noah and Allie’s love story takes a turn after Allie goes to college and meets Lon (played by James Marsden) and the couple become engaged. At the High Cotton restaurant in Charleston Noah spots Allie greeting her fiancé through the restaurant’s window.
You can still eat at the restaurant on East Bay Street in downtown Charleston where you’ll be served traditional low country fare on white tablecloths against a backdrop of exposed brick and heart pine floors. Interestingly, a manager of neighbouring restaurant Slightly North of Broad was cast as the maitre d’ in this Notebook scene.
Old Village
Address: Old Village Drive, Mount Pleasant
The charming Old Village in Mount Pleasant sets the scene for parts of Seabrook. Fans will recognise Pitt Street Pharmacy as the place where Noah and Allie go on an ice cream date – you can still go into the delightfully old-fashioned store now for a scoop or two.
Just 15 minutes’ drive across the bridge from downtown Charleston, Mount Pleasant is well worth a visit. It’s smaller and more laid-back than its neighbour, but you could easily send a day exploring the beaches, restaurants and shops. Old Village itself is particularly quaint with historic homes, cute little inns and boutique stores.
Williams Mansion (formerly Calhoun Mansion)
Address: 16 Meeting Street, Charleston
As mentioned, the Williams Mansion was used for indoor shots of the Hamiltons’ (Allie’s family) summer house. Built in 1876, the house has served as a private residence, a hotel, a filming site, and a tourist attraction. Although currently closed to tourists, it should be open for visitors later this summer.
William Aiken House
456 King Street, Charleston
Engaged to another man and trying on her wedding dress, Allie is in William Aiken House right in the centre of downtown Charleston – just steps away from the America Theater – when she sees Noah in the newspaper and faints. William Aiken House, built in the 19th century, still looks very much the same now as it did in the movie, filled with artwork and antiques, and with an elegant wraparound balcony.
Nowadays, the house is a popular wedding venue, with a large courtyard and a two-century-old magnolia tree sitting outside. Tourists can view the house from the street but will need to be part of an organised event to be invited inside.
Black River Plantation
Address: Georgetown
Another private residence, so not one you can actually enter, Black River Plantation was Allie’s nursing home. In the past, it has held various names such as Rice Hope Plantation and Waddell Ranch, and was at one time the International Paper Company House.
King Street
Address: Charleston
The joyful scene in which Noah and Allie dance and lie together on the road after their first date was shot at King Street. A temporary stoplight, as well as vintage parking meters and window signs were set up during the filming.
Now it’s a relatively busy intersection – so don’t be tempted to recreate the scene – and it’s just a short walk from the William Aiken House and American Theater, so you can combine all three locations on a stroll downtown.
College of Charleston
66 George Street, Charleston
In the film, Allie went to college at Sarah Lawrence in New York, but the producers decided to utilise the Charleston-based college to stay local, and used it for scenes when she was studying. It’s worth taking a wander through the campus, which was founded in 1770 and is the 13th-oldest university in the US.
Read more: USA travel guide – everything you need to know before you go
