The ‘Hollywood of the East’

Its sunny weather and diverse, attractive landscapes have helped North Carolina become the third most popular state – behind California and New York – in which to make movies.

Indeed, the state of North Carolina has been the setting for hundreds of movies, and has been nominated for numerous Oscars and BAFTA’s over the years – earning it the nickname ‘The Hollywood of the East’ among those in the business.

Holidaymakers can visit the places where great motion pictures were made: the Biltmore Estate, the setting for Hannibal; the Blue Ridge Mountains, home to Daniel Day-Lewis in The Last of the Mohicans; and the shores of Lake Lure, where Patrick Swayze made us all fall in love with Dirty Dancing. 

Take a trip to the heartland of the state to see the field where Bull Durham made movie history, or follow the pan-state journey of Inman, the confederate soldier hero of Cold Mountain. 

Finally, visit Wilmington, where Dawson’s Creek was created. Other favourite performances include Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder – a hit with local race fans – and Jodie Foster’s Oscar winning performance in Nell.

Here are just some of the locations you should consider when planning a tour of movie locations:

The Biltmore Estate, Asheville

The largest private residence in the United States, The Biltmore Estate (right) is the former home of the mega-rich George Vanderbilt, who inherited over 15 million dollars in the 1860s. It’s 250-room chateau, gardens and winery that has long been a popular location with filmmakers. Wander the grounds and see if you can recognise any of these sets:

• Forrest Gump
  
• My Fellow Americans
  
• Hannibal
  
• Patch Adams
  
• Richie Rich
  
• Mr Destiny
  
• The Swan
  
• Being There

Your estate admission ticket includes daytime access to Biltmore House, Gardens, Winery and Farm Village. The estate also offers great shopping and dining. Parking is included. Monday – Thursday prices are $38 per adult, $19 for youths (10-16yrs). Friday – Sunday prices are $40 per adult, $20 for youths. Children are free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Chimney Rock Park, near Asheville

The sheer cliffs and spectacular views at Chimney Rock Park made it the ideal location for the climactic scene of The Last of the Mohicans, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe. Remember the final fight scene along the top of a huge waterfall? Well, you can relive those moments at the top of 404-foot high Hickory Nut Falls. Chimney Rock Park is a family-owned natural wonderland, and is well worth the entrance fee of $14 per adult and $6 for children (6-15yrs)

Lake Lure, near Asheville

Several scenes from the hugely successful Dirty Dancing, starring Patrick Swayze, were shot along the 27-mile shoreline of beautiful Lake Lure. Take a pontoon ride on the lake, which has been described as one of the most beautiful manmade lakes in the world, and take in the scenery and films sets while you learn about the area’s Indian folklore.

One-hour narrated tours include a visit to the site where Dirty Dancing and other movies were filmed. Passengers will be told the story of Snake Island, view the first home built on the lake and discover the legend of the church said to be 100 feet below the surface! All of this is set against the backdrop of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Prices are $10 for adults and $6 for children aged 4-12 years.

The Asheville area also appears in 28 Days, starring Sandra Bullock. The YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly and the Black Walnut Inn were both used in the film – in fact, stay in the Walnut Inn’s Dogwood Room and you’ll be sleeping on the same bed Sandra Bullock once reclined on.

University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (left), the nation’s first state university, was chartered in 1789 and opened to students in 1795. It was the only public university to award degrees to students in the 18th century. Since those early years, this special place of learning has become an integral part of North Carolina tradition.

The university’s picturesque buildings were used in Patch Adams, Three in the Attic and Kiss the Girls, and Bull Durham, one of the most successful baseball films ever made, was largely shot at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Lowe’s Motor Speedway, near Charlotte

Home to NASCAR racing, Lowes Motor Speedway (right) hosts some of NASCAR’s biggest events, and the driving schools based at the track make it a great place to test drive a real race car – just hold on tight as you go round! Lowes Motor Speedway’s film credits include Stroker Ace and Days of Thunder with Tom Cruise.

EUE/Screen Gems, Wilmington

Located on the coast, EUE/Screen Gems is one of America’s most successful studios. The picturesque 32-acre film lot has provided a set for more than 300 films, TV shows and commercials, including Matlock, One Tree Hill, Domestic Disturbance, Dawson’s Creek, Lolita, Year of the Dragon and Day of the Jackal.

Guided walking tours of the studios are available. The one-hour tour includes visits to the sets of Dawson’s Creek and the new Warner Brother Network hit One Tree Hill. Entry prices start at $12. Tours begin at 12 noon on Saturdays from September to May, and at 12 noon and 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Airlie Gardens, Wilmington

Near EUE/Screen Gems is Airlie Gardens (right). Its lovely grounds and beautiful 12-acre lake have been used in at least half a dozen movies, including Black Knight, Betsy’s Wedding, I Know What You Did Last Summer and Firestarter.

Take a tour around the gardens or picnic in the serene coastal setting – a true southern charm! Prices are $5 for adults and $3 for children aged 6 to 12. Children under five are admitted free.

Buckner Hill Plantation, Faison

Buckner Hill House is one of the largest antebellum plantation houses in North Carolina, restored in 1855. Still surrounded by hundreds of acres of cotton, corn, tobacco and cattle, it provides a rare example of mostly unchanged Greek Revival plantation architecture.

The plantation provided an ideal southern setting for The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. The feature film adaptation of the best-selling novel starred Sandra Bullock, Ashley Judd, James Garner and Academy award-winners Ellen Burstyn and Dame Maggie Smith.

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All images are courtesy of North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development. Bill Russ, Photographer