There’s nothing like rewatching your favorite classic TV show cuddled up under a blanket with your favorite snack. It brings a sense of comfort and at times nostalgia to our busy lives, making it an easy way to indulge in self-care. But what if we told you instead of rewatching your favorite TV show, you could experience the setting of the show for yourself? Luckily for us, many fan-favorites and classic TV shows are based in real towns you can visit and see first-hand, or towns you can visit that may have inspired a fictional town in a show. Some even have made these cities into tourist attractions for fans of the shows with interactive activities you can participate in. Keep reading for the best real-life towns based on some of your favorite TV shows.
Step into Stars Hollow: the ‘Gilmore Girls’ real-life town
If you’re a fan of the beloved Gilmore Girls series, you know that the show is set in the fictional Stars Hollow, a small, close-knit community in Connecticut outside of Hartford. While Stars Hollow is not a real town, it is said to be based on Washington and New Milford, Connecticut, small towns about an hour outside of Hartford. Hartford is another major setting in Gilmore Girls, and is not fictional.
In Washington and New Milford, you can experience the small-town, cozy feel that’s portrayed in Stars Hollow. Stop by their cute shops and dining attractions, and of course, in true Gilmore Girls fashion, you have to stop somewhere for a cup of coffee like Marty’s Cafe.
Explore Mystic Falls: The Vampire Diaries’ Covington, GA
One of the most iconic teen dramas of the 2010s was The Vampire Diaries, which aired from 2009 to 2017. The storyline follows orphan Elena Gilbert and her love triangle with two estranged vampire brothers. The series is set in Mystic Falls, a fictional town in Virginia. However, the show was filmed primarily in Covington, Georgia.
Covington welcomes all The Vampire Diaries fans to visit its themed attractions, such as the Mystic Grill which was the local restaurant that many scenes from the show took place in, as well as downtown Covington. You can also take a Mystic Falls tour where you’ll visit attractions such as the Lockwood Mansion and Gilbert house.
Relive ‘Dawson’s Creek’ and ‘One Tree Hill’ in Wilmington, NC
Take a trip to Wilmington, North Carolina, the filming hub for two beloved TV dramas: Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill. Set in the fictional town of Capeside, Dawson’s Creek captivated late-’90s and early-‘00s audiences by following the emotional journeys of teenagers transitioning to adulthood. Meanwhile, One Tree Hill, which debuted in 2003, quickly became one of the most-watched dramas of the decade and continues to resonate with younger generations today.
In Wilmington, fans can explore filming locations for both shows. Take a self-guided tour of Dawson’s Creek hotspots like Hell’s Kitchen and Screen Play Video, or relive memorable One Tree Hill moments by visiting the Wilmington Riverwalk, where Nathan Scott gifted Haley James the iconic Cracker Jack bracelet, and Blue Post Billiards, where Brooke Davis and Lucas Scott got their tattoos. Wilmington’s charm truly brings these fictional worlds to life!
Feel the ‘Friday Night Lights’ in Odessa, TX
You may know the story of Friday Night Lights from the popular television series, but did you know it was first a nonfiction novel by journalist H. G. Bissinger? Odessa, Texas was the setting of the book, but the setting of the TV series was fictional Dillon, Texas, based on Odessa. It was filmed in Odessa, as well as Austin, Texas and surrounding areas.
