Self-Guided Tour of The Notebook Film Locations in Charleston

The Notebook –  do you love it or hate it? For me, a great love story with Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams is definitely a win. When I started planning our trip to Charleston, South Carolina, seeing some of The Notebook film locations was at the top of my to-do list. There are four main filming locations around Charleston, South Carolina that you can visit (aka not private property). It took me a full day to see them all, so make sure to budget enough time!

Here are The Notebook film locations that can be seen around Charleston:

Allie’s Summer Home

Allie’s summer home was filmed at Boone Hall Plantation. You can take a tour of the inside of the mansion as well as the entire Boone Hall Plantation grounds. There is a lot of historical significance here, so much sure you set aside enough time to look around. The original slave cabins dating back to 1790 are still on-site to tour and learn from. A large garden in front of the mansion is alive and well. The Cotton Gin house built in the 1850s, a brick smokehouse built-in 1750, the beautiful Avenue of Oaks planted in 1743, and more can be seen while visiting the Boone Hall Plantation. 

Boone Hall Plantation is about a 30-minute drive from Charleston and costs $26/adult to visit.

Inside Allie’s Summer Home – The Notebook Film Locations

The inside of Allie’s summer home was filmed at Williams Mansion, which used to be known as  Calhoun Mansion. Williams Mansion is located at 16 Meeting Street in Charleston. As well as seeing the inside of Allie’s Summer Home, the tour will show you what being part of the wealthiest class in Charleston would have felt like. Admission is $17/person and tours are on the hour and half-hour.

Rowboat Scene with the Swans

The rowboat scene in The Notebook was located at Cypress Gardens. This was my favorite spot to tour, and I would definitely visit again. You have the opportunity to take a self-guided boat tour, which goes through the same area that Noah and Allie explored. Unfortunately, you won’t see the swans.

Fun Fact: Swans are not native to this area. In order to train the swans to follow the boat, they brought them in a month prior to shooting.

Cypress Gardens is a 45-minute drive from Charleston and has a $10/person admission.

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Allie and Noah’s First Date – The Notebook Film Locations

Head down King Street in Charleston to see the location of Allie and Noah’s first date, The American Theater. It is located at 446 King Street. The American Theater purpose when it opened in 1942 was as Charleston’s premier movie house. Its main use now is as an event venue.

Are you a big Notebook fan? Which locations do you want to see when you visit Charleston?

Head over to my blog post for tips on things to do and where to eat for an anniversary weekend in Charleston.

For help planning your trip to Charleston, South Carolina, email me at hello@thekeystotravel.com.

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