How to Relive Your Favorite Movie Scenes Shot in Charleston, SC

private carriage tours

Founded in 1670, Charleston, South Carolina boasts over 300 years of history. From historic battles to America’s first ever museum, this city has a long list of stories to tell its visitors. So many, in fact, that many a filmmaker has set and filmed here!

Hollywood classics like The Patriot and The Notebook were filmed in part or 100% in Charleston and the surrounding area. If you, like many other fans of these films, want to get a taste of what the actors saw while filming, here’s where you need to go!

The Patriot
While critics haven’t taken kindly to The Patriot as a historically accurate film, there’s no doubt that this fictional retelling of a father and his family during the American Revolution is a tearjerker. If you’re one of the film’s many fans, here’s where you can go to relive a piece of the magic:

  • College of Charleston – Randolph Hall, the college’s administrative building, was used to film a number of assembly scenes in this movie.

  • Cypress Gardens – This location served as the militia’s hidden meeting place in the movie. Spoiler: this is a popular filming location in Charleston!

  • Middleton Place Plantation – Of course, private carriage tours around this historical mansion are a safer bet than a swamp. This location is one of the most beautiful in the film and is open for daily tours.

The Notebook
If you’re any kind of romantic at all, chances are you’ve seen this movie. Set in gorgeous 1940s era Charleston, there were very few scenes in this movie not filmed in or around Charleston. Here are some of the locations you might want to visit:

  • Boone Hall – This location offers a combination of architectural beauty and romantic nostalgia. It served as Allie’s house in the film! Just imagine taking Charleston horse carriage tours around this beautiful property!

  • Corner of King and Mary Street – Noah and Allie decide to dance and lay in the middle of this intersection in the movie, but we recommend private carriage tours or admiring from a sidewalk. This busy intersection is also close to the American Theatre, another location from the film.

  • Cypress Gardens – We did say that this is a popular filming spot. And it just so happens to be the location of Noah and Allie’s swan-filled boat ride. To relive some of the magic, you can rent a boat yourself.

Whether you choose private carriage tours through historic Charleston or a romantic boat ride through Cypress Gardens, there’s no denying that this city is filled to the brim with amazing scenery. It attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, and visiting one of these locations could make your visit something truly special.

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