The TV series "The Summer I Turned Pretty" was primarily filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, and its surrounding beach areas including Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Wrightsville Beach, and Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. These locations stood in for the fictional Cousins Beach, which in the story is set in the Cape Cod area but was actually brought to life in North Carolina for the show
. Key filming spots include:
- Cousins Beach scenes: Wilmington and nearby beaches such as Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and Wrightsville Beach.
- The "Entering Cousins Beach" sign: Southport, North Carolina, near the Wilmington Cape Fear Pilots Association's old lookout tower.
- The Fisher family's beach house: Porters Neck Plantation, a private gated golf community in Wilmington.
- The country club featured in season 1: Cape Fear Country Club in Wilmington, with some interior shots at St. Mary Catholic School.
- Rosie's pie stand: Old River Farms in Burgaw, North Carolina.
- Brown University scenes: Filmed at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, not the actual Brown University.
Many interior scenes, including parts of the Fisher house, were filmed on sound stages at Screen Gems Studio in Wilmington
. In summary, although the story is set in a New England-like coastal town, the actual filming took place mostly in and around Wilmington, North Carolina, making use of its picturesque beaches and historic sites to create the show's setting
