10 ‘Outer Banks’ Filming Locations You Can Visit in Real Life

Ready to live the Pogue life? Look no further than Charleston, South Carolina.

Netflix’s Outer Banks, which is technically set in the real Outer Banks in North Carolina, isn’t actually filmed there. The show’s production decided to move their filming locations to South Carolina in response to North Carolina’s House Bill 2 legislation, which required transgender people to use the bathroom according to the sex they were assigned at birth, according to the Wilmington Star-News.

Luckily, there are plenty of beautiful, beachy places to film just a little south. Outer Banks highlights some of the best locations in Charleston and Mount Pleasant, so you can live out your teen mystery drama fantasies in one of the United States’ most charming and historical cities.

Here are just a few amazing places that were used as film locations for the show. Outer Banks premiered Season 2 of the show in July 2021, and all episodes are currently streaming on Netflix.

Before you travel anywhere, be sure to note the local CDC guidelines, including vaccination, testing, and quarantine requirements as well as local mask laws.

There are plenty of sun-soaked scenes on the water for this show, and most of them were filmed in Mount Pleasant’s Shem Creek. The waterfront area is a big tourist destination in the area where you can find beautiful views, creek-side dining, and plenty of water activities.

Many scenes from the show are filmed along Pitt Street in Mount Pleasant. This small stretch in the Old Village includes several locations shown in the show, including the St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Pitt Street Pharmacy. The street continues to the Pitt Street Bridge, which is an ideal place to catch blue crabs.

The Hunting Island Lighthouse is the only publicly accessible lighthouse in South Carolina, and it stood in for the fictional Redfield Lighthouse in the show. The Hunting Island Lighthouse was built in 1859 and unfortunately destroyed over the course of the Civil War. It was rebuilt in 1875 and currently stands as a popular tourist attraction today.

Lowndes Grove isn’t just a popular wedding venue in Charleston, but it’s also the stand-in for the Cameron family home. It’s no wonder why Sarah Cameron is considered the “Princess of the Kooks.” This waterfront estate along the Ashley River was built in 1786 and is on the National Register for Historic Places. It’s often used as a wedding venue, but it should be noted that it has a history of being a plantation.

The Wreck is featured on the show as being Kiara’s (a Kook who hangs out with the Pogues) place of work. The show simplified the name, but you’ll be happy to know that The Wreck is also The Wreck of the Richard and Charlene, a local restaurant in Mount Pleasant, serving fresh seafood.

Heyward’s Seafood (Pope Heyward’s dad’s seafood business) in the show is actually Geechie Seafood in Mount Pleasant. This seafood shack is the perfect place to find fresh shrimp straight from Shem Creek. In fact, the whole area is like a seafood lover’s paradise.

The fanciest of all the fancy Kook locations in the show must be the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, which was a stand-in for the country club that hosted the Midsummer Night’s party in Season 1. The resort naturally has a golf course, as well as tennis courts, beachside activities, and tons of luxurious rooms and villas.

John B and Sarah visited this gorgeous park located in downtown Charleston as part of their day trip to UNC Chapel Hill, and it’s the perfect place for you and your partner to take a romantic stroll. Not only is Washington Square Park an excellent place to look at some gorgeous azaleas, Spanish moss, and ancient oak trees, it’s also right in the middle of the historic district.

Another UNC Chapel Hill day trip stop for John B and Sarah, the exterior of UNC Chapel Hill’s Law Library (which is actually in North Carolina) was actually the exterior of the Charleston Gaillard Center in downtown Charleston. The stately building is actually a concert hall and performance venue, where anyone can see Broadway touring shows, the Charleston Symphony, and more.

If you want to be a Kook, you should dress like one. And there’s no better way to cop some rich-kid style than the Ben Silver flagship store in Charleston. Another stop on John B and Sarah’s day trip, this colorful fashion brand has dressed-up beachy fashions for both men and women.