The CW has a good track record with teen dramas and supernatural shows, so it shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise that The Vampire Diaries quickly became one of their most loved shows when it dropped in 2009.
The pilot attracted the largest audience for a first showing in CW history when it first aired, and until the similarly loved Arrow turned up on the roster, it was the most popular show on the channel. This commercial success was aided by an avalanche of award nominations, especially from more teen-oriented organizations.
The show follows Elena (Nina Dobrev), an orphaned teen who lives in Mystic Falls, a town known for its supernatural history. She begins to fall in love with Stefan (Paul Wesley), unaware he’s actually a 161-year old vampire. Stefan’s brother Damon then comes back onto the scene, bringing with him both romantic and more dangerous, supernatural drama.
The series was so popular that it spawned a number of other shows, comics, and even novels. One of the things that is so loved about The Vampire Diaries is its amazing backdrops. But where are these beautiful, varied scenescapes? Read on to find out where The Vampire Diaries was filmed!
Where was The Vampire Diaries filmed?
Funnily enough, there are two answers to this. The incredibly popular pilot was filmed in British Columbia, Canada, specifically Vancouver and areas around the city. One of the shots of Salvatore Boarding House was also filmed here at Foxglove Farm, which has appeared in a number of other films and television shows thanks to its beautiful architecture.
However, the rest of the series was actually filmed in Georgia, as the Southern U.S state has some excellent tax advantages for movie and television production. The show is mostly set in Covington, Georgia, which was transformed into Mystic Falls every time a new season was filmed. Other parts of Georgia also appear in the show, including locations in the Greater Atlanta area.
In Covington, there are lots of places from the show that fans can visit. This includes Mystic Cafe, Scoops, and Lockwood Mansion. The latter is filmed at two locations: Worthington Manor near Covington, and 2129 East Street, SE Covington. The older shots of Lockwood Mansion from flashback scenes can be found in real life at Twelve Oaks Bed & Breakfast, where you can even stay the night, if you want!
Other locations tend to be private property, so you can certainly get a glimpse of the places while walking around Covington, but it’s probably best not to get too close or snap a picture without permission. If you do want to capture some memories, then the Clocktower is public and in the center of Covington. And, if you’re willing to drive a little, then you can drive to Oxford College of Emory University in Oxford, Georgia, which stands in for Whitmore College in the show.