As a huge “One Tree Hill” and “Dawson’s Creek” fan, the thing I was most excited about moving to North Carolina was that we would be close to Wilmington, NC. In fact, right after we moved here, we drove to Wilmington, toured the film studio there, and drove by some of the filming locations for these two shows for my birthday. When one of my besties also moved nearby, we took a day trip to Wilmington to see many of the One Tree Hill filming locations.
This year, I took my sisters to Wilmington to visit many of the One Tree Hill filming locations again. We even went to more than I did on my first trip. So, in honor of One Tree Hill Day (September 23rd), I decided to share with all my fellow Tree Hillers some of the famous filming locations from the show and where they are located so that you can plan your own One Tree Hill day visiting them all.
PRO TIP
Be respectful of the houses and property when you visit these filming locations. The houses are private residences that have people living in them. Do NOT walk up and knock on the door, take photos on their property/front porch, peak into windows, or bother the owners. Take your photos on public property: the sidewalk and then move on. You wouldn’t want random people bothering you all the time if you lived there. So just be kind and respectful.
I like to start off by visiting The River Court location first. From where I come from on the highway, this is usually the first location I come across. Then I head downtown for The Bridge, find parking downtown near the Riverwalk, and visit the Visitor Center before I head out on my walking tour. After that, it’s a driving tour. Come along while I show you step by step at each location!
The River Court
1 Battleship Rd, Wilmington, NC 28401
This is where the famous River Court was located during the filming of the show. The actual court was brought in by the crew, so it no longer sits there, but it is still an iconic place to visit. It is located at the USS North Carolina History Museum over by the water. There is a gazebo that has a lot of things written by fans too.
The Bridge
N. 6th St & Hanover St, Wilmington, NC 28401
This is the famous bridge from the opening credits of the show where Lucas dribbles the basketball. It is the 6th St Bridge in downtown Wilmington. I was a bit nervous to come here because I had heard it was in a sketchy neighborhood, but it wasn’t bad. One side of the bridge was really nice with brand new apartments, but the other side of the bridge did look a little sketchy still. We went during the day and just stayed on the nicer side. We saw multiple other fans come by to take photos while we were there too. There wasn’t much traffic, so it was easy to snap some photos on the road. There was plenty of space to pull over and park nearby too.
WALKING TOUR
PRO TIP
Check out the Downtown Wilmington Visitor Information Booth, located in downtown Wilmington on the Riverwalk at the foot of Market St and Water St. There are also public restrooms located here. They are very helpful and can answer any questions you may have about the area or filming locations. Both times I went there and they were able to provide me with printed papers and more information on filming locations. They operate on a seasonal schedule. Learn more here.
Karen’s Cafe (pilot)
300 N. Front St, Wilmington, NC 28401
Karen’s Cafe was actually filmed in two different locations. This is where it was filmed in the pilot episode of the show. It is right across the street from the other Karen’s Cafe location. It is currently a juice bar. It is located downtown on a busy street. Street parking can be hard to find depending on the time of day. Both times I went, I did the downtown locations as a walking tour, so I didn’t have my car around this location.
Karen’s Cafe / Clothes Over Bros
Corner of Grace St & Front St, Wilmington, NC 28401
When One Tree Hill got picked up for a series, Karen’s Cafe was moved to this location. This is where it was for the rest of the show, and it was also the Clothes Over Bros location later on in the series. It is currently an outdoor store. This is located in downtown Wilmington, across the street from Karen’s Cafe in the pilot episode. It is a busy street, so pictures can be tricky and sometimes need to be taken from across the street for better views.
The Riverwalk
The Riverwalk is a 1.75-mile beautiful walkway right along the Cape Fear River in downtown Wilmington. It runs parallel to Water Street and Front Street. Many shows have used this as a backdrop during filming. It can be seen in many scenes throughout One Tree Hill’s many seasons. The famous Naley cracker jack table is also located on the Riverwalk. The most recent time I visited the Riverwalk was during construction, so you cannot walk along the entire length, but it is still beautiful. I love to walk the entire length – there are many shops and restaurants along the walk. The USS North Carolina/River Court can be seen across the water.
The Naley Cracker Jack Table
The Riverwalk
The famous Naley (Nathan+Haley) bench where he gives her the crackerjack bracelet. It is located along the Riverwalk near the Downtown Wilmington Visitor Information Booth. The first time I visited (first photo in black shirt), there were multiple benches like this lined up along the water. However, the most recent time I went (middle and right photos), they were all taken down during the Riverwalk construction. The Naley bench was relocated (still as is) and now has a plaque beside it. SO while it no longer sits where it was when the scene was shot, you can still visit and take photos with the authentic bench.
CD Alley
8 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28401
This is where CD Alley was in the show. It is the record shop that Chris Keller worked at and also where Nathan first asked Haley out on a date. It is a shop called The Black Cat Shoppe, and they do actually sell One Tree Hill and Dawson’s Creek merchandise among other things. It is located in the heart of downtown Wilmington, right around the corner from the riverwalk and the Downtown Wilmington Visitor Information Booth.
DRIVING TOUR
Lucas & Karen’s House
1829 Wrightsville Ave, Wilmington, NC 28403
This is the house that Lucas and Karen lived in. It is located in a quiet neighborhood with small one-way streets. The house is on the corner of a weird, curved street. Parking may be hard to find due to all the residents parking on the street, but it is easy to stop for a minute to snap a photo from your car (that’s what we did).
Peyton Sawyer’s House
1901 Chestnut St, Wilmington, NC 28405
Located on the corner of a street, beside Haley’s house. This is the house that Peyton Sawyer lived in during high school. There was plenty of street parking available when we stopped, and not much traffic on the road, so it was easy to get some photos. The house is pretty overgrown with trees/plants now, unlike in the show.
Haley James’ House
1811 Chestnut St, Wilmington, NC 28405
Located on the corner of the street beside Peyton’s house. This is the house Haley lived in with her parents. The sidewalk is the famous first kiss scene location for Haley and Nathan.
Brooke Davis’ House
2314 Tattersalls Dr, Wilmington, NC 28403
This is the house Brooke Davis grew up in and lived in during her high school years. Located in a quiet, richer neighborhood. There is plenty of street parking to stop and snap a photo, and very little traffic. This house is absolutely gorgeous, and the door is still red (just like in the show).
Dan, Deb, & Nathan Scott’s House
1621 Country Club Rd, Wilmington, NC 28403
This is the house Nathan lived in with Dan and Deb. You often saw Nathan and Dan playing shooting hoops in the driveway of this house on the show. It is also located in a very nice, richer neighborhood. It is quiet and has plenty of street parking and little through traffic. There are a lot of trees, which does make seeing this house a little harder.
TRIC / Red Bedroom Records
1121 South Front St, Wilmington, NC 28401
This is where TRIC and Red Bedroom Records were located. It is an office building right off of a very busy road. It was empty when we visited but appeared to have some construction or workers inside the building. We kept our distance but were able to snap these photos. The outside doors still have TRIC stickers on them.
Keith Scott’s Auto Body Shop
19 Covil Ave, Wilmington, NC 28403
This is where Keith Scott’s Auto Body Shop was. It is an actual working auto body business called Performance Auto Specialists. We drove by after hours, so we just snapped a picture and went on our way. It is located off of a very busy street with not much parking (with all the cars getting worked on).
Nathan & Haley’s Apartment
4395 Birchwood Dr, Wilmington, NC 28405
Located at the Birchwood Park Apartments. This is the apartment that Nathan moves into and then later Haley after they get married. I’m not sure which exact apartment they used for the show, but they all look the same.
Nathan & Haley’s House
2709 Middle Sound Loop Rd, Wilmington, NC 28411
This is the house that Haley and Nathan lived in with their family during the later seasons 5-9. This house is located in a cul-de-sac with about 4 houses. It is a very wealthy area and was well hidden. We missed the turn for it initially because you couldn’t see it very well from the street (we didn’t see any house numbers or anything). We did drive on the cul-de-sac, but because of the area, we didn’t feel comfortable driving up the driveway (didn’t want to trespass)…so we snapped this picture as best as we could from the car. It does look different than on the show (different colors and the trees keep it hidden), so it took us a little bit to verify which house on the cul-de-sac was the one from the show.
There are also a few shops that sell OTH t-shirts and memorabilia for you to purchase a little piece of Tree Hill in downtown Wilmington. These stops are what I would consider the big highlights for One Tree Hill filming locations, but there are still more that I hope to visit one day. In fact, I’m making a list for my next visit, as well as other filming locations of movies and shows. I’ll keep you posted! Happy living in Tree Hill for a day!
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