There's just something truly magical about seeing your favorite story come to life. Last month, I got the chance to visit the real-life Mystic Falls, where The Vampire Diaries was filmed, with my best friend Ashley and two sisters, Haley and Michelle.
If you're a total TVD nerd like we are, you are going to FLIP out when you visit Mystic Falls (or Covington, Georgia as we call it in the real world.) What better way to get your vampire fix than a weekend trip to explore where the TVD franchise all started?! If you say you won't totally geek out, you're lying!
Located about 30 minutes outside of Atlanta, Covington was home to TVD during its entire run from 2009 to 2017 (and now home to the TVD spinoff series Legacies.) This incredible show tells the story of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), a recently orphaned teen who falls in love with Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) and later his brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder) - both vampires. (#TeamDamon Forever!)
The moment Ashley, my sisters and I drove into the Covington town square, it took our breath away and made us squeal with delight. The town feels so familiar, it's like it all really happened and we were right there.
But wait, how much will this trip cost me? Of course, that's the first thing you are thinking. So before we get into all the amazing details about my visit to Covington, I'll tell you what you need to know about getting there! Good news is visiting Georgia is actually pretty budget-friendly. We opted to drive since my sister Haley lives in Birmingham, Alabama (only about 2.5 hours away.) But, I've highlighted some tips below to help everyone save so they can visit their favorite vampire town.
• Book a Flight into Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport - The Atlanta airport is one of the largest ariports in the country, making flights much cheaper!
• Rent a Car - This really is a must-do! Covington can't really be visited by foot if you want to do your trip justice, and renting a car is much cheaper than taking an Uber everywhere.
• Stay Locally - This totally depends on how extra you want to be, but we rented an Airbnb for our visit. There are tons of affordable options in Covington and surrounding towns to choose from. We specifically stayed in a rad Airbnb in Jonesboro, but you can always save using hotels.com in Atlanta, just a half-hour away.
Now for the real reason you are here - our visit through Mystic Falls! Of course, the first thing you will recognize when driving into town is the iconic clock tower. Remember Damon standing at the top when the town went dark? Countless scenes start right here on the square.
Although you can grab a free map and walk around Covington, the experience of the guided tour is SO worth the cost! The ONLY tour for TVD is the Vampire Stalkers Mystic Falls Tour. This tour will run you about $55 USD per person and worth every. single. dime. Plus, it's partnered with the Ian Somerhalder Foundation - which I just love!
Jessica, the guide and founder of Vampire Stalkers, knows more than any of us about TVD filming locations. She's from Covington, knows the cast and even worked on set. Taking this tour with her will give you so many fun backstories you would have never known otherwise!
Mystic Falls Tours also has the only access to the very private Lockwood Mansion estate where tons of scenes were filmed, and you'll even get to meet George Lockwood, the infamous cat.
On Saturday morning, we met our tour group at the visitor center, grabbed a photo with the Mystic Falls welcome sign from the show, and followed Jessica and her team to some awesome filming locations around town.
Our first stop on the tour was the beautiful home where Isabell stayed while in Mystic Falls in Season 2. Jessica even told us some sweet stories about Paul and Ian filming in front of this home - she had us all cracking up!
Next stop - the corner where Elena ran from the hybrid in Season 2. Surprisingly, she actually ran right in front of the home used in Rob Zombie's Halloween movie!
Another cool stop on the TVD tour? Caroline + Liz Forbes' house! Inside shots were filmed at the sound stages (like most homes on the show), but the porch really was used for the outside scenes here.
Though it's just a normal residence, every true TVD fan knows that some pretty iconic scenes took place on this porch - from Elena journaling to some pretty amazing kisses with Damon. Elena may have burned down her and Jeremy's childhood home on the show, but thankfully it's still standing for us to see in real life!
This beautiful property is Worthington Manor, known as the Lockwood Mansion. TVD lovers have watched countless scenes here, such as Stefan and Caroline's wedding in Season 8. The property is gated, and fans are only granted access to the backyard through Mystic Falls Tours. This home is truly stunning - and they even have a few rooms that showcase memorabilia from the show!
Once back in the town square, Jessica and her team pointed out specific places where scenes were filmed throughout the series, including the Mystic Grill and Grayson Gilbert's doctor's office.
After the tour ends, shop in the Vampire Stalkers gift shop! In addition to t-shirts and all sorts of fan merch, be sure to check out some really cool props from the show.
After you've visited the tour shop, take a left around the square towards the Mystic Grill. Just to the left of this infamous restaurant, take the steps down toward The Alley at Mystic Grill. (Yes, this is the same alley used for filming in the show!) Step inside for another fun collection of merch and show props. They even have themed candles!
Okay now for the important stuff - the FOOD!
Mystic Grill: Yes, this place is for real! Although the scenes inside were filmed on a sound stage and Matty Blue-Eyes won't actually be your server, it's still super fun to eat at the Mystic Grill! My best friend, sisters and I chose to eat dinner here on Saturday. We sat on the roof under the twinkle lights overlooking the clock tower and the square. It was truly magical.
Bradley's BBQ: After many recommendations from locals, we decided to visit Bradley's for lunch after our tour. The BBQ was great! If you order a sandwich, be sure to ask them to "vamp it up!"
Scoops: This ice cream shop was a favorite of the cast, and we figured out why with one visit! They serve yummy ice cream, candy, baked goods and coffee. We decided to get Ian's favorite, the Banana Pudding Milkshake! SO good!
We decided to spend Saturday afternoon and Sunday exploring more TVD and The Originalsfilming locations on our own! With some internet searching, we found our first stop -Twelve Oaks Bed + Breakfast, the 1864 Salvatore house! This home was also used for the classic movie, Gone With the Wind.
Next stop - the Timberwolves stadium + parking spot 22 where Damon killed Mr Tanner in Season 1 of TVD!
About 15 minutes outside of Covington is the little town where The Originals was filmed, Conyers. There was even a street set up to look like New Orleans! Scenes from TVD and The Originals were filmed on this street.
Just off the same street is the building where Hayley and Jackson shared an apartment in The Originals as well as the corner where Marcel killed Jane Ann on the pilot episode.
After visiting Conyers, we went on to find more TVD and The Originals filming locations. Next stop? The infamous Wickery Bridge - known most famously in TVD for being the bridge where Elena's parents died and she later became a vampire. Seeing this spot in person was incredibly cool - and kind of dangerous! (hah!) If you visit, be sure to watch traffic - there is very little walking room on the bridge.
We went on to see Abby Bennett (Bonnie's mom)'s house and Damon's human house from the Season 6 finale before finding Father Keiran's church from The Originals.
On Sunday, we visited the Parker house and the Mickaelson mansion where Ester tried to perform the binding ritual with Bonnie in TVD.
Another cool stop we made - The Armory! As a real-life mausoleum, this place had a super creepy vibe all its own - but it was super cool to see this iconic filming spot in person!
Our last stop of the trip was to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. In this library, you can pay a small fee to see the museum and the Georgia on My Screen exhibit. This exhibit had some incredible props from TVD and The Originals like the famous white oak stake and the Peace Treaty from the last season of The Originals. The exhibit also had some incredible props from countless movies and tv shows filmed in Georgia - Driving Miss Daisy, Fried Green Tomatoes, Sweet Home Alabama, Jumanji, The Resident, Remember the Titans, Pitch Perfect 3, Magic Mike XXL, Fast + the Furious, Gone with the Wind, Stranger Things, The Walking Dead, and more! See my full gallery of photos from the exhibit here.
Now, I know you're stoked. If you are anything like we are, you are a super fan, and you'll be planning your trip to Covington before you finish reading this post!
Are you a fan of The Vampire Diaries? Do you have any questions about the filming locations? Drop me a comment below + I'll be sure to answer!
Until next time!
