Ben And Erin Napier's Home Town Takeover Has Successfully Given New Life To Wetumpka, Alabama

Perri Ormont Blumberg
·2 min read

Call it the HGTV effect. Call it the Ben and Erin Napier magic wand. Call it Southern spirit.

However you want to label it, Wetumpka, Alabama, is on the rise following the debut of Ben and Erin Napier's Home Town Takeover series on HGTV in which the couple along with some celebrity pals, community members, and a hard-working team of builders and renovators came together to breathe new life into the Southern town with a population of around 8,250 individuals.

Now, it seems all of their efforts are paying off and the town has a renewed vibrancy that is attracting potential home buyers, drawing tourists, and inspiring residents to support more local businesses. From sales at the clothing store The Tapp18 skyrocketing (check out the video below) to deserving families seeing their homes transformed, the TV show certainly had a massive impact on Wetumpka, and there's much more to come.

Erin and Ben Napier
Erin and Ben Napier

Brooke Davis-Jefcoat

As Montgomery, Alabama's WSFA 12 reported, the series has catapulted Wetumpka into the spotlight, helping them attract new visitors and perhaps even new residents. "It was kind of a hidden gem before, and now everyone knows about us and it's so exciting," said Kiera Champion, the special project coordinator for Main Street Wetumpka.

"It has been a much larger increase in crowds and we've loved having all the people that want to see what going on here," echoed Market Shoppes employee and Wetumpka resident Marilee Tankersley later in the clip. Watch the full segment here.

WATCH: Struggling Boutique Featured on Ben and Erin Napier's Home Town Takeover Sells Out in Less Than 24 Hours

What will your first stop be in Wetumpka? We're looking forward to snapping a picture of "The Big Fish House," from Tim Burton's beloved movie Big Fish, which was filmed in and around Wetumpka. Then shopping at The Tapp18. Then refueling with the famous crab cakes at Our Place Cafe. When you're reading to plan your trip, start with our guide to visiting the charming hamlet. We have a feeling you'll need more than a day to cram in everything you hope to do in the growing town.