Where Are Hallmark Movies Filmed (and Can I Go There?)
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Made-for-TV Christmas specials are your guilty pleasure and there’s no shame in your game. In fact, you might even want to lean into it and consider a vacation to one of the winter wonderlands featured in your favorite holiday flick. So, where are Hallmark movies filmed, exactly? Read on to find out.
The 5 Best Places to Travel in January
1. New York City, New York
Movie Filmed There: Christmas at the Plaza (2019)
Why We Love It: shopping, dining, entertainment, sightseeing
The Plaza Hotel is an iconic NYC landmark and a pretty magical place to be at Christmastime, as depicted in the Hallmark movie Christmas at the Plaza. In the film, a historian who’s doing a write up on the famous hotel meets an interior decorator responsible for transforming it for the holidays. Needless to say, this is a love story—and it was all filmed at the real Plaza Hotel and at various spots around Manhattan.
2. Chester, Vermont
Movie Filmed There: Moonlight & Mistletoe (2008)
Why We Love It: scenic, historic, antique stores, outdoor activities
The charming New England town of Chester, Vermont is known for its historic stone village, numerous antique shops and quaint bed and breakfasts. The town is also full of holiday cheer and is totally decked out come Christmastime, which is probably why it was chosen for the set of the fictional town of Santaville in Hallmark’s Moonlight & Mistletoe.
3. Wilmington, North Carolina
Movie Filmed There: Christmas in Conway (2013)
Why We Love It: historic, coastal retreat, shopping, galleries
This coastal gem in North Carolina boasts a National Register Historic District, a scenic river walk along Cape Fear River and the vintage Carolina Beach Boardwalk, where restaurants and shops abound. It’s also the filming location for Christmas in Conway—a Hallmark classic about a husband’s efforts to reconnect with his wife by taking her back to the place he proposed and surprising her with a pretty spectacular Christmas present.
4. Marietta, Georgia
Movie Filmed There: Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses (2019)
Why We Love It: historic, natural beauty, outdoor recreation
Marietta, Georgia, located just 30 minutes northwest of Atlanta, is known for its civil war history, beautiful parks, charming turn-of-the-century square and close proximity to Kennesaw Mountain, where outdoorsy types can get their fix on any of the (numerous) hiking trails. Marietta is also home to an enormous estate that Hallmark fans will recognize from the movie Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses. (The impressive piece of real estate is the very same one that a businessman, Nick, owns and a young woman, Abbey, is charged with decorating in the film.)
5. Squamish, British Columbia, Canada
Movie Filmed There: Christmas Cookies (2016)
Why We Love It: natural beauty, outdoor recreation, sightseeing
Squamish, a town in British Columbia located at the mouth of the Howe Sound, is surrounded by natural beauty that attracts visitors from far and wide. For starters, there’s a Sea to Sky gondola that serves up breathtaking views of both the sound and the awe-inspiring cascades of nearby Shannon Falls. Plus, you’d be hard pressed to find a better place for outdoor recreation: kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, camping—you can do it all in Squamish. As for its claim to TV fame, Squamish was the filming location for Christmas Cookies—a Hallmark movie about a cynical business exec and a jolly small-town guy who teaches her the Christmas spirit—and for much of the exceedingly popular Netflix drama, Virgin River, too.
6. Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Movie Filmed There: Chateau Christmas (2019)
Why We Love It: natural beauty, winter sports, resort vibes
Just a stone’s throw away from Squamish is Whistler—one of the largest ski resorts in North America and the festive filming location for Hallmark’s Chateau Christmas. If you’re looking to hit the slopes and shred some fresh powder, or simply want to indulge a movie fantasy by reuniting with an ex and rediscovering your passion for music, Whistler is the place to visit.
7. Farmington, Utah
Movie Filmed There: Christmas Land (2015)
Why We Love It: family-friendly attractions, shopping
This suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah boasts a sizable Mormon population, a large shopping mall and, most importantly, Lagoon Park—an amusement park that served as the festive set for Christmas Land (i.e., the Hallmark favorite about a modern-day Scrooge who inherits a Christmas tree farm). Alas, the amusement park is currently closed for the season, so you won’t be able to see Lagoon Park’s Pioneer Village all decked out for Christmas, but you can certainly visit the filming location and use your imagination come spring.
8. Vail, Colorado
Movie Filmed There: Winter in Vail (2020)
Why We Love It: winter sports, outdoor recreation, natural beauty
Vail, Colorado, a small town at the base of the namesake mountain, is home to a massive ski resort where winter sports reign supreme. It also boasts a picturesque, Bavarian village that will make you swoon when you’re not on the slopes…or at least that’s what happened to Lacey Chabert’s character in the Hallmark movie Winter in Vail.
9. Memphis, Tennessee
Movie Filmed There: Christmas at Graceland (2018)
Why We Love It: music scene, historic attractions, vibrant culture
When we think of this southern city, the famous Sun Studio (i.e., the place where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and B.B. King recorded albums) comes to mind—but if Hallmark movies are your jam, you might be interested to know that the rich music history of Memphis was also featured in the Hallmark movie about a working mom, an old flame and fresh love. Yep, Elvis Presley’s former mansion, and one of the city’s major tourist attractions, was actually turned into the film set for Christmas at Graceland (with some help from fake snow).
10. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Movie Filmed There: A Glenbrooke Christmas (2020); Jingle Bell Bride (2020)
Why We Love It: cultural attractions, artsy vibe, mild climate, natural beauty
You might have picked up on this already, but British Columbia is a favorite filming site for more than a couple Hallmark movies…and you can add two more to the list, since both A Glenbrooke Christmas and Jingle Bell Bride were filmed in the Canadian west coast seaport of Vancouver. This coastal city is framed by the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by beautiful coastal mountain ranges and prized for its mild climate and strong connection to arts and culture. If you’re looking for urban amenities and natural beauty, Vancouver checks all the boxes.
11. Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Movie Filmed There: Christmas at Dollywood (2019)
Why We Love It: kid-friendly attractions, holiday festival, natural beauty, outdoor recreation
It’s all in the title, friends: Many scenes of the Hallmark movie Christmas at Dollywood were indeed filmed at Dollywood, which is home to one of America’s best Christmas events—an undertaking that a NYC event planner must coordinate alongside a rather stubborn Head of Operations in the Christmas special. If you’re planning a visit to Pigeon Forge, where Dolly Parton’s famous amusement park and resort is located, we strongly suggest booking your Dollywood stay during the Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival so you can experience the holiday magic firsthand, and then reserving a couple days to explore the majestic beauty of the nearby Smoky Mountain range.
12. Hope, British Columbia, Canada
Movie Filmed There: A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado (2020)
Why We Love It: natural beauty, outdoor recreation, scenic
Forget what we said—it turns out you can’t always trust a movie title. Case in point: the Hallmark movie A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado, which was actually filmed in (you guessed it) British Columbia. Here, the Canadian town of Hope poses as Colorado, providing a beautiful backdrop for a holiday special about a woman, a firefighter, a spruce tree and the fate of a small town celebration. Folks who are interested in visiting the filming location should build their itinerary around trips to the area’s many natural attractions—including the rivers, cascades and canyons of Coquihalla Canyon National Park and the beautiful Kawkawa Lake—and the opportunities for outdoor recreation they provide.
13. Mapleton, Utah
Movie Filmed There: A Christmas Wish (2011)
Why We Love It: kid-friendly attractions, scenic and snowy winters
The mountain town of Mapleton, Utah in the state’s Provo-Orem metropolitan area was the filming location for the Hallmark movie A Christmas Wish, in which a single mom takes her kids on a road trip and finds a new (and worthy) man along the way. Alas, the city of Mapleton doesn’t have a ton of attractions. That said, there are quite a few kid-friendly recreation opportunities (think: fun centers and trampoline parks) and if you visit during the colder months, a winter wonderland is practically guaranteed.
14. Dahlonega, Georgia
Movie Filmed There: Christmas in Homestead (2016)
Why We Love It: natural beauty, festive vibes, wine tasting
Nestled in the North Georgia Mountains, Dahlonega is a town that boasts a stunning natural backdrop, top-notch regional wines and a vibrant cultural life that belies its small size. And, according to the Athens Banner-Herald, it’s also one of the best places to be if you’re looking for an authentic, Southern Christmas experience featuring carriage rides, visits from Santa Claus and Insta-worthy photo ops replete with small town charm. Let’s just say we’re not surprised that Hallmark’s Christmas in Homestead chose Dahlonega as its filming location for a fictional town in Iowa. (Sorry, Hawkeye State.)
