Where was The Summer I Turned Pretty shot? Revisiting key filming locations of the Amazon Prime show

The Summer I Turned Pretty might feel like THE Cape Cod go-to, but here's the catch: The Amazon Prime TV show was filmed miles away from New England.

Yes, the Cousins Beach we've all been wanting to visit isn't located quite where you think it is. So, is The Summer I Turned Pretty based on a real place? Well, yes...but also not exactly.

Cousins is very much fictional, but the feelings it brings out and the real-life locations used to create it are anything but false and fake. If you're wondering where those sun-soaked scenes between #TeamBonrad and #TeamBellyJere were actually filmed, here's your full guide to the show's most recognizable locations all in one place!

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Where was The Summer I Turned Pretty shot? Revisiting key filming locations of the Amazon Prime show

1] Susannah Fisher’s beach house dreams were made in Wilmington:

Let's start with the beach house. The one where the Conklins and the Fishers spend every summer - the house full of memories, grief, first kisses, and fishbowl parties...and well, throwing fireworks straight at your brother? In reality, the beach house isn't sitting on a Cape Cod bluff.

It's located within Porters Neck Plantation, a private golf course community just outside Wilmington, North Carolina. To make the setting feel like it belonged in New England, the production team made major changes to the landscape.

Location manager Lindsay Fort said it was essential to include the iconic cedar-shake exterior for that Northeastern vibe. The crew even removed palm trees and filled the yard with hydrangeas, thanks to set designer Teresa Mastropierro's vision of a Cape Cod-style family getaway.

Inside, the house was styled to look elegant but lived in - somewhere warm enough to kick your feet up after a day at the beach. Set decorator Beth Robinson said it best:

"It's the kind of place where you can walk in from the beach and put your sandy feet on the coffee table."

Though the interiors seen on screen were recreated at Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, the real house gave the series its signature aesthetic.

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2] Cousins Beach? Say hello to Carolina, Kure, and Wrightsville

Those wide stretches of shoreline, with golden sunsets and crashing waves? They aren't from any Massachusetts coast. The "Cousins Beach" scenes from The Summer I Turned Pretty were all filmed on North Carolina's southeastern coast. The production hopped between Wrightsville Beach, Kure Beach, and the lively Carolina Beach Boardwalk to bring the fictional beach town to life.

Wrightsville offers the ideal surf town energy and has been the setting for some of the show's most emotionally loaded moments. Kure Beach, a bit more secluded, helped frame those quiet, heartfelt conversations and moody walks.

As for Carolina Beach? Its colorful boardwalk and amusement park vibes brought out the fun side of the series, especially in scenes with the whole gang playing games and braving roller coasters.

Even the "Welcome to Cousins Beach" sign had a real location: it was installed near the old lookout tower used by the Cape Fear Pilots in Southport. That area has a long Hollywood history of its own, having appeared in shows like Dawson's Creek and Under the Dome.

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3] The engagement lunch? Oceanic served more than salmon and Surf n' Turf

The Gossip Girl Thanksgiving dinner episode? Nah, the BellyJere engagement lunch that broke Conrad's heart.

There's one scene that got everyone talking in Season 3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty when Belly pulls out her nonexistent engagement ring and announces that she's engaged to Jeremiah over lunch. A day meal to remember, Susannah now has sparked a thousand memes and even more debates online between team Bonrad and team BellyJere.

The restaurant used at that moment is a real-life coastal spot called Oceanic in Wrightsville Beach. While it hasn't been confirmed if the interiors were used, the exterior shots clearly match. With sweeping ocean views and a seafood-heavy menu, it's exactly the kind of place you'd expect for an important, chaotic (and emotional) meal.

P.S., Help, is Conrad still at the restaurant? Someone needs to make sure he's okay.

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4] The country club that saw it all? That’s Cape Fear

From the intense debutante rehearsals to Belly’s memorable (and sometimes awkward) summer job, the Cousins Beach Country Club has been a low-key star of The Summer I Turned Pretty. But its actual location? That would be Cape Fear Country Club, a prestigious site known as North Carolina’s oldest private club.

Belly’s big debutante ball scene wasn’t shot there, though. The ball was filmed inside the historic St. Mary Catholic School in Wilmington. The mix of grandeur and intimacy helped create the emotional weight the scene needed and added another layer of southern charm to the show’s visual world.

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5] Finch College was a nostalgic full-circle moment

By season 3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty, Belly is no longer the same teenager we last saw in seasons 1 & 2. With the time jump putting her in college, the story moves away from pretty beaches to study sessions with Taylor and Anika and dorm room meets with Jeremiah.

Finch College, Belly's fictional Rhode Island school, was actually filmed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, author Jenny Han's alma mater.

In an interview, Han shared how special it was to return to her roots:

"Filming at my old dorm, Old East, was definitely emotional. It felt very romantic and nostalgic to come back and be able to shoot my show here."

That sense of familiarity seeps into the scenes, giving Finch a grounded, personal feel.

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While The Summer I Turned Pretty may take place in a fictional East Coast town in the books, the filming locations for the show are located in the charm of North Carolina. From beaches to college dorms, every location is picked to feel real love, and that's what makes the show hit so close.

P.S., are you team Conrad or Jeremiah? Mention it down in the comments below!

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