Where Was “Dawson’s Creek” Filmed?

Is Capeside, Massachusetts a real place?

The first thing that you may wonder, besides “where was ‘Dawson’s Creek’ filmed?”, is whether or not the town where it’s set is even a real place or is just made up of Hollywood sets and backlots.

You may be surprised to learn that Capeside isn’t even in Massachusetts! The show was actually filmed in the seaside town of Wilmington, North Carolina. According to Showbiz Cheat Sheet, this is because the show’s creator and writer, Kevin Williamson, grew up in Wilmington and loosely based the character of Dawson Leery on his own childhood experiences.

Kevin Williamson was also the writer of the movie “Scream,” another teen favorite from the 90s, so it makes sense that the studio would want to see what he could do with a television-safe teen drama.

Apparently, the town of Wilmington, North Carolina was also used as the filming location for a later classic teen drama, “One Tree Hill”. However, that show’s fictional town, Tree Hill, is actually set in North Carolina, while the producers of Dawson’s Creek wanted their show to be set somewhere near Boston.

Now we know a little bit more about where exactly on the map Capeside is! Next, we can start digging into some of the locations from the show that viewers will know and love.

Where are the most famous Capeside, Massachusetts locations?

Our efforts to answer the question “where was ‘Dawson’s Creek’ filmed?” have brought us to the town of Wilmington, North Carolina. But how about some of the more memorable locations from the show?

Dawson’s house

Let’s start with the home we spend the most time with, Dawson’s house. An article in Marie Claire has the answers we’re looking for: Dawson’s house is in Wilmington, but apparently what we are presented as the front of the house on the show is actually the back of one, and the front of it faces the famous pier from the show.

You might remember seeing James Van Der Beek’s Dawson having quite the breakdown here. They also mention that this is in fact private property. So if you’re going on your own Dawson’s Creek pilgrimage, please remain respectful of the people who may live there.

Other important locations in Capeside

Fans of Dawson’s Creek will also remember all of the places around the town of Capeside that the characters frequented, such as The Icehouse or Capeside High School. These locations are also in Wilmington, North Carolina, according to The Travel.

It turns out that Capeside High School is not actually a high school at all, but part of the campus for University of North Carolina Wilmington. If you’re looking to grab a bite to eat at the Icehouse, it turns out you’re in luck. The real restaurant, Elijah’s Seafood Restaurant, is located on Wilmington’s Riverwalk, which is also the backdrop for many scenes in the show and looks quite similar to Boston.

And who can forget the wall that Pacey rented for Joey? According to Decider, you can find that at the Reel Cafe in Wilmington, with the wall on the corner of Dock and Front.

If you’re looking to visit Wilmington, North Carolina for yourself and want to see every Dawson’s Creek location you can, then look no further than Wilmington’s town website.

They have a full Dawson’s Creek locations tour for you to check out so you won’t miss out on any important locations from the show. While you’re in town you can pick up some Dawson’s Creek-themed memorabilia at some of the shops. It’s clear that the town of Wilmington is proud of their legacy as the real Capeside!