‘The Vampire Diaries’: Is Mystic Falls, Virginia a Real Place?
From Mayberry to Stars Hollow, many iconic TV towns became part of our lives over the years. In the top twenty list is the setting for the popular supernatural series, The Vampire Diaries. While some towns were only fictional places for our favorite shows, others are real places. Fans of the fictional series have wondered if the small, supernatural town of Mystic Falls, Virginia is a real place.
‘The Vampire Diaries’ became the talk of supernatural TV shows
First airing in 2009, The Vampire Diaries became a hit CW television series. The show ran for eight seasons and won four People’s Choice Awards and numerous Teen Choice Awards. Receiving many award nominations and having a well-crafted storyline quickly made The Vampire Diaries one of the most-watched series on the network. Developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, the supernatural TV show is based on a book series with the same title.
The teen drama was set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, which had a rich supernatural history with generations of witches, werewolves, and vampires that shape the residents’ current lives. The show follows the life of Elena Gilbert, played by Nina Dobrev, who recently lost both of her parents in a car accident. Shortly after the tragic accident, Elena falls in love with vampire Stefan Salvatore, played by Paul Wesley. Stefan’s vampire brother, Damon Salvatore, played by Ian Somerhalder, returns to create a love triangle among the three. The mystery, fantasy, drama, and love kept fans hooked to the series, and many were upset when the final episode of The Vampire Diaries aired in 2017.
Is Mystic Falls, Virginia a real place?
While not located in Virginia — or a real town — Mystic Falls became the double of a small Georgian town. Covington, Georgia was the filming location for all eight seasons of The Vampire Diaries and is now a popular tourist spot for the show’s fans. Only the first episode was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, with the primary filming location for the rest of the seasons being a small Georgia town and other communities in the Greater Atlanta area.
Covington, Georgia offers thrills and scares to give fans an inside look at the fictional town of one of their favorite vampire TV series. Vampire Stalkers run Mystic Falls tours, according to Explore Georgia, giving guests exclusive access to the filming locations of The Vampire Diaries. From the Lockwood Mansion to Gilbert House and the Mystic Falls Courthouse, guests of the tour experience all the popular sites from the show and receive insider behind-the-scenes information. As The Vampire Diaries took the world by storm, locals of Covington came together to build tourism around the show’s success. The Mystic Grill was a product of their efforts and is a must-try restaurant for the town’s visitors. The atmosphere and food are as unique as the TV show’s intriguing storyline.
Covington, Georgia is a backdrop for other popular shows
While Covington, Georgia is best known as the backdrop for the hit vampire show, its small-town charm has made it the ideal filming location for various other movies and TV shows. Over the last few decades, locals and visitors of the town have witnessed several projects, including In the Heat of the Night, The Dukes of Hazzard, and My Cousin Vinny. Travelers hoping to stay in the town of Covington like the stars and crews often book a stay at Twelve Oaks Bed and Breakfast. The stunning antebellum mansion has been the backdrop for more than 90 television and film projects, including fan-favorite The Vampire Diaries.
