Every summer since she was a baby (and for two seasons on Prime Video), Belly Conklin has gone for night swims and sunrise surfs in Cousins Beach. The cozy town is home to Susannah’s summer house, miles of sugar-soft shorelines, and a pair of cute brothers pining over the same girl. It sounds like a dream come true, but before I pack my bags, I need to know: Is Cousins Beach a real place?
Sorry bestie, your summer romance is going to have to happen somewhere else — Cousins Beach is completely fictional. The show’s creator, Jenny Han, told Prime Video that Cousins Beach was inspired by multiple beach towns including Nags Head, Virginia Beach, the Hamptons, and Cape Cod. “I had a lot of beaches in my head, and I think that’s part of the reason why people can read the book and feel like it’s their beach,” Han shared.
In the book series and its TV adaptation, Cousins Beach is supposedly located somewhere along the coast of Massachusetts. However, The Summer I Turned Pretty was filmed in a different town further down the East Coast. The cast and crew spend their summers shooting in a port city called Wilmington, North Carolina. Wilmington has been the background of many teen dramas over the years, from One Tree Hill to Dawson’s Creek (fun fact: Outer Banks was originally supposed to film in Wilmington!).
With its Southern charm and beachside views, it’s easy to see how Wilmington is the perfect place to double as Cousins Beach on screen. Here are some of the most recognizable filming locations featured in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2. Spoiler warning: Spoilers for The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 follow.
THE SUMMER HOUSE
Cousins may not be a real place, but the Fisher family’s iconic summer house definitely is! People reports that Susannah’s beach house is located in a gated golf course community called Porters Neck Plantation. The private residence was used for filming exterior shots of the house; the interior shots were filmed at a soundstage in Wilmington.
THE BEACHES
Cousins Beach was inspired by multiple beaches, so it makes sense that TSITP’s beach scenes weren’t all filmed in the same place. The Wilmington and Beaches website reports that Kure Beach, Wrightsville Beach, and Carolina Beach are all used to bring Cousins Beach to life.
CONRAD’S COLLEGE CAMPUS
In Episode 2, Belly and Jeremiah go looking for Conrad at his dorm. Conrad attends Brown University, but the show filmed its college scenes at the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s surprisingly similar-looking campus.
Cousins Beach Arcade
The arcade scenes, laser tag war, rock wall climbing competition, and Go Kart race in Episode 4 were all filmed at Wilmington’s Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park. If only Cam Cameron worked there IRL.
ROOSTER & THE CROW
Taylor and Steven go on a maybe-kinda-sorta date at a restaurant in their hometown in Episode 8. Wilmington locals will recognize Rooster & The Crow’s signature stone walls in the background of Staylor’s argument over which Fisher boy is best for Belly.
Season 3 of TSITP has officially been announced, so we might be getting some new locations next season. Looks like I’m packing my bags after all; I know where I’m spending my summer vacation!