Where is Virgin River filmed? Season 1-5 real life locations revealed
NetflixAhead of new episodes dropping on Netflix next month, don’t feel the need to wait for a cozy escape – if you want to know where Virgin River is filmed, we’ve broken down all of the show’s main filming locations.
New episodes of Virgin River are coming to Netflix soon, helping viewers escape to the titular cozy town – and if you want to know where
Mel Monroe has given us endless drama across five seasons of the show already. And, with Virgin River Season 6 on the way, there’s more to come.
We can’t wait to see what shocking storylines unfold next, but before the Virgin River cast gets back to work, we have questions.
If you can’t wait to go back, there’s another option: you could pay the town a visit (sort of), but you’ll need to know where Virgin River is filmed first.
Where is Virgin River filmed?
Virgin River is filmed in Canada – more specifically Vancouver, British Columbia, and its surrounding areas, including landmarks like Grouse Mountain and Snug Cove on Bowen Island.
The latter location has a storied history in movies, hosting other productions like Bird on a Wire, Nicolas Cage’s infamous remake of The Wicker Man, and The Uninvited.
NetflixIf you go back to the very beginning of the show, you’ll see the ‘Welcome to Virgin River’ sign, which was filmed in a small town called Agassiz in British Columbia (Pioneer Avenue, to be exact).
Below, you’ll find a list of other places where Virgin River is filmed:
- Shannon Falls Provincial Park
- Port Coquitlam
- Richmond
- Squamish
- Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge
- Capilano Valley Regional Park
- Deer Lake
- Dundarave
- Maple Ridge
- Brandywine Falls
- Edgemont Village
- Princess Park
- Port Moody
- Sky Pilot Mountain
- Burnaby
NetflixWhile it’s fairly typical for new TV shows to film in Canada, Virgin River has also sneakily used some shots in the US too. Establishing scenes in Season 4 were filmed on Tower Bridge in Sacramento, California.
Speaking to Netflix, W. Robert “Fluffy” Millar, the show’s location manager and scout, said: “I’m always trying to one-up each episode, always trying to find a prettier, more stunning vista, or another easily accessible, dense forest, and it’s quite a blessing to be doing a show like this in British Columbia.”
As for his favorite places, he cited an episode in Season 3 where Jack gets drunk with his friends and wants to jump in a river. “This was just south of Whistler in an area called House Rock,” he explained.
Mel’s waterside cabin
Mel’s waterside cabin in Virgin River is filmed in a house in Murdo Frazer Park, on Vancouver’s North Shore. The stunning spot has previously been used in the likes of Fringe, The Flash, and Once Upon a Time.
NetflixSpeaking of the house, location manager and scout W. Robert ‘Fluffy Millar told Netflix: “The interior, of course, is on a soundstage. They use big photographic backdrops hanging from the ceiling, so when you’re inside and look out the window, it’s actually high-resolution photos taken of the area around the real cabin.
“It’s a beautiful little park with tennis courts and running trails and a pond on it with turtles and stuff. Last year we were almost at risk of not being able to go there because right adjacent to it is a massive British Columbia hydro substation. They were upgrading it, so we had all these logistical challenges.
“We also found out last year that the District of North Vancouver received a heritage grant to refurbish the cabin, because it’s actually sinking. The foundation is actually sinking into the soft earth by the water table with the pond that’s right beside it. They need to come in and do an actual house lifting, like you’d see on the Discovery Channel.”
Jack’s bar
Jack’s bar, where Mel meets the Jack, is the Watershed Grill in Brackendale, which is just north of Vancouver. Again, interiors in Virgin River are filmed on a soundstage, but the outside overlooks Squamish River.
NetflixOf that location, Millar says: “It’s a great destination – it’s near the largest concentration of bald eagles in the world, where they come to eat and feed and mate. And we always just shoot the exterior on the dike by the river at Jack’s Bar.
“The thing that I always find so funny is when you look at it from the river, when you see the drone shots of Jack’s Bar or the establishing shots, you can’t see too many trees, as if you’re looking toward the back of the bar and it looks kind of narrow.
“But then, when you cut to the interior of Jack’s Bar, that’s on our soundstage. And all of a sudden you realize [there’s] a big fireplace and a billiards table and a long bar, and then wait a minute, there’s a staircase that goes up to where Brie’s room is. But when you look at it on the dike, there’s no second floor.”
NetflixDoc’s family practice clinic
While the exteriors of Doc’s clinic in Virgin River are filmed at 122 First Street in New Westminster, the interiors are replicas of the real house, recreated in a Netflix studio.
NetflixFrom being the host for Chamaine’s pregnancy drama to the birthplace of Muriel and Cameron’s controversial relationship, Doc’s clinic has seen it all.
The original property was built in 1889, residing in the town’s Queen’s Park neighborhood. It’s even got a quirky nickname: Breezehurst.
Online listings suggest there’s 6,000 square feet of living space over four floors, complete with the stained glass windows you can see in the family kitchen area (yes, they’re real). The entire design is Queen Anne-inspired, dating back to Victorian times.
Hope McCrea’s house
If you like Hope’s house in Virgin River, you can find it at 6450 Deer Lake Drive in Burnaby. It’s known as the Edgar Residence, but the same rules apply for its interiors.
NetflixThe bungalow-style property was built back in 1912, as it’s actually registered as a building with historical importance.
It’s near our main exterior location of Burnaby, and essentially operates as an anchor point for the community both on and off-screen.
According to Canada’s Historic Places, the house is “important for its connection with Robert McBeth Edgar, a successful and wealthy businessman whose contribution to Burnaby and British Columbia was far-reaching and significant.”
Paige’s Bakeaway truck
Virgin River fans can travel to Deer Lake Park and Foreshore Park in Burnaby to find Paige’s Bakeaway Truck.
NetflixIf you think this location looks extra familiar, you’d be right. The location is also used as the Virgin River Community Picnic in Season 2 Episode 4. Both sites sit side by side, with the latter at Deer Lake Avenue.
Is Virgin River a real town?
No, Virgin River is not a real town. It’s a fictional place invented by author Robin Carr and is the location of the majority of her novels.
NetflixSpeaking of her creation to Entertainment Weekly, Carr said: “People always write and say, ‘Where is it? I want to go there,’ and I have to remind them that it only exists in our hearts and minds.”
Carr places the town in her novels among the redwoods of North California, where the waterfalls are high and the fishing is good.
Snug Cove would be your best bet if you wanted to visit Virgin River, as it’s the dominant location for the show. The Vancouver tourism website even has a whole page dedicated to the connection.
Interestingly, there is an actual river called Virgin River. However, it’s located in Colorado, and has nothing to do with the binge-worthy TV show.
That’s all on the Virgin River filming locations. While we wait for Season 6, learn more about when Virgin River takes place, and what the upcoming time jump means for the show. We can also recommend these eight shows if you love Virgin River.