Photo:Richard Ducree/Netflix
Richard Ducree/Netflix
Grab your margarita and get ready to pour one out, because the Sweet Magnolias are back for season 3 — and it’s time to take a closer look at where the Netflix show is filmed.
The newest season, now streaming, takes viewers back to the fictional town of Serenity, South Carolina, for yet another season of heart-warming friendship and a little bit of heartache with Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott) and Helen (Heather Headley). It’ll also have viewers wishing they could pack their bags for the quiet Southern town so they could grab their own table at Sullivan’s before booking a yoga class at The Corner Spa.
PEOPLE spoke with Brad Smith, the location manager for the show, to find out everything there is to know about the show’s filming spots — which aren’t in South Carolina at all!
Covington Town Square
Shutterstock
The picture-perfect small town where much ofSweet Magnoliasis set is Covington, Georgia, a 40-minute drive from Atlanta. This backdrop sets the scene for exterior shots throughout all three seasons of the Netflix show, whether it’s Maddie strolling down the street or Helen waiting outside Sullivan’s for her lunch to be ready for pickup.
In the town square, you’ll find the Newton County Courthouse. The building, complete with its iconic clock tower, can be spotted in the background of several scenes throughout the show. It also has a place of prominence in the show’s opening credits.
Eliza Morse/Netflix
Smith tells PEOPLE that Covington and all its Southern charm were the perfect setting for the show because it’s such an idyllic hamlet. He says the architecture in the “picturesque” town is “pretty much the same” as what you’d find in South Carolina and adds that for the most part, the Netflix team isn’t making many changes to the landscape while filming, unless the storyline calls for it. That means if you show up in downtown Covington right now, it’ll look pretty much exactly live Serenity.
Fans who want to see more of the “real” Serenity can take a tour of the filming locations with local travel companyHollywood of the South Tours, which creates custom itineraries featuring all the filming locations for various movies and shows that have filmed in town — includingSweet Magnolias.
Mystic Grill
Netflix
Dana Sue’s home away from home in Serenity is her restaurant, Sullivan’s. The eatery is a favorite among the locals, and it’s a place for people to come and gather for girls' night, family night or date night. It’s also where Erik (Dion Johnstone), Isaac (Chris Medlin) and many more hang up their chefs' hats.
Sullivan’s may not exist in real life, butMystic Grilldoes — and it’s a real functioning restaurant in downtown Covington.Sweet Magnoliasonly uses the exterior of Mystic Grill to film (and films interior shots on a sound stage), but fans can dine at the restaurant, even while filming is happening!
Smith tells PEOPLE that production is very careful to not interrupt business. “We would start our filming very early in the mornings before they opened,” he says. “And then if [filming] spilled into part of their lunch, they had another door that we could get people in and out of without interfering with the filming.”
If Mystic Grill looks familiar, that’s because this isn’t the first time it’s been used on screen. The restaurant was featured inThe Vampire Diariesand actually got its name from the show. After being used prominently as a filming location, the spot was opened as a fully functioning restaurant in 2014 and named after the town in the show, Mystic Falls.
Law Offices of Wm. Thomas Craig
Maddie may have a bit of a rough start inSweet Magnolias, but her turnaround starts when she, along with Dana Sue and Helen, open The Corner Spa in the former home of Miss France’s (Cindy Karr). The spa becomes a place for the women of Serenity to come together to not just get pampered but be appreciated and support one another. Though all three women take ownership of the place, the spa gives Maddie a new lease on life.
The Corner Spa itself is a place of fiction, but the building does exist in Covington. Production filmed exterior shots at theLaw Offices of Wm. Thomas Craig, right off the town square. Much like Mystic Grill, Smith says the Netflix team made every effort to not interrupt Craig’s everyday business, cramming all of filming into a short period of time.
Courtesy Of Netflix
Making a visit to check out the law office while you’re visiting Covington is a quick walk from the town square, and fans are invited to take photos out front — as long as they’re respectful!
David Diener / Atlanta Artistic Weddings
Though a lot of the filming takes place in Covington, production did leave town for some locations, including Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. The show, which brings religion into the story fairly often, has several scenes set in and around the church, including a stint at Bible School and scenes where family and friends attend services.
Smith says the church had already been selected when he came ontoSweet Magnoliasbut he was told that showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson saw the church during scouting and simply loved how it looked. “It looked right for the town,” he adds.
What Else Has Been Filmed in Covington?
See more of the real places your favorite shows are filmed, likeTed Lasso,Emily in ParisandThe Summer I Turned Pretty, in PEOPLE’sOn Location Vacation series.
source: people.com
