8 Places In Wilmington, N.C. All OTH Fans Must See | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

8 Places To Visit In Wilmington, NC As A OTH Fan

"Wilmington, NC.. you'll always be Tree Hill to me"

311
http://www.atouchofteal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/karens-cafe-2.png
A Touch of Teal

In This Article:

My freshman year of college was spent rushing to get my work done so I could binge watch the life-changing TV series "One Tree Hill" on Netflix. It's all I could talk or think about, and if you loved it as much as me, you know exactly what I mean. When I found out that almost the entire show was filmed in an actual North Carolina town, I knew I had to go there soon. So, spring break rolled around and my boyfriend and I packed up my car for an 8-hour car ride to see Tree Hill (a.k.a. Wilmington, NC) up close and personal.

This town was so much more than I hoped for. I fell in love with the history, the proximity of the beach, the food, and most importantly, how you couldn't walk down the street without hearing some teenage girl scream because she was seeing the "real-life Karen's Cafe!"

Here are 8 places, with pictures from my trip, that you need to see as the ultimate OTH fan in Wilmington:

1. Brooke Davis' House

This red door was all that I had hoped it to be and more. Located just 10 minutes from downtown Wilimington and sitting in the prettiest neighborhood I have ever seen, Brooke's house was the best part of my whole trip. As I was posing for my picture and watched as people laugh as they drove by, I had to wonder how many times this happened in a day. I didn't care, though, because I got to see Brooke Davis' house in real life and it was perfect.

2. The Naley Bench 

The Naley Bench is located in the center of town on the Riverwalk. There are many identical benches beside each other, so it would've been hard to tell the exact one, but we had a tour guide that pointed out exactly which one was in the iconic scene. All of the tables had "Naley forever" written all over them and my heart melted with each note. The tour guide also handed us a little charm bracelet and took our picture to reenact the entire "don't say I never gave you anything" scene. *heart eyes*

3. Karen's Cafe & Baker Man

Walking through downtown Wilmington one afternoon, I could not figure out why this certain intersection looked so familiar. We spent an entire hour talking about it until I realized, that was in fact the intersection of Karen's Café and Baker Man. Remember the scene of the Bakers walking out of Baker Man and the Scott's walking out of the café, arm-in-arm on their way to Jamie's high school basketball game? Yeah, how could you forget. Realizing I was walking on the same road as Nathan Scott made my heart skip a little beat, too.

4. The Rivercourt

Although the Rivercourt was the only aspect of the show that was taken down when it ended, the park that it was in is still there, and we still went over to see where so many important scenes had occurred. In the place of the Rivercourt was a small area with picnic benches that were covered in messages from fans, and even some notes from the cast, too. These benches were the coolest part because it showed how much of an impact OTH left on so many people. RIP Rivercourt, we miss you.

5. Peyton Sawyer's House

Peyton Sawyer's beautiful brick house was exactly how I thought it would be. And it was coincidentally right beside Haley's house, which they never showed us. It was on a busy road so it was a quick drive-by picture, but all I could think about was the episode where her crazy "brother" attacked Peyton and Brooke. So many memories of Peyton Sawyer in just 6 short seasons.

6. Lucas & Karen's House

Perhaps the most surreal house for me to see was Lucas Scott's house. So many important talks were had on the front porch, I could almost imagine Lucas and Karen sitting there as I took the pictures. And the door that led to Lucas' bedroom, that's it right there. Remember when Brooke moved in with him and he painted it red so she could still continue to be the "girl behind the red door?" I know, how could anyone forget.

7. Haley's House

I know what you're thinking, we barely ever saw Haley's house because she moved in with Nathan so soon, but this is the place responsible for raising The Haley Scott. Plus, how could we forget about the iconic kiss right on the sidewalk in the pouring rain? The beginning of probably the best fictional couple of all time.

8. OTH Bridge

The OTH Bridge was the very last stop as we were leaving the city. All week we had been warned to be careful because the bridge was in a sketchy part of town, and don't dare go under the bridge like the characters in the show once had. With that being said, we simply slowed down for a picture and didn't get out of the car. But, I couldn't let any warnings make me miss seeing the bridge that Lucas Scott ran across in the opening credits. *Cue Gavin DeGraw's theme song now*


Wilmington is the place to go if you are a "One Tree Hill" fan. Every street, shop, and restaurant is filled with locals that can tell you exactly what it was like when they were here filming, especially because they met most of the stars. Six years without "One Tree Hill" but never, ever forgotten. Wilmington, NC.. you'll always be Tree Hill to me.

"It's the oldest story in the world. One day you're seventeen and planning for someday, and then quietly, without you ever really noticing, someday is today, and that someday is yesterday, and this is your life." -Nathan Scott

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

8 Texts You Get From Your High School Friends

You might not see them everyday anymore, but you're still friends and your text messages prove it.

225
High School Friends
Ashlynn West

It takes a little while to get used to not seeing your high school best friends every day. Going away to college causes a lot of changes, but one thing that will never change is my love for my high school BFFs, and the texts that I get from them. Here are just 8 of the texts I get from them on the weekly:

Keep Reading...Show less
legally blonde

College is filled with many things, and we're so often lectured to make the right decisions as we head out on our own into the college life. But sometimes it's necessary to indulge in some guilty pleasures as well as just doing things because you can. And honestly, a lot of the time it's inevitable. College is no piece of cake that's for sure, so it's okay to do some things you deep down know you shouldn't....once in a while anyways.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

10 Things to avoid your freshman year of college

Having this list as you enter college will be extremely valuable and beneficial to experiencing the best year of your life!

1833
girl friends
Madison Morgan

Ahhh good ol' freshman year. The best times and the worst times. Going to college six hours from home was the best decision I had ever made for myself, but the transition would have been much smoother had I known the things I know now. You cannot take on this beast by yourself, so allow me to lend a hand and guide you through one of the most exciting and different years of your life thus far. I have compiled a list of 10 key things to avoid your freshman year of college in order to ensure a smooth, happy, and fun first year!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

13 Thoughts Everyone Has During Lecture

Chances are, they have nothing to do with what you're actually supposed to be learning.

322
student in class
Polish Magazine

Let's face it. We've all had those days when it's almost impossible to stay awake or focus during lecture. We often find ourselves dozing off or just staring out into space when we really should be paying attention to what's going on in class. Regardless of whether or not you admit this happens, here are 13 thoughts every student has during lecture:

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

A Deep Dive Into Taylor Swift’s Albums: 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Edition

I just know that the idea of releasing vault tracks came out of the moment Taylor remembered she wrote 'Is It Over Now?'

398
A Deep Dive Into Taylor Swift’s Albums: 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Edition
Edited by Hailey Hastings

I am fully emersed into diving deep into every single Taylor Swift album, which I do on my own all the time, but wanted to do it in a way where I am sharing what a special discography she has. I feel like 1989 is the perfect place to start, it's an era that changed everything, and will always be an album people automatically think of when you say "Taylor Swift."

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments