If you happen to be a fan of the CW hit show “The Vampire Diaries”, you may find yourself asking a few questions when it comes to the town of Mystic Falls Virginia. Like first of all, is Mystic Falls real?
If so, where is Mystic Falls? And more importantly, can you eat at the famous Mystic Grill in real life?
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These are just a few of the questions I’ve had over the many years of binge watching TVD and, through a pretty coincidental stroke of luck, I was able to get the full lowdown on the famous Mystic Falls Virginia during a quick trip to Atlanta, GA.
Keep on reading to learn more about how you can visit Mystic Falls VA and see all the iconic Vampire Diaries shooting locations for yourself (and yes, you really can eat at the Mystic Grill!).
Where was Vampire Diaries filmed?
Though the pilot episode of “The Vampire Diaries” was filmed in Vancouver, the remainder of the eight series show was filmed in Covington, GA.
Covington has been a popular filming destination for years and has even been unofficially declared the “Hollywood of the South”.
The small town is located nearby Atlanta, making it an ideal day trip destination for anyone visiting the city.
Is Mystic Falls Virginia a real place?
Mystic Falls Virginia is NOT a real place!
You can still grab a great photo with the real welcome sign from the show though at the Covington Visitor Information Center.
In order to visit “Mystic Falls Virginia” in real life, you’ll have to go to Covington, GA.
Covington GA to Atlanta GA
It’s incredibly easy to get to get from Covington GA to Atlanta GA. In fact, it’s only about a 40 minute drive.
A trip to Covington is definitely worth it if you’re visiting Atlanta, and vice versa.
There are so many amazing things to do and see!
Related: 24 Things to Do in Atlanta, Georgia This Weekend
Things to Do in Covington GA
Vampire Diaries Tour
Hands down the best way to explore Covington, GA is through an official Mystic Falls Tour.
We went through the company Vampire Stalkers, which is the TVD cast’s #1 recommended tour.
Jessica, the owner of the company, is incredibly knowledgable on the show and the area, and she personally knows many of the cast members.
She has tons of great stories, and she really knows what she’s talking about when it comes to “The Vampire Diaries”, the spinoff “The Originals”, and now even “Legacies”, the third TVD spinoff!
Though you might be tempted to scout the locations from the show on your own, I’d definitely recommend taking the tour, because you’ll get access to lots of filming locations you wouldn’t otherwise (like the Lockwood Mansion, which is a completely gated property).
You’ll also learn a lot more about how the show was actually filmed and even get to hear funny stories about the cast, which I think is well worth the money.
The Mystic Grill
One of my favorite things to do in Covington GA was of course visiting the Mystic Grill.
Though the inside scenes at the Mystic Grill were filmed at the sound stages, the outside scenes were filmed right here at the Mystic Grill Covington.
It was really cool to sit outside here like the TVD cast did many times and look out at Covington Square or the clock tower…it really feels like you’re in Mystic Falls!
Another great thing about the Mystic Grill is that you can actually eat here.
The southern style food is delish, and they even have rooftop seating available that overlooks the town square.
I’m already planning on coming back here the next time I’m in Atlanta — it was just that good!
Related: Meeting the Cast of “The Vampire Diaries”
Covington Square & The Clock Tower
Another really cool spot is Covington Square.
It’s obviously pictured a lot throughout the series, and you can view both the Mystic Grill and the clock tower from here.
There’s also a number of cute shops to explore and some other tasty restaurants.
We really enjoyed visiting Scoops Ice Cream, which is rumored to have been one of Ian Somerholder’s favorite spots when The Vampire Diaries was filming here!
The Gilbert House
Getting to see the Gilbert house in person was awesome.
Though it’s just a normal residence to anyone who hasn’t watched the show, every true TVD fan knows that some pretty iconic scenes took place on this porch!
Scenes inside the house were filmed at the sound stages though, since it wouldn’t really be practical to take over someone’s home every time they needed to film.
FYI: If you want to visit the Gilbert house or any other of the homes used for filming during the show, make sure you’re on an official tour.
These poor homeowners have had some unfortunate run-ins with fans who have been less than respectful to their properties.
Remember that these are private residences, and Jessica, the owner of the Vampire Stalkers tour company is actually in regular contact with the homeowners to ensure that it’s okay for people to stop by each time she’s doing a tour.
Imagine if you had random fans showing up at YOUR doorstep without any warning.
The Forbes’ Residence
Another cool stop on our Vampire Diaries tour? Caroline Forbes’ house!
Again, inside shots were filmed at the sound stages, but they really did use the porch for any outside scenes here.
The Lockwood Mansion
Okay, here is another instance where you absolutely need to be on an official Vampire Diaries tour to get the full Mystic Falls experience!
On our Vampire Diaries tour, we were able to go behind the gates of the Lockwood Mansion and see the place where so many of the epic parties were really staged throughout this series.
We even got to meet the owners of the home, who were both incredibly kind and willing to answer any questions we had.
So many important moments were filmed in this backyard, and they actually did use the inside of the home for some party scenes as well.
It was an amazing treat to get to check out this place in person.
Related: 5 Things to Expect at the Coca Cola Museum in Atlanta, GA
Mystic Falls Cemetery
In addition to many of the main shooting locations already mentioned, it wouldn’t be a true Vampire Diaries tour without a trip to the Mystic Falls Cemetery.
Though Mystic Falls Cemetery isn’t featured as often as some of the above shooting locations, it’s surely one of the most iconic considering this is the very place where Elena meets Stefan Salvatore for the first time in the Vampire Diaries pilot.
While it may feel a bit cheesy, don’t pass up on recreating the famous Damon and Elena photograph from the finale while you’re there either!
Vampire Diaries Merchandise & Gift Shops
In addition to the many filming sites you can visit in person, there are also a few gift shops in town that sell some awesome Vampire Diaries merchandise.
One of the biggest gift shops with the widest range of Vampire Diaries merchandise is run by the Vampire Stalkers tour group and is located near the Town Square.
There’s also a great shop located off of the alley near the Mystic Grill that I actually bought a Mystic Grill t-shirt from while we were there.
Another option is of course to purchase your own Vampire Diaries merch before your visit so you can rock it around town during your visit.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the highlights of Mystic Falls (the tour was about three hours long, so there’s actually a lot I didn’t even mention in this post!).
There really are a lot of things to do in Covington GA, and I’m excited to go back the next time I’m in Atlanta.
Vampire Stalkers also has an “Originals” tour now too, which takes you around to some of the most popular The Originals filming locations.
I’m hoping to attend that next and see where some more of my favorite scenes were filmed!
Are you a fan of “The Vampire Diaries”? What are some of your favorite things to do in Covington GA?
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