New ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ tour brings fans to NC filming sites. How to go
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- UNC launches free walking tour highlighting campus filming sites from the show.
- Tour includes iconic scenes from season 3, including Old East and McCorkle Place.
- Fans can register online for weekly tours running through September 17, 2025.
Want to get an up-close look at “The Summer I Turned Pretty”? Well, UNC is offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at the hit drama series that was filmed on campus.
Following the love triangle of a girl named Belly and two brothers, Jeremiah and Conrad, much of the show is set in the fictional town of “Cousins Beach” along the Carolina coast. But the third and final season also features part of Chapel Hill.
While the best-selling trilogy-turned-TV show depicts Belly and Jeremiah’s smaller Rhode Island school as the fictional Finch College, the campus is actually UNC — a nostalgic nod to author, showrunner, and Tar Heel alum Jenny Han’s time at the school.
“I think that her vision to shoot here was definitely both sentimental and strategic,” Gabriella Neyman, a spokesperson for the university, told The News & Observer.
“She just kept telling her production team that she thinks this is one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation and that she really saw Belly being here.”
What to see on ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ UNC tour
Now, you can walk in the couple’s footsteps with the university’s new free tour dedicated to all of the iconic spots showcased on the show. In addition, you can hear stories about the filming process, such as how some lucky students were extras in the show in 2023.
“Carolina’s campus has long been admired for its beauty and charm, so it’s no surprise that Jenny wanted to return to her alma mater to film the last season of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty,’” Rhonda Beatty, director of the UNC Visitors Center, said in a news release.
“We’re excited to invite fans and guests to see these beloved locations in person and discover the magic of Carolina through a new lens.”
Here’s a list of some of the filming locations around UNC’s campus that you might recognize in the show:
- Old East: Belly’s dorm (This is also where Jenny Han lived when attending UNC.)
- New East: Taylor’s dorm
- McCorkle Place: The location in Belly’s flashback of her hugging and twirling under the campus lights with Jeremiah
- Old West: The spot where Taylor runs into Jeremiah after learning of what happened during his spring break trip
How to sign up for ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ campus tour
The free hour-long walking tour will be offered every Wednesday through Sept. 17, the date of the series finale. You can register online at unc.edu/visitors/the-summer-i-turned-pretty-tour.
This story was originally published August 27, 2025 at 10:37 AM.