Where Was Matlock Filmed?

The Short Answer

Matlock, which ran from 1986 to 1995, was mainly filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood for seasons 1 through 6, then at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina for seasons 7 through 9. Exterior scenes were shot in Los Angeles, including the Art of Living Foundation Building as the courthouse, and in coastal North Carolina towns such as Manteo.

Matlock may be set in Atlanta, Georgia, but the camera rarely went there. Production split between two coasts across its nine season run, starting on the Universal Studios Hollywood backlot and later relocating to Wilmington, North Carolina, a hub for television production during the show's final seasons.

The good news for fans is that several of these places can still be visited. One working studio offers a public tour, and the coastal towns that stood in for Georgia courtrooms and porches remain walkable, pleasant places to spend a day.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
Universal Studios Hollywood	Universal City	Studio interiors and backlot scenes for seasons 1-6, including Matlock house on Colonial Street	Ticketed
EUE/Screen Gems Studios	Wilmington	Studio production for seasons 7-9	Private property
Art of Living Foundation Building	Los Angeles	Exterior courthouse scenes	Outside only
Manteo	Manteo	Various exterior scenes	Free to see
Wilmington	Wilmington	Exterior scenes and town settings	Free to see
KCET Studios	Los Angeles	Exterior scenes	Private property

Filming Locations Map

6 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California handled studio interiors and backlot scenes for seasons 1 through 6. The Matlock house appeared on Colonial Street, the famous backlot residential set. Today the site operates as a theme park, and the public Studio Tour passes through working backlot areas where Colonial Street may be visible. Admission requires a ticket, and the tour is the only way to see the backlot.

This Wilmington, North Carolina studio hosted production for seasons 7 through 9, after the show left California. It remains a working studio and is not open to the public, so there are no visitor tours of the soundstages where Matlock's later courtroom scenes were built. Fans can still view the exterior from the street in Wilmington's film district, and the surrounding city offers plenty of other screen history to explore on foot.

Located at 948 West Adams Boulevard in Los Angeles, this building served as the exterior courthouse in Matlock. It is a real structure on a public street, so anyone can walk past and photograph the facade that stood in for the Atlanta courthouse. No ticket or arrangement is needed. Visitors staying downtown or near the University of Southern California area can reach it easily, since it sits in a busy, accessible corridor of the city.

Manteo, a small town on North Carolina's coast, provided various exterior scenes during the show's later seasons. It remains fully open to visitors, with a walkable historic core and a relaxed waterfront. Fans of the series will recognize the small town scale that made it a convincing stand in for Georgia communities. It sits near the Outer Banks, so it pairs well with a coastal itinerary that mixes filming locations with beaches and historic sites.

Wilmington, North Carolina stood in for exterior scenes and general town settings during seasons 7 through 9. Its historic district and riverfront remain public and accessible, and the city has a long television production history thanks to EUE/Screen Gems. Walking downtown, visitors pass storefronts and streets that appeared on screen. The waterfront area is particularly pleasant and makes an easy half day of location spotting between meals.

KCET Studios in Los Angeles was used for exterior scenes during the show's California production years. The property is private studio space and not open to visitors, so there is no tour or public access inside. Those curious can see the exterior from public streets in the surrounding neighborhood. It is a minor stop on the Matlock map, worth a quick look only for completists already exploring other Los Angeles filming sites nearby.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

Matlock is set in Atlanta, Georgia, where defense attorney Ben Matlock practices law, but almost none of the series was shot there. Primary filming took place in Los Angeles, California and in Wilmington and Manteo, North Carolina. The Wilmington move for the final three seasons brought production to a region whose towns and facilities could convincingly double for southern locales.

The Studio Side

Three studios contributed to the show. Universal Studios Hollywood handled seasons 1 through 6, including the Matlock house on Colonial Street, and is the only one of the three open to the public via its Studio Tour. EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington took over for seasons 7 through 9 and remains a private working studio. KCET Studios in Los Angeles supplied some exterior scenes and is also private property.

Tours That Visit These Locations

No dedicated Matlock tour exists, but one bookable studio experience brings visitors onto a working Hollywood lot where active filming can sometimes be seen from the route.

Working Hollywood Lot Tour

Paramount Pictures Studio Tour

This studio tour walks visitors through a functioning Hollywood lot, and the route can pass active productions, giving a sense of the environment where shows like Matlock were made.

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