Where Was We'Re The Millers Filmed?

The Short Answer

We're the Millers was filmed mainly in Wilmington, North Carolina, which stood in for the story's Denver setting. Additional production took place in New Mexico, including scenes at Santa Fe Studios and Kewa Pueblo for the Mexico border sequences, and in Valencia, California, for Brad Gurdlinger's house exteriors.

The 2013 comedy We're the Millers follows a fake family smuggling marijuana from Mexico to Denver, but almost none of it was shot in either place. Principal photography ran from July 23 to October 5, 2012, and the production built its version of Denver in Wilmington, North Carolina, a coastal city with a long history of standing in for elsewhere.

Wilmington's sea-level humidity somehow had to pass for Denver's mountain air, achieved through careful framing and set dressing. The State Port even doubled as the Mexican border crossing. Fans can still walk past many of the key locations today, most of them clustered within a few blocks of downtown.

Every Location At A Glance

Location	Where	What was filmed	Access
Murchison Building / 200-216 N Front Street	Wilmington	Miller Street apartment exteriors and scenes	Free to see
15 Dock Street	Wilmington	Rose's strip club / nightclub exteriors and scenes	Outside only
300 N Front Street (Port City Java / Burklyn Cafe)	Wilmington	Coffee shop / Burklyn Cafe scenes	Free to see
205 N Front Street (Pender's Cafe)	Wilmington	Cafe scenes including abduction sequence	Free to see
420 Market Street (Carolina Apartments)	Wilmington	Apartment interior and dialogue scenes	Private property
515 Nutt Street (Wilmington Convention Center)	Wilmington	Convention center scenes	Ticketed
Brunswick Forest	Leland	Carnival scenes	Free to see
28525 Witherspoon Pkwy	Valencia	Brad Gurdlinger's house exteriors	Outside only
Santa Fe Studios	Santa Fe	Studio interiors and some Mexico-related scenes	Private property
Kewa Pueblo	Kewa Pueblo	Mexico border and related scenes	Free to see

Filming Locations Map

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

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

This downtown building provided the Miller Street apartment exteriors and related scenes. It sits in the heart of Wilmington's Historic District, and the street-level facades look much as they did on screen. Visitors can simply walk along North Front Street and recognize the block from the film. No tickets or special access are needed, and the surrounding area offers plenty of shops and restaurants for anyone making an afternoon of it.

15 Dock Street stood in for Rose's strip club, the nightclub where several memorable moments unfold. Only the exteriors were used for filming, and the building sits on a public street, so anyone can walk by and compare it to the movie. The businesses inside have changed over the years, so visitors should verify what currently occupies the space before expecting anything specific inside.

The opening coffeehouse scene was shot here, using real Port City Java cups with the logo deliberately turned aside from camera. The film presents it as the Burklyn Cafe. It remains an active cafe location, making it one of the easiest stops for fans: order a coffee and sit inside a genuine set. It sits within easy walking distance of the other North Front Street locations.

Pender's Cafe at 205 N Front Street hosted cafe scenes including the abduction sequence. Reports indicate the cafe has since permanently closed, but the building exterior remains visible from the public street, and curious fans can still view the facade. It stands just around the corner from the Port City Java location, so it adds almost no extra walking to a downtown tour of the film's sites.

The Carolina Apartments at 420 Market Street supplied apartment interiors and dialogue scenes. This is a private residential building with no public access, so visitors should not attempt to enter. The best option is a brief look from the sidewalk while respecting residents' privacy. It rounds out the Wilmington cluster of locations, sitting a short walk south of the North Front Street sites that make up the film's core downtown footprint.

The Wilmington Convention Center at 515 Nutt Street was used for convention center scenes in the film. Today it operates as a public events venue, so access depends on what is happening there. Attending a ticketed event or public function is the most reliable way to see the interior. Even from outside, the building is easily viewable from the public riverfront area along the Cape Fear River in downtown Wilmington.

Brunswick Forest in nearby Leland, North Carolina, hosted the film's carnival scenes. It is a park area close to Wilmington, and access is public. Visitors can explore the grounds where the carnival sequences were staged, though obviously the rides and carnival dressing are long gone. It makes a pleasant contrast to the downtown locations and shows how the production spread beyond the city itself for some of its bigger outdoor setups.

This address in Valencia, California provided the exteriors of Brad Gurdlinger's house, the wealthy client who sets the whole plot in motion. It is a private residential area, so access is exterior viewing only, and courtesy toward residents is essential. Fans driving through the Santa Clarita area can see the property from the street, but it is otherwise a brief stop rather than a destination in itself.

Santa Fe Studios in Santa Fe, New Mexico handled studio interiors and some of the Mexico-related scenes. It is a working production facility and not open to the public, so there is nothing to visit in the conventional sense. Travelers interested in New Mexico's film industry can still appreciate Santa Fe's broader production scene from the outside. This stop is really for completists mapping the production's full geography.

Kewa Pueblo in New Mexico stood in for the Mexico border crossing and related scenes. It is tribal land with public access, but visitors must respect local rules and customs while on site. This is one of the more unusual film locations tied to the movie, since the border drama was filmed far from the actual border. Anyone visiting should check current access conditions before traveling, as policies on tribal land can change.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

The story is set primarily in Denver, Colorado, with a pivotal Mexico border crossing, but the filming geography is entirely different. Wilmington, North Carolina doubled for Denver, with the city's humidity and sea-level setting disguised through framing and set dressing. New Mexico stood in for Mexico, including Kewa Pueblo for the border scenes, while the State Port in Wilmington also doubled as a border crossing. California filled in only the exteriors of Gurdlinger's house.

The Studio Side

Two studios supported the production. EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington served the main shoot, taking advantage of the city's established production infrastructure. Santa Fe Studios in New Mexico handled studio interiors and some Mexico-related scenes. Neither studio is open to the public, so neither can be visited, though both explain how a Denver-set movie ended up shooting mostly in the American South and Southwest.

Tours That Visit These Locations

For travelers who want more than a self-guided walk, a guided option exists in Wilmington that covers the Historic District and its screen history.

Guided Historic District Walk

Wilmywood Movie and TV Location Walk Tour

A guided movie and TV location walk through Wilmington's Historic District, the same area where the North Front Street scenes were filmed, with context on the city's broader screen credits.

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