Sandy beach with dunes, sea oats and gentle surf at Fort Fisher, late morning.

Where Was Weekend At Bernie's Filmed?

The 1989 comedy shot its Hamptons scenes on North Carolina beaches, with New York handling the city moments.

Check availabilitySee every location

The Short Answer

The 1989 comedy was mainly filmed in New York City for office, apartment, and park scenes, while the Hamptons beach house and island sequences were shot in North Carolina at Bald Head Island, Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, and Wrightsville Beach. Interior studio work took place at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, then known as DEG Studios.

Weekend at Bernie's tells a story set in New York City and the Hamptons, but viewers watching Bernie's beach house scenes are actually looking at the North Carolina coast. The production spent 12 days shooting in New York, then moved south for seven weeks starting in August 1988.

Bernie's house itself never existed before the cameras rolled. It was a temporary set built at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area and dismantled after filming, with special arrangements made because of sea turtle nesting grounds in the protected park. Principal photography wrapped on October 23, 1988.

Every Location At A Glance

LocationWhereWhat was filmedAccess
Fort Fisher State Recreation AreaKure BeachBernie's beach house (temporary set built and removed after filming); body discovery and party scenesFree to see
Old Baldy LighthouseBald Head IslandLighthouse scenes with Richard and GwenTicketed
Bald Head Island Ferry LandingSouthportFerry and dock arrival/departure scenesFree to see
Bridge Tender Marina / Wrightsville BeachWrightsville BeachFerry and boat scenes near Harbor Island drawbridgeFree to see
173 Henry StreetNew YorkLarry's apartment building and street scenes including fire hydrantOutside only
Gapstow Bridge, Central ParkNew YorkCentral Park mugging attempt and walking scenesFree to see
11 Madison AvenueNew YorkOffice building exterior and insurance company scenesOutside only
120 West 84th Street and Riverside DriveNew YorkRichard's apartment buildingOutside only

Filming Locations Map

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

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Location By Location

Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, Kure Beach
Location 01

Fort Fisher State Recreation Area

North Carolina, Kure Beach Free to see

Filmed here: Bernie's beach house (temporary set built and removed after filming); body discovery and party scenes

This public recreation area in Kure Beach, North Carolina stood in for Bernie's Hamptons property. The production built the beach house here specifically for the film, shooting the body discovery and party scenes, then removed it entirely once cameras stopped. Nothing of the house remains today. Visitors can still walk the same stretch of sand, which is open to the public as a state recreation area with beaches and shoreline access.

Old Baldy Lighthouse, Bald Head Island
Location 02

Old Baldy Lighthouse

North Carolina, Bald Head Island Ticketed

Filmed here: Lighthouse scenes with Richard and Gwen

The historic lighthouse on Bald Head Island appeared in scenes with Richard and Gwen. It is a real, visitable attraction and one of the most recognizable structures from the film. Reaching it requires a ferry ride to the island, and admission is ticketed. Once there, visitors can climb and explore the lighthouse, which is protected as a historic site and maintained for public tours.

Bald Head Island Ferry Landing, Southport
Location 03

Bald Head Island Ferry Landing

North Carolina, Southport Free to see

Filmed here: Ferry and dock arrival/departure scenes

The ferry and dock arrival and departure scenes were shot at the public ferry terminal in Southport, North Carolina. This is the practical gateway for anyone retracing the film on Bald Head Island, which bans cars except for maintenance and police vehicles. Golf carts are the standard way to get around, exactly as seen on screen. The landing remains an active, publicly accessible terminal.

Bridge Tender Marina / Wrightsville Beach, Wrightsville Beach
Location 04

Bridge Tender Marina / Wrightsville Beach

North Carolina, Wrightsville Beach Free to see

Filmed here: Ferry and boat scenes near Harbor Island drawbridge

Ferry and boat scenes near the Harbor Island drawbridge were filmed around this public marina and beach area in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Visitors today will find a working marina and a beach area near a restaurant pier. It is one of the easier locations to visit casually, since no tickets or special access are required and the waterfront around the drawbridge remains publicly walkable.

173 Henry Street, New York
Location 05

173 Henry Street

New York Outside only

Filmed here: Larry's apartment building and street scenes including fire hydrant

Larry's apartment building and its street scenes, including the fire hydrant moment, were filmed at 173 Henry Street in New York. It remains a private residential building, so the interior is off limits, but the street itself is public and the exterior looks much as it did in 1989. Fans typically photograph the facade from the sidewalk and move on, combining it with other Lower Manhattan stops.

Gapstow Bridge, Central Park, New York
Location 06

Gapstow Bridge, Central Park

New York Free to see

Filmed here: Central Park mugging attempt and walking scenes

The Central Park mugging attempt and walking scenes were shot at Gapstow Bridge, one of the park's most photographed spans, located near the southeast corner by the pond. As part of a public park, the bridge is freely accessible at all park hours and easy to fold into a walking route. It offers views toward the skyline that have made it a favorite for filmmakers well beyond this comedy.

11 Madison Avenue, New York
Location 07

11 Madison Avenue

New York Outside only

Filmed here: Office building exterior and insurance company scenes

The office building exterior and the insurance company scenes used 11 Madison Avenue in New York. Only exterior shots tie the film to this address, which stands between Madison Square Park and the Flatiron District. The building can be viewed from the public street, making it a quick stop for fans mapping the Manhattan locations. No interior access is available to visitors.

120 West 84th Street and Riverside Drive, New York
Location 08

120 West 84th Street and Riverside Drive

New York Outside only

Filmed here: Richard's apartment building

Richard's apartment building sits at 120 West 84th Street at Riverside Drive on the Upper West Side. Like Larry's building, it is a private residence with exterior-only relevance to the film, but the public street makes viewing simple. The corner has a residential, tree-lined character typical of the neighborhood, and it pairs naturally with a walk along nearby Riverside Park.

Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed

The story unfolds in New York City and the Hamptons on Long Island, but almost none of the Hamptons footage was shot there. The production filmed city scenes on real Manhattan streets, then used coastal North Carolina locations, principally Fort Fisher, Bald Head Island, and Wrightsville Beach, to double for the Long Island beach setting.

The Studio Side

Interior and studio work took place at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina, then operating as DEG Studios. The facility served as the production hub during the seven weeks the company spent shooting in the state. It is not open for public visits, so travelers hoping to connect with the area's film history should focus on the outdoor locations instead.

Tours That Visit These Locations

Travelers basing themselves in Wilmington can explore the region's screen history on foot. One available walking tour of the Historic District covers movie and television locations around the city that served as the production hub for Weekend at Bernie's.

Historic District Film Walk

Wilmywood Movie and TV Location Walk Tour

A guided walk through Wilmington's Historic District that includes film and television location stops, ideal for visitors using the city as a base for the North Carolina shooting sites.

3 reviews

PriceLive on listingCheck availability

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Visit Bernie's Beach House?

No. The house was a temporary set built at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area for filming and dismantled afterward, partly because the site sits in a protected park with sea turtle nesting grounds. Visitors can walk the beach where it stood, but nothing of the structure survives.

Why Does The Hamptons Look Like North Carolina?

Because it is North Carolina. Although the story is set in the Hamptons on Long Island, the production filmed the beach house and island scenes at Fort Fisher, Bald Head Island, and Wrightsville Beach after 12 days of shooting in New York City.

How Do You Get To Bald Head Island?

By ferry from the public terminal in Southport, North Carolina, the same landing used for the film's ferry and dock scenes. The island prohibits cars except for maintenance and police, so visitors get around by golf cart, as seen on screen. Old Baldy Lighthouse requires a ticket.

Are The New York Locations Easy To See?

Yes. All four Manhattan locations are visible from public streets or parks: 173 Henry Street, Gapstow Bridge in Central Park, 11 Madison Avenue, and 120 West 84th Street at Riverside Drive. Two are private apartment buildings, so viewing is exterior only.

When Was Weekend At Bernie's Filmed?

Filming began with 12 days in New York City, followed by seven weeks in North Carolina starting in August 1988. Principal photography wrapped on October 23, 1988, and the film was released in 1989.

Is The Wilmington Studio Open To Visitors?

No. EUE/Screen Gems Studios, known as DEG Studios during production, is a working facility in Wilmington and is not visitable. Travelers interested in the area's film history can instead take a guided walking tour of the Historic District.

Weekend at Bernie's splits neatly into two trips: a self-guided walk through Manhattan for the apartment, office, and park scenes, and a North Carolina coastal drive covering Fort Fisher, Bald Head Island, and Wrightsville Beach. Wilmington makes a convenient base for the southern leg, and the Historic District film walk adds context about the studio city where much of the production was based.

Keep Exploring

Sources