Skip to site content
Group Travel Leader Group Travel Leader Group Travel Leader

Boomer Destinations in the Carolinas

Beaufort Movie Tours

Beaufort, South Carolina

Beaufort has a rich film history as the site for several movies, among them “Forrest Gump,” “The Big Chill” and “The Great Santini.” Owner Bill Reynolds was inspired to start a movie tour in Beaufort after taking a historic walking tour and realizing he could offer something special in his hometown.

Reynolds credits the Spanish moss, the oak trees, the ferns and the beautiful marsh scenes with being major reasons for attracting filmmakers. Historic Beaufort is also full of antebellum houses that were miraculously spared during the Union Army’s takeover of the town during the Civil War. Visitors particularly like visiting a residential area of town called the Point, where many grand houses acted as Union hospitals.

“It’s a well-balanced tour,” Reynolds said. “The guides combine a lot of information about [local] history and movies.”

Reynolds himself is full of anecdotes about movies filmed in Beaufort and covers everything from what was in Forrest Gump’s chocolate box — rumored to be candy from the local store the Chocolate Tree — to Kevin Costner’s little-known role in “The Big Chill.”

“People love going on the tour because it’s entertaining and the tour guides do a great job of bringing the movies and history to life,” Reynolds said.

The group offers other tours as well, such as walking and ghost tours and Gullah tours to St. Helena Island and the Penn Center.

www.beaufortmovietour.com

 

Biltmore Estate

Asheville, North Carolina

The French-inspired Biltmore mansion, built by George Vanderbilt, sits in the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Groups can explore the home and expansive grounds to see how the elite lived during the late 19th century.

The Biltmore offers an array of tours. The audio guide allows visitors to learn about the house at their own pace, touring rooms such as the winter garden, the vast library and even a bowling alley. Special behind-the-scenes tours travel off the beaten path: The Butler’s Tour shows guests how the house functioned with servants, and the Architect’s Tour visits rooms not on the typical tour, including stunning rooftop views. For an intimate group tour, guests may wish to take the Guided Evening Tour, when they can have the house to themselves.

Leslie Brewer, tour and travel sales manager for the Biltmore Estate, said the Vanderbilt Family Tour is a favorite.

“The Vanderbilt Family Tour talks about who visited, where they stayed, what clothes they wore and more,” she said.

Myriad other opportunities are offered as well, such as tours of the gardens; tours of the West Range, which covers the forest and agribusiness of Biltmore; floral workshops; and specialty lectures. Guided horseback and carriage rides are also available and offer an unusual way to explore the grounds.

www.biltmore.com