Sweet Magnolia Season 4 continued the series tradition of using stunning real-world locations to stand in for its fictional South Carolina town.
The streaming romantic drama returns for another batch of episodes on Netflix, continuing the story of Maddie, Dana Sue, and Helen—a group of best friends (known as the Sweet Magnolias) who help each other through the ups and downs of life.
What Town Is Sweet Magnolias Filmed In?
While Sweet Magnolias Season 4 yet again takes place in Serenity, South Carolina, filming never actually happened in the Palmetto State.
Serenity is actually a fictional creation made for the series and does not exist in real life. Instead, Season 4 was largely filmed in Covington, Georgia—the same place that previous seasons had been filmed as well.
Covington is a small city southeast of Atlanta, known by locals of the area as being a 'film town,' where many productions come to reside (like Sweet Magnolias). Other A-list titles that have used Covington as the backdrop for production include The Vampire Diaries, Dukes of Hazzard, and 2021's Jungle Cruise movie.
Covington Woman's Club, Covington
As seen early in Season 4, Episode 1, fans can pick out Covington's Covington Woman's Club as one of the primary filming locations for this new season of episodes.
The Woman's Club stands in for the Serenity Public Library in the series, serving as both its external and internal filming location.
The Public Library is a big part of Season 4, Episode 1, as children from across Serenity sit down to take in a book reading by JoAnna Garcia Swisher's Maddie Townsend (read more about Maddie's character here).
The Covington Woman's Club has stood as a Covington institution for over 100 years in one form or another, serving as a pillar of the community. Its members pride themselves on volunteering and fundraising around Covington.
The Mystic Grill, Covington
One of the mainstays of Sweet Magnolias to this point has been the Serenity watering hole known as Sullivans & Friends; however, it is actually the Covington restaurant The Mystic Grill.
Sullivans & Friends has appeared in every season of the series to this point, serving as a great meeting point for the show's central band of friends, as well as a place where locals can come for a cold drink on a Friday night.
The Mystic Grill is known for its rustic southern feel, in both its design and food. The eatery specializes in southern comfort and serves as both the internal and external shooting location for Sullivans & Friends.
According to Mystic Grill's official website, the restaurant calls one of Covington's historic buildings home, standing in a location that was once home to a saloon in the late 1800s.
The establishment spawned as a tribute to the Vampire Diaries series (which was filmed in Covington), being named after the fictional bar from the hit TV series.
Oakhurst Presbyterian Church, Decatur
The Oakhurst Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Georgia also played host to the hit Netflix series for some time this season.
The Oakhurst Presbyterian Church was dressed up to play the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Serenity, a location featured prominently in Season 4, Episode 4. The exterior and interior of the church can be seen in the episode, as the cast of Sweet Magnolias gather for an emotional funeral for Maddie's ex-husband Bill.
Decatur is another small city in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area, and the Oakhurst Presbyterian Church is situated on its southwest border. The place of worship has operated in its current form since 1921 and has had a constant congregation since.
1144 College Avenue, Covington
Sweet Magnolias Season 4 also sees its core cast of characters on the path to pampering at the Corner Spa.
This relaxing haven is actually a heritage building located at 1144 College Avenue, Covington. Filming for the exterior and interior of the building took place at that location, sporting its iconic antebellum-style architecture and massive maple trees.
In the series, this home was purchased by Helen in Season 4 and transformed into the Corner Spa, hoping to become a staple for the women of Serenity, South Carolina looking to relax.
Sweet Magnolias Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.
