Lake Lure

Dirty Dancing (1987) struck a chord with movie-going audiences, particularly with its iconic dance finale. While the film was released over 30 years ago, its legacy is celebrated in the Lake Lure area of North Carolina. This area–as well as locations in Virginia–substituted for the Catskills in the film.

Principal photography occurred in Lake Lure, North Carolina, and Mountain Lake, Virginia. Scenes in Lake Lure were filmed at Camp Chimney Rock. These scenes included interior dance sequences, Johnny’s cabin, Baby carrying the watermelon, and more. The climactic lift scene was filmed in the ballroom of the Lake Lure Inn. Filming started for Dirty Dancing on September 5, 1986, ultimately lasting 43 days.

Today, Lake Lure is a lush, stunning area, particularly busy around the summer months with vacationing clientele.

The cast of the film stayed at Lake Lure Inn while filming on location at Lake Lure. Today, the location is home to various Dirty Dancing-themed bungalows. It is located at 2771 Memorial Hwy, Lake Lure, North Carolina.

Of course, the most famous moment in the film is Baby’s lift stunt, performed by Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. This particular shot was filmed at a gymnasium, which was ultimately razed in the 1980s; however, the floor from the dance sequence survives in the lobby of the Esmerelda Inn in Chimney Rock, North Carolina.

The Esmerelda Inn has a strong connection to film history, as it was a hideaway for silent film stars who were present for on-location shoots during the Silent Era. Notable film stars such as Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Gloria Swanson, and others stayed at the Esmerelda Inn during various production shoots. Today, fans of the film can stroll over the same dance floor that Swayze and Grey glided across in Dirty Dancing–and, of course, break out into a little dance or two. The Esmerelda Inn is located at 910 Main St, Chimney Rock, North Carolina.