The Notebook takes place mainly in South Carolina, with the central romance set in the town of Seabrook Island, a small resort community near Charleston. The story's flashbacks are set in the 1940s, during World War II, starting when Noah first sees Allie at a carnival on Seabrook Island. The present-day timeline is set in 2004, where an older Noah reads their story to Allie, who suffers from dementia
. Key locations in the film include:
- Seabrook Island, South Carolina, where much of the young couple's romance unfolds
- Charleston, South Carolina, where Allie returns home after her parents forbid her relationship with Noah, and where several scenes such as the American Theater date scene take place
- Martins Point Plantation on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, which serves as Noah’s plantation house in the story
- Boone Hall Plantation in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, used for exterior shots of the Hamilton family summer home
Although the original novel is set in New Bern, North Carolina, the movie was filmed primarily in South Carolina, especially around Charleston and its surrounding areas
